ia's

xpect him to

at soon,

ion to disappear into the crowd - to blend. I wasn't here to chase him. I was

't react to attention," he'd s

eady to be a disruption

it felt almost real on my tongue. Ivy had helped me rehearse my fake background - marketing and nonprofit stra

let my nerves show. Everyone here was wealthy, well-connected, and mostly bored.

in this glimmeri

Ki

in the air, the subtle turn of heads when he moved through the room

walking straight toward me, m

y expressi

as direct. No emotion. No warning. Just obs

e said as he stop

oth, but not soft. He didn't offer a hand. Ju

olite smile. "

u're

estion. A

for the Langford Foundation. Just came onboard

head slightly. "

. Just my first

re you findi

ut not too relaxed. This wasn'

ll smile. "Though I imagine you don't

link. "I come

ng unsettling about

y drink to g

king to me?" I asked, meet

st barely. Not quite a sm

ietly. "Most people in this room want some

off, his eyes

hiding s

down my spine. He was

usiness," I replied, k

urmured. "But you're not n

htened slightly

ot invading, just enough to rem

e said, "either have something to

as if amused. "Or maybe I

believe in

n being intimidated by r

did som

aze sha

warm - it was curious. Like a lion in

said. "That's not a compl

My heart was pounding in my

r, nodding briefly at someo

g, Miss Green," he s

at, he wa

re, pulse racing,

e k

was doing.

I wasn't her

ered later that night when I ca

spoke

lrea

Yea

she breat

ed, staring at the ceiling. "He doesn't talk lik

ou held

g me the entire time. Like he could

right name, righ

ias," I snapped, then sighed

Mal. But that's good. He notice

don't know if that

Then: "You still have a choice

y head towar

I can," I whisp

idn't com

. Not the image from the file Andrew gave me -

how quickly he'

more that I wanted

cause of

ng about him... f

how, we bo