12
Not long after, Alex and I attended a business gala.
While we were chatting, I felt two pairs of eyes burning into me.
I turned. One pair belonged to Amber, dressed in a waitress uniform, glaring at me with raw resentment.
The other belonged to a man strolling toward us, a glass of champagne in his hand.
Damian Thorne.
He was the illegitimate son of the Crestview Holdings chairman, brought back to handle the family’s… less savory businesses. A notorious playboy. Rumor had it, a pair of orphaned twin sisters had met a tragic end under his “care,” yet he’d walked away without a single consequence.
In our circles, he was known as a psycho.
And right now, that psycho was walking straight toward me.
“Mia, long time no see,” he purred. “You get more beautiful every time I see you.”
I offered a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Damian. And you are… also here.”
My dry response made him chuckle, and he seemed even more determined to chat. Alex came over and joined the conversation. I had to admit, Damian was a charming devil–witty, silver–tongued, and handsome. We ended up talking with him for several minutes.
From a distance, Amber watched the smile on my face, and a look of grim determination settled on hers.
Then, she disappeared.
At the end of the night, Alex and I were coming out of the restroom when we saw her. Amber, her makeup now perfectly retouched, was walking with her head down when she “accidentally” stumbled right into Dam-
ian’s chest.
“Oh, my!” she gasped, clutching her forehead delicately as she looked up at him through her lashes.
Damian’s expression shifted.
I couldn’t watch. I grabbed Alex’s arm and steered her away.
“Wasn’t that your old coworker?” Alex asked, confused. “What’s she doing?”
I kept my eyes forward. “No idea. Probably trying to sink her claws into Damian Thorne.”
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Chapter 2
Alex gasped, covering her mouth. “Is she insane? Damian is bad news!”
I thought back to the look Amber had given me earlier, and a frown creased my brow.
Alex checked her phone. “The car’s here. Let’s go.”
I pushed the thought away and walked out with my best friend.
