Chapter 5

The champagne flute felt fragile in my hand, a slender stem of crystal that threatened to snap under the pressure of my fingers. I could feel the eyes of the city’s elite on me, a hundred pairs of hungry, assessing gazes tracking my movement as I navigated the sea of tuxedos and silk gowns. But none of them mattered. Not really. They were just background noise, a blur of polite laughter and clinking glass, while the only thing that held my attention was the man standing by the velvet rope in the corner of the ballroom. Daddy. He looked devastatingly out of place and perfectly at home all at once. His tuxedo was tailored to perfection, hugging the broad expanse of his shoulders, but I knew exactly what lay beneath that crisp white shirt. I knew the weight of his hands, the roughness of his calloused palms against my sensitive skin. He caught my eye across the room, a slow, deliberate tilt of his head that sent a jolt of heat straight to my core. It was a silent command, a promise. *Wait for me.* I took a sip of champagne to hide my smile, letting the bubbles pop on