They Hated Me, Now I Shine Bright

ballroom glittered

ing something soft and classical. Women in couture gowns. Me

her's arm, wearing a white silk gown that

tylist to the house. *You're a Beaumont

bodice, with a skirt that fell in elegant pleats to the floor. Diamond drops

ned as sh

onally required arm candy-but never like this. Never as

some investors," Leo mur

oman. I can fi

nd melted in

tracking her progress. She kept her chin high and her shou

n she s

o, looking like he'd steppe

ying a little too hard. Her eyes scanned the room wit

collided w

ing that looked almost like appreciation, then

ard her, dragging a reluctant Tiffany

to yo

ation only. Did you-" He lowere

This is a *ticketed* gala. They check names at the door. If

ng she was still the same desperate, invisible woman she'd

r you," she said

rned t

ng problems. I have a meeting tonight with the CEO of Sterling Group-t

ried I'll *

ed. "Go home. We'll talk about this later. If you leave n

For the fake remarriage h

. It wasn't

self-absorbed man I've ever met. We are never getting back to

e a dramatic exit, and collided di

d finally acquired from the bar-sloshed a

od. I'

look

rling lo

ripping glass. The absol

Of course

sorry," s

g! Mr. Sterling-I'm so sorry about my ex-wife. She'

said, his voice low and smooth. "

d. Was he actually go

m a passing server. "A dr

s eyebrow arched.

ll bottle of Macallan 25 from the bar. The rem

le, at

ent pale. "Ster

Mr. Vance would want to make things right. Unless I m

r voice carrying in the sudden silence. "H

. At the bottle. At K

. "You made thi

y going to mak

ic bleeding. Who'd watched her throw up blood on their bedroom floor. He wa

Cora's chest

e had gone dangerously soft, "I bel

suddenly he wasn't holdi

ding it ou

abbed her, she wouldn't have bumped into me. So"-he pres

a hundred-and-fifty-proof scotc

le didn't reach his eye

had gone

ares like needles on his skin, and beneath the hu

deal fell through, Vance Group wouldn't just lose a

ian's thro