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Maybe it was? Should I ask him about it? Maybe I should give him a chance to explain. After the gala, of course.
For now, I need to play my part—as difficult as it may be.
Chapter 30
Kat
The event takes place at a five-star resort hotel, and the ballroom we walk into hosts the most marvelous interior I’ve ever seen. Bright and neutral colors dominate the shiny marble floors and the high ceiling boasts an array of tiny star-like bulbs instead of massive chandeliers, providing the illusion of a starry night sky above the venue.
We’re each handed a flute ofchampagne as we enter, and I receive mine with genuine appreciation. I even manage to put a smile on my face when we clink glasses, and the bubbly liquid calms my unraveled nerves at least for a bit.
Logan offers me his arm, and I follow my instructions to walk on his right side, with myleft arm hooked into his, proudly presenting the preposterous diamond ring for all to see as we saunter through the room.
I don’t know who all these people are, nor do I fully grasp the meaning behind this gala, but I vowed to play my part tonight, and so I will. The smile on my face may be just as fake as the message behind that ring on my finger, but it does the job. I can see them glancing over as we move along, nodding and smiling at anyone who crosses our path.
“There he is,” I hear Logan buzzing next to me.
“Who?” I ask.
“Mr. Briggs,” he responds, bobbing his head forward in a two o’clock direction. “The guy I told you about.”
He told me about so many guys, dropping names and affiliations left andright, so I’m not quite sure what the deal is with Mr. Briggs in particular, but I pretend otherwise and nod.
“And that's Mr. Meyer and his wife right next to him. Perfect, all in one place,” Logan goes on, a triumphant smile gracing his face. “Let’s say hello.”
He doesn’t wait for my response, but hastens his steps and drags me all the way diagonally through the room, his path as straight as an arrow as we approach a group of two middle-aged men and a woman of the same age with short and curly blond hair.
“Mr. Meyer, Mr. Briggs,” Logan says, stretching out his hand to greet them.
They’re both in their fifties, I’d guess, but while Mr. Briggs is a long and skinny man,Mr. Meyer is more on the short side and rather thickset, especially compared to his fit looking wife.
“Mr. Reid, what a pleasure to see you,” Mr. Briggs welcomes him, stretching out his arm to the side as if he wanted to greet Logan with a hug. “And you didn’t come alone, I see.”
“Yes, may I introduce you to my fiancée, Katherine Davis,” Logan says, petting my left hand as he sends me a benevolent smile before turning back to Mr. Briggs. “Katherine, this is Mr. Briggs, CEO of Sunderhand Enterprises, and his business associate Mr. Meyer and his wife—”
“Claudia, please call me Claudia,” the woman says as she shakes my hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say, widening my smile so much it almost hurts.
Both the men bob their heads in a welcoming motion, while Mrs. Meyer beams at me.
“What a lovely young lady,” she pipesupas she leans forward to look at my ring. “And what a fine-looking couple you two make!”
Logan provides me with a gentle nudge at the side, prompting me to hold out my hand, my fingers stretched so she can admire the diamond on my ring finger.
“Stunning, simply stunning,” she assesses.
“A Solitaire 1895,” I recite, lacing my words with fake pride.
“You are a lucky girl,” she says, winking at me.
Yes, so fucking lucky to fall into the trap of a scheming criminal. A man who is hiding his telltale tattoos underneath a tailor-made suit, while he’s shaking your useful hands and pretending to be someone he is not.
And I’m part of it. I crawled out of the darkness just to jump right back into it, into his hands and his dirty scheme.
“What a beautiful ring. Don’t you think, dear?” Mrs. Meyer goes on voicing her delight.
She turns to her husband, who leans forward, pinching his glasses between the tip of his index finger and thumb as he expertly examines the ring.
