جميع فصول : الفصل

VIVIENNE’S POVThe private gaming room inside the Casino de Monte‑Carlo smelled of vintage champagne, expensive cigars, and unfathomable wealth.I leaned back in my velvet armchair, dressed in a backless, floor‑length emerald silk dress that dragged along the polished marble. My diamond tactical blade was strapped securely against my inner thigh, while my mother’s gold Sovereign signet ring caught the glint of the crystal chandeliers overhead.Across the green felt table, Lucian sat like a bored, predatory king. He was dressed in a crisp black tuxedo, his jacket unbuttoned, his tie loosened just enough to look dangerously unhinged.A French duke sitting two seats down from me had been staring at my exposed back for the last twenty minutes. He leaned toward me, a patronizing smirk on his face.“You look far too delicate to be playing at a ten‑million‑euro table, mademoiselle,” the duke purred, sliding a stack of black chips forward. “Perhaps I could buy you a drink instead?”Before I c