the heavy double do

chandeliers poured over her, instantly casti

lung to her curves, radiating a cold, untouchable elegance.

gh-society women raised their silk fans to their mouths,

raight to the towering champagne pyramid and lif

dress and clung tightly to the arm of a wealthy trust-fund heir. A nasty, tr

ficially loud, designed to carry across the s

e. They turned their bodies toward the two women,

. "Where is that mysterious Mr. Vaughan? Oh, wait. It's been three

owd. A group of heiresses standing near the bar o

The glass dug into her skin, her knuckles turning stark white. Sh

rying to grab Carlee's wrist. "Just come back to the family c

. Her eyes turned as cold as a frozen lake. Sh

smooth, unhurried, and loud enough for the entire room to hear. "But som

, ugly red. The muffled laughter in the room instantl

e hissed, losing her composure. "You're going to

t out a s

the marble bar. The loud, violent crack of

ilent. Everyone stopped breathi

ers. She looked around th

e ringing with absolute certainty. "I dumped that blind,

e guests stared in pure shock. No one in New York da

finger shook as she pointed at

sin to back up. "As of today, I have zero ties to the

yes. "So stop trying to use those pa

n the VIP box, Braden stood with a glass of amber whiske

tude would cause ripples across global markets by morning. But then, the corner of his mouth curved upward into a slow, dangerous smile. The chaotic storm she was whipping up tonight would serve as the absolute perfect smokescreen for his upcoming hostile takeover of the Barron fami

h her signature fake tears. She looked comple

te puffed out his chest, trying to play the

er's company is currently under investigation for cooking t

mmediately took a huge ste

looking at the wreckage she had

k away from the c

e Crestwood-Hawthorne, the host of the gala and a

coming to throw Carlee out for causing a scene. Brigette