Semua Bab The Bride’s secret heir : Bab 1 - Bab 4

The tremor in my hands didn't subside until the taxi was three blocks away from the gala. I pressed my palms flat against the cool leather seat, forcing a calm I didn't feel into my bones. Sarah was screaming in the back of my skull, a frantic chorus of *what have you done?* I closed my eyes and pictured my father's face, the hollow defeat in his eyes. The fear receded, replaced by a cold, hard resolve.The phone in my clutch buzzed. Elena.I answered, holding the device to my ear. "Well?""Okay, first of all, you're insane."Her voice was a mix of awe and terror. "Secondly, my contact inside just texted. He's asking about you. Sterling. He just pulled out your card and asked his assistant, 'Who is Aria Vance?' You're in."A sliver of icy satisfaction cut through the lingering anxiety. "Good. That was the point.""The point was to get his attention, not to pour champagne on him and sass him in front of the entire city elite! I was watching from the service entrance. I thought his head

The following week was a whirlwind of logistics. Coordinating with high- strung artists, impatient gallery owners, and the immovable object that was Marcus Thorne. Every delivery, every installation time, had to be cleared through him. Our interactions were brief and conducted entirely over the phone, his voice a flat, distrustful monotone.“The Takashi photograph requires specific lighting. My technician will be there at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.”“I’ll have a man there.”“The sandstone sculpture is fragile. The installers need a clear path and a stable temperature.”“Noted.”He was a man of few words, each one chosen to convey the minimum required information. I knew he was digging, running a deeper background check than the one I’d so carefully planted. I had to be flawless.The day of the first installation arrived. I was in the penthouse, directing two burly movers as they carefully positioned the massive, framed photograph. The door opened and Damien walked in.He stopped just insid