Chapter 2

Everyone on the East Coast knew Adrian and I had broken up.

The fallen Ashfords weren't good enough for the Vances.

But nobody knew the rest of it. The old Don had buried every detail.

The amused looks and the whispers kept pulling at my thoughts.

I got distracted, and I spilled red wine on a guest's couture gown.

The next second, a hand cracked hard across my face.

"What is wrong with you? I bought this dress just for tonight, and you spilled wine all over it."

The woman spat the insults at me.

I lowered my head and apologized. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I can pay to have it cleaned."

That only made her angrier. "Cleaned? This is Valentino couture. The cleaning alone runs ten grand. You got that kind of money?"

"I can write you an IOU for now."

The noise of the party died down. Adrian looked over.

He watched from across the room, cold and detached.

Somebody recognized me, and to score points with the new Don, made a show of laughing. "Well, if it isn't the Don's ex. You two are done, and you're still pulling cheap stunts like this for attention? Don't you know he's marrying into the Whitmore family?"

The woman I'd splashed instantly switched to a fawning smile. "Don, I heard you're getting married next month at St. Mary's? This woman spilled wine on me on purpose. Let me have the manager fire her, throw her off the East Coast, so she doesn't taint your wedding."

The manager had no choice. "If the Vances and the Whitmores want it, I'll cooperate."

Just then a wave of expensive perfume drifted over. Charlotte, at Adrian's side, laid a hand on the woman's arm and smiled gently. "Let it go. Today's the day Adrian and I get engaged. No sense letting a little thing like this embarrass everyone."

She drew a thick stack of cash-filled envelopes from her expensive clutch and handed them to the woman, every movement graceful.

"You've all worked hard tonight. A small token from the Vance family."

Finally she came to me, looked me over with that pitying, condescending gaze, and pressed an envelope into my hand.

"Eve Ashford, isn't it? Adrian's mentioned you."

She sighed, her voice full of reasonable, generous sympathy. "Things must have been rough since you left him. Take the guest gift. A girl should take better care of herself. Adrian's the Don now. You showing up in front of him dressed in rags, people will laugh at him for having bad taste back then."

To perform for the future Donna, the woman I'd splashed yanked a gilt-edged invitation from her bag and flung it in my face.

"Take a good look. He's getting married. And you spill wine on me just to make a scene. You've got nerve."

The card grazed the corner of my eye and dropped into my lap.

I had nothing to say. Head down, I saw Adrian's name printed on the invitation. And beside his name, side by side, was Charlotte's.

Charlotte. Even the name sounded like a well-protected daughter of some noble house.

She must be more sensible than me, I thought, more refined, better at taking care of a man. She'd never keep hurting Adrian, and she'd never be the stone in his path to becoming Don.

Five years apart, and now this. Knowing Adrian was doing well, that was enough.

I held back the tears that almost fell, pressed a hand to my stinging cheek, lifted my head, and said one thing to Adrian. "Congratulations."

Adrian stared straight at me. When he heard it, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he let out a cold little laugh.

He looked at my swollen cheek and spoke flatly. "Eve, stay away from every one of my family's ceremonies. And don't try to worm your way into my wedding by waiting tables."

"Charlotte doesn't want to look at you. It'd kill me if she's upset."

I gripped that thin, gilded card and stood there, stunned.

I bit down hard on my lip, forced out a smile, and said softly, "Okay."