His velvet obsession
“Velvet.”
The word slid under my skin like a needle. I jerked my hand back, my heart slamming against my ribs, but he only smiled. It was a small, knowing expression that said he enjoyed the struggle.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small black box. My chest tightened; the air in the room seemed to vanish. He flipped it open.
It wasn't a ring, but the relief was short-lived.
A gold necklace lay inside, delicate and deceptively simple. At its center was an engraved plate that caught the chandelier's fire.