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The attached picture shows a plane ticket from New York City to Catania, Italy.
Dimitri’s coming for me. Right now. This is a nightmare. I need to leave, to run and hide, before it’s too late. Because I will never marry a man like Dimitri Kozlov.
He stands for everything that I am desperate to get away from. He’s pure violence, a Russian brute. I’d rather die than become his wife.
CHAPTER 2
Arianna
Three months later
Silence. That’s what I’ve received from my stalker since my sister’s wedding day in Italy. A day that ended in chaos and fear as Papa called in favors to triple the number of guards around the villa. All of it in vain when neither Dimitri, nor anyone else, showed up for the rest of our vacation.
Eventually, Sophia and Roman went off on their honeymoon and the rest of our family returned to New York City. The abrupt drop in contact from my stalker has left me with an eerie feeling, and I’m constantly looking over my shoulder. These days I don’t go anywhere without a security detail.
Now that my secret is out, will my stalker retaliate? Will he make good on his threats? Will he even resurface?
Is he Dimitri Kozlov, or was that just a guess?
I may never know. That not knowing is worse than my stalker’s constant harassment. At least then, I knew what he was up to, to some extent. Now? Nothing. I’m left in the dark.
My driver stops in front of Leonidas Gentleman’s Club, and I crane my neck to gaze up at the towering Greek columns that support the covered entrance. Anxiety clashes with anticipation as I climb out of the vehicle and set foot on the marble stairs. I’ve never been inside this exclusive member’s only club, but I have heard the rumors.
Rumors of… illicit affairs, a playground for the ultra wealthy where the law can’t touch them and nothing is off-limits. Though wealth isn’t a ticket into this club, oh no, you have to be invited. You have to know someone on the inside to even have a shot at getting an invitation from the nefarious owner, Grayson Hyde.
Luckily, Roman is a member, and through Sophia I’ve been invited to interview for my dream job. Joining the event planning team at Leonidas would open up a whole new world to me. If I get this job, and work here for a year or two, I’m guaranteed a spot at any event planning company across the nation.
This is my ticket out of New York. It’s the opportunity I need to launch my career in this industry. With those credentials leading me into that normal life I desperately crave.
My fingers flutter over my pearls, then smooth down my Valentino dress, as my heels click on the glossy entry floor. Making my way to the reception desk, I give my name. The attendant picks up the phone to let the lead event planner, and hopefully my future boss, know I’ve arrived.
While I wait, I glance around the expansive foyer that’s from another era, an older era. The ceiling is at least twenty feet high, with gold-painted crown molding. High windows let in an abundance of light that makes the interior glow. It’s practically ethereal.
This is just the entry, I can only imagine what the rest of this palatial building must look like. While it’s a little old and lavish for my tastes, there’s no doubt about the power and wealth within these walls. It exudes decadence.
If these walls could talk… I can only guess at what they’ve seen since this club opened in the late seventeen hundreds, after the American Revolution, but well before the Civil War. Yes, I did my research on the place.
All at once, I see why Sophia is obsessed with art history. It’s all about the stories.
“Arianna Pontrelli?” a voice rings out, and I spin around, toward the mention of my name.
“Yes.” I come face-to-face with a woman in her late twenties. Her hair is pulled back into a bun, except for the few escaped blond ringlets that frame her heart-shaped face. Her blue-grey eyes are warm but appraising.
Finally she reaches out a hand. “I’m Tarina Ives, and I’ll be interviewing you today.”
I give her hand a firm shake, and offer a smile. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for seeing me.”
Her answering grin is guarded. We both know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Sophia and Roman. While they got me in the door, it’s now on me to impress this woman enough that she’ll give me the job I’m after.
No pressure.
“Follow me.”
Straightening my spine, I trail her further into the club. We climb a spiraling staircase to the second floor and turn down several wide, wood-paneled corridors that lead to an area that houses the offices. She walks so briskly that I barely get more than a glimpse into the rooms we pass until we’re seated on either side of her desk. Two large windows overlook the sprawling side lawn.
Tarina opens her laptop and quietly reads whatever is on her screen before glancing across at me. “To be perfectly blunt, you’re young and inexperienced. I don’t think you’re the right candidate for this job.”
My heart pounds against my ribcage, but I try not to show how nervous I really am.
