Chapter 1

Jade

Tonight was the night my betrothal to Julian Davenport would be announced to the world.

“Suck in your gut, Jade.” My mom instructed as she stood behind me tying up the laces of my corseted gown. “I thought school would have made you lose a little weight. But here we are still struggling to fit you into dresses.”

I rolled my eyes. “Mom, you bought this dress in a size 4. I’m a size 6. It’s like you want me to look skeletal.”

“No. I just don’t like seeing all the extra fat on your arms and stomach.”

“It’s called looking healthy.”

She pulled at the laces hard causing me to let out a squeaky gasp. “Don’t talk back at me, young lady!”

I tucked in my lips to keep from saying something else in response and instead focused on the bubbles of excitement fizzing in my lower stomach.

I couldn’t believe today was finally here. It was my twenty-first birthday and also the night of my engagement party to Julian Davenport.

Ever since I laid eyes on him for the first time when I was four, I had loved him and no one else. To me, he was perfect. The most beautiful man to ever walk the earth.

I had been counting down the days till today when I could officially call him mine.

He hadn’t seen me since a year before I left for the university. He had always viewed me as a child. He never looked at me the same way he looked at all those other women who hung off his arm.

But all that was going to change when he saw me tonight. I finally looked like a woman and not like a teenage girl. My figure was all soft, feminine curves, with full breasts and rounded hips. And I had finally perfected the art of applying flawless makeup on my face.

There was no way he wouldn’t immediately drop the skanky women he usually carried around the moment he laid eyes on me.

I smiled to myself and contained a burst of excited giggles.

“There, I think I’m done.” Mom finally said after tying a firm knot.

I turned around to face the mirror to view my reflection. I could barely breathe and it seemed like I had been squeezed into the shimmery pink evening gown my mom had picked out for me. But aside from that, I looked really good.

Like I just stepped out of a modeling photoshoot set. Like I belonged on the arm of a man like Julian Davenport.

My makeup was done to professional perfection and my brown bouncy curls were styled in a half-up, half-down look. My skin was glowy with dangly pearl earrings in my ears. Then my designer shoes and clutch were in place.

I brought up my hand to admire the lights catching on the huge emerald-cut diamond around my left ring finger. It still left me in awe everytime I looked at it.

I was told Julian had personally selected it himself and because of that, it was my most prized possession.

“Your dad is downstairs waiting in the car.” Mom told me as she turned towards my door to head out. “I’ll join you soon. I need to touch up my makeup.”

There was nothing wrong with her makeup. My mom just liked to appear perfect. Being her only child, I had been trained to never look anything less. Appearances were everything, mistakes weren’t condoned, and I had to look my best at all times.

I raised up my dress and carefully walked downstairs to the waiting car. Dad was there like Mom had said, wearing a proud smile when I appeared.

“My darling girl, happy birthday. You’re absolutely breathtaking.” He smiled and outstretched his arms for a hug which I immediately stepped into. “Any man would be lucky to have you as his fiancée.”

“Thanks, daddy.” I stepped back with a wide grin, a blush staining my cheeks and my confidence at an all-time high now.

I had always been a daddy’s girl, something my mom despised me for. Actually, she despised me for everything and that wasn’t an exception. But her constant sour mood wasn’t going to affect me tonight.

Bolstered by my dad’s words, I climbed into the car with his help, determination in my heart to make tonight an unforgettable one.

I was certain tonight was the night Julian would finally realize his love for me, and we would live happy and obsessed with each other for the rest of our lives.

The car pulled up in front of Hotel Royale, the venue for our engagement party, and before we could step out to the flashing cameras, Mom pulled me back with a tight, warning grip, her eyes sharp and condescending on me.

“Today is a very important day. Act your part well and don’t mess things up. The Davenports would expect nothing less from their future daughter-in-law.”

“Rosa, you’re being too serious.” Dad cautioned her playfully, trying to diffuse the tension that had crept into the air. “When has Jade ever let us down by behaving anything but appropriate?”

The answer was never. I’d been a good girl all my life. Always followed everything my parents told me to. Dressed how they wanted, went to the school they wanted, studied the course they wanted.

I had been prim and proper and never disappointed them. But that wasn’t enough for my mom. She always wanted to control every single thing I did. And I’d known for a while that she wasn’t going to change anytime soon so I’d always had to make peace with it.

Especially on a night like this one when I didn’t want anything to ruin my joy.

So I took a deep breath and patted the hand she was using to hold mine in a death grip. “I promise to be on my best behaviour, mom. You won’t have to worry about anything going wrong on my end.”

She released me, seeming appeased by my words for the moment. Then she pasted on a smile and signaled for the driver to come around and open the door.

We stepped out to the mass of reporters, posing a united front as we smiled and waved and headed towards the entrance of the hotel. The reporters were a normal occurrence being the only daughter of Frank and Rosa Starling, the owners of Starling Luxe, the billion-dollar luxury brand that dominated the world of high fashion.

Nerves jiggled my stomach as we got closer and closer to the private suite where Julian and his parents were waiting. I was excited for his reaction but also a little tense. Dad noticed and drew me closer to kiss the side of my face, whispering once again that I looked beautiful.

That settled me a bit and I drew my shoulders back as we finally got to the door and dad gave a sharp knock.

It immediately swung inwards, revealing the handsome smiling face of Richard Davenport, Julian’s dad.

“My, my, if it isn’t my absolutely stunning soon-to-be daughter-in-law and her lovely parents.” He pulled me in for a warm hug and kissed my cheek before waving me inside so he could properly greet my parents.

Celeste Davenport approached me when I stepped in and brushed a kiss on my cheek too, her expensive perfume swirling in the air. She was Julian’s mom and a far better mother to me than my own ever was.

“I’m so happy that tonight is finally here.” She smiled prettily and primped my hair. “I’ll soon get to call you my very own daughter.”

I smiled back, feeling more than a little giddy now that I knew Julian was only a few steps away in this suite. “I can’t wait.”

She patted my cheek and stepped to the side with a swish of her elegantly cut silk chiffon gown. “I’ll let you and Julian have a few moments by yourselves.”

I nodded and she moved on to join her husband in greeting my parents.

I stepped forward and rounded the corner out of the entryway and my eyes landed on the man standing in the middle of the room wearing an impeccably tailored onyx suit.

My breath caught when he turned around and settled his dark, stormy gaze on me.

“Hi, Julian.” I said quietly, my pulse fluttering at a rapid pace.