Chapter 2

The air on the marina deck was thick, not just with the biting chill of the December night, but with the heavy, intoxicating scent of expensive perfume, champagne bubbles, and the electric hum of three hundred people pretending to be perfect. Above us, the sky was a bruised purple, punctuated by the sudden, deafening roars of fireworks bursting over the water, sending cascades of gold and silver light reflecting off the dark, choppy waves. Below, the yachts bobbed gently, their decks lit like floating palaces, adorned with strings of white fairy lights and towering pine trees that smelled faintly of resin and money. I stood near the edge of the balcony, my heels sinking slightly into the plush, cream-colored carpet that had been rolled out for the event. The dress I wore was a mistake, or perhaps a trap. It was silk, a deep, predatory emerald that clung to my curves like a second skin, the neckline dipping just enough to tease, the slit running high up my thigh, daring the world to look. I felt his eyes on me before I even turned my head. I could feel the weight of them, a physical pressure against my skin, burning