Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 4

The air in the penthouse was thick with the scent of expensive lilies. I adjusted my tie for the tenth time, staring at my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows. Beyond the glass, Boston was filled with so much light. “Stop fidgeting, Alessandro. You look like you don’t want to be here."I didn't turn around. I knew that voice. It was cold and sharp.“Maybe I am, Father,” I said quietly.Dante Moretti stepped up beside me, his reflection joining mine. “It’s an engagement party. Smile. The cameras are watching, and those cameras represent three percent of our projected stock growth.”“Is that all she is to you? A percentage?” I turned to look at my sister, Bianca. She was standing across the room, draped in silk, laughing at something a senator was saying. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. It never did anymore.“She is a Moretti,” my father snapped. “She knows her duty. Unlike you, who seems to think this family is a buffet where you can pick and choose what you like.”“I’m doing

The Moretti estate was a sea of black ties and silk gowns, but to me, it felt like a graveyard. Every camera flash was a reminder that we were on display. We weren't a family tonight; we were a product launch.I stood by the grand staircase, a glass of scotch in my hand that I hadn’t touched. I was watching the performance of the century.Nikolai was across the room, and he was being "perfect." He had his arm draped heavily around Bianca’s waist, pulling her flush against his side. Every few minutes, he would lean down and whisper something into her ear, making her let out a startled, fragile laugh for the photographers.He was being too loud. He was being too charming. He was overacting so hard I wanted to vomit.He’s using her, I thought, my grip tightening on my glass. He’s using my sister to wash the taste of me out of his mouth."Look at them," my father said, appearing at my elbow. He sounded satisfied. "The press is eating it up. 'The Captain and the Contessa.' It’s a fairy tal