XAN

as something I'd expected, but it was still annoying to behold. I didn't want this marriage-not now, not ever-but she was too

har

g out of love, but be

the women as I left them to the excited conversation they were having

me of the Golden Ball Charity event I was to att

anks. I'll

Golden Ball charity event this evening. I think it's time we left to start preparing.

g herself announcing to everyone there that we had fixed a date for t

a, thankfully, stayed glued to her phone, likely

up in the car, seems always felt that was not p

s event is for elites, the one percent. The kind of place paupers and wannabes- like Raina- woul

in

to push her out of my mind, she always found a way to worm her way back in. My family- they all hated her.

s she suffering, struggling like she deserved to be? And the child... the one she had ru

ed inw

p for Raina back then- ther

-

ight. She hadn't worn her engagement ring in weeks, a silent protest against my coldness, but tonight,

stening. I just wanted some peace. Eli

g- not when I had more important things to think about. Namely, securing the Graham family- New Yor

lose to garnering their attention, something always got in the way. Canceled meetings, vague excuses... but tonight, I felt different. I was almost certain

ld fe

~

s, dazzling, filled with the who's who of high society. And to my chagrin, Eliza clung to me like I was some trophy, her

glamorous couple. Every photo the media took made her grin wider. It irritated me. Everything abou

n quietly at first, but soon increased as the anticipation

cement echoed through the hall that the Grah

n found, Alexander! She might even be here tonight!" Sure, that had been what she was excited about. Not the prospect of bagging one of New York's most eligible bachelors. I felt the urge to r

; Vanessa was already fantasizing about befriending her, and I had to admit

ham- heir to the empire- walking into the room, the epitome of power and con

raham had entered h

in

way

he ever did with me, I must say, and t

ex-

ing for- no, desperately tr

here- with the Grahams. And not just anyone from the fami

was she doing, cozying up to the Gr

Dominic like she

g sense. Raina was in a place she didn't belong,

ent years imagining her suffering, broken, raising that child alone and struggling like she deserved. But in

tiful, it hurt

ated he