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I grin back at her, my body relaxing as my confidence returns. I wish I could bring her with me tonight — I’d much rather go with her than with Grandpa. “Okay. I’ve got this,” I tell her, my voice firm. “I’m just going to walk into that ballroom like I own it.”
Lily’s eyes twinkle with pride, and she gently strokes my hair. “That’s my girl,” she says. “Go and kill it out there. Charm them all, steal away all of Zane’s market share. If anyone can do it, it’s you.”
I smile to myself as I look in the mirror, filled with renewed confidence. “I can do this,” I murmur, more to myself than to Lily, but she nods nonetheless.
“You can — youwill.”
I take in my perfect makeup and my composed expression. I’m no longer the shy, introverted girl I used to be. The woman reflected back at me isn’t the one that left five years ago, and Zane Windsor is about to discover that the hard way.
ChapterTwo
Zane
“I anticipate gathering at least a million in charity funds tonight. How are we doing so far, Valentina?” one of my brothers, Luca, asks his secretary.
She begins to run through calculations she’s done and I nod absentmindedly as I pop my favorite peppermint candy in my mouth, unable to focus on the conversation. So much goes into this annual charity gala, and normally, I enjoy seeing the results of all the effort my five siblings and I put in.
Not today, though.
“Zane?” Val says, her tone sharp. I turn to face her, guilt coursing through me when it becomes apparent she’s been trying to get my attention for a while now. She studies me for a moment, the edges of her red lips tugging up in amusement. “Why does your gaze keep darting toward the entrance? Who are you waiting for?”
I part my lips to deny her claim, only for the excuses to evaporate on my tongue. Val knows me too well — she’s quickly become as dear to me as my own sister is. There’s no way I could look her in the eye and lie to her. “I forgot to tell you,” I say instead. “But I’ll auction off a stay in the next hotel I acquire. I’ll let one person have the entire hotel to themselves for a full week, shortly before the grand opening, all expenses paid.”
She narrows her eyes slightly, as though she realizes my sudden donation is an attempt to throw her off my scent, but thankfully, she lets it go. “Wonderful,” she says, grinning at me knowingly. “I’ll add it to our catalog. Do you have any specific dates in mind?”
“Yes, it’ll have to be—”
Fuck.
The breath rushes out of my lungs, leaving me lightheaded as I stare at the entrance, enchanted. Every thought fades away until there’s nothing left but her — myCelestial.
She’s back.
Finally.
I greedily drink her in, my gaze lingering on her beautiful amber eyes, those delicious pouty lips, and her long curly dark hair. How the fuck did she become even more beautiful in the few years she was away?
My eyes run down her body with a hint of impatience — it’s as though I can’t get enough of the sight of her, yet I’m not quite restrained enough to savor the experience. The way that long black dress clings to her body is positively sinful, and I instantly develop a love/hate relationship with the deep neckline that showcases her curves perfectly.
“Celeste Harrison,” Val says, her tone amused. I glance at her and force a blank expression on my face, but the look in her eyes tells me I’ve failed.
“Haven’t seen her in a while,” Luca adds, frowning. “She went to college in London, didn’t she? How long was she away? Three years?”
5 years, two months, and twelve days, actually.“Fuck if I know,” I mutter.
Luca chuckles when I run a hand through my hair, betraying my restlessness. “Right,” he says, grinning.
“What is she doing?” Val asks.
I follow her line of vision to find Celeste slyly checking the brand of our crystal glasses, and I bite back a smile. Her attempts to be inconspicuous only make her seem highly suspicious, and as expected, several of our security guards begin to move her way. Her grandfather, the CEO of Harrison Developments and one of our biggest competitors, doesn’t even notice — he’s turned away from her, too busy speaking to his acquaintances.
“For fuck’s sake,” I murmur, even as a hint of excitement runs down my spine. This is the perfect excuse to approach her without making Luca and Val even more suspicious. “It’s been three fucking minutes, and she’s already causing trouble.” Val’s laughter trails behind me as I walk toward Celeste, my heart pounding wildly.
I nod at our guards, and they retreat. All the while, Celeste is blissfully unaware of their presence. How could she still be so oblivious to her surroundings?
“You know, if you wanted to snoop around, you could’ve just booked a suite here under the guise of not wanting to drink and drive tonight. Honestly, you could’ve simply said you didn’t feel like going home after the party when there are perfectly good rooms upstairs, and I’d have believed you — and because it’s you, I’d only have charged you triple for the convenience.”
Her relaxed demeanor disappears, making way for that cold resentment she reserves exclusively for me. “Zane,” she says, her voice dripping with disdain.
