Lahat ng Kabanata ng Dangerous Game: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

{VIVIAN}My parents' living room looked like something out of an Architectural Digest spread. Tufted settees sat at right angles to carved wood tables; porcelain tea sets jostled for space next to priceless tchotchkes. Even the air smelled cold and impersonal, like generically expensive freshener.Some people had homes; my parents had a showpiece."Your skin looks dull." My mother examined me with a critical eye. "Have you been keeping up with your monthly facials?"She sat across from me, her own skin glowing withpearlescent luminosity."Yes, Mother." My cheeks ached from the forcedpoliteness of my smile.I'd stepped foot in my childhood home ten minutes ago, and l'd already been criticized for my hair (too messy), my nails (too long), and now, my complexion.Just another night at the Lau manor."Good. Remember, you can't let yourself go," my mother said. "You're not married yet."I held back a sigh. Here we go again.Despite my thriving career in Manhattan, where the event plannin

I didn't wait for anyone to speak before I walked out and left a fuming Francis, flustered Cecelia, and red-faced Vivian in the dining room.My anger remained a restless burn beneath my skin, but it cooled with each step farther away from them.In the past, I'd exacted retribution on those who crossed me immediately. Fuck revenge being a dish best served cold; my motto has always been strike fast, strike hard, and strike true.The world moved too quickly for me not to move along with it. I took care of the problem harshly enough to ensure there wouldn't be any future problems, and I moved on.Resolving the Lau situation, on the other hand, required patience. It was a virtue I wasn't familiar with, and it stretched tight over me like an ill-fitting suit.The echo of my footsteps faded as marble floors gave way to carpet. I'd visited enough mansions with similar layouts to guess where the restroom was, but I bypassed it in favor of the solid mahogany door at the end of the hall.A twist

My fist slammed into his stomach, hard and precise. My first hit of the night.Adrenaline buzzed through me as Kai grunted at the impact. Anyone else would've stumbled and gotten the wind knocked out of them, but in true Kai fashion, he only paused for a few seconds before shaking it off."You seem upset," he said as he countered with a left hook. I sidestepped it with millimeters to spare. "Bad day at work?"A hint of amusement shaded his question despite the direct hit he'd just taken."Something like that."Sweat dripped down my forehead and coated my back as I worked out my frustrations in the ring. I'd come straight to the Valhalla Club after work. Most members preferred the on-site spa, restaurants, or upscale gentleman's club, which meant the boxing gym rarely saw any traffic except for me and Kai."Heard the Santeri deal is moving along, so it can't be that." Kai was barely out of breath despite theaggressiveness of our opening round. "Maybe it's not work. Maybe..." His expre

"l'm sorry, ma'am, but you're not on the list. It doesn't matter whether you're Mr. Russo's mother, sister, or fiancée..." The hostess raised a brow at my bare ring finger. "I can't let you in without an invitation." My smile didn't falter. "If you call Dante, he'll confirm my identity," I said, even though I wasn't sure he would. I'd deal with that bridge when we got there. "This is simply an oversight." I'd gone home as planned after happy hour and lasted a total of twenty minutes before I caved to Isabella and Sloane's suggestion. They were right. I couldn't sit around waiting for Dante when my move-in date loomed so close. I had to suck it up and see him, no matter how much he annoyed or unnerved me. Of course, in order to see him, I had to get into the party. The hostess's face reddened. "I assure you, there was no oversight. We are meticulous in–" "Vivian, there you are." "An aristocratic British accent cut smoothly through our standoff. I turned, surprise coasting through

{VIVIAN}I was a law-abiding citizen, but if anyone could drive me to mariticide, it was my future husband.I hated his arrogance, his rudeness, and the mocking way he called me mia cara. I hated the way my pulse kicked at the rough span of his hand around my neck.And I hated how he always seemed larger than life, like the molecules of any space he entered had to fold in on themselves to accommodate him.Are. We. Clear? His maddening voice echoed in my head. It was clear, all right. It was clear Dante Russo was fucking Satan in a nice suit.I forced my lungs to expand past my anger. In, one, two, three. Out, one, two, three.Only when my blood pressure returned to normal levels did I open the door to my new room instead of hunting down the sharpest knife I could find.As promised, a business card with Dante's assistant's number and a black Amex waited on the nightstand next to a distinctive red ring box. When I popped open the lid, a six-carat diamond winked back at me.I brushed my