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“It’s just a bunch of rich people mingling and writing checks so they can feel better about themselves. I can’t imagine it being so dire that it would come down to me choosing between my case and Jade.”
Isaiah crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. “Then you need to imagine harder.”
Eleven
Whoa. Money.
The Steele mansion was ridiculous. It was exactly what Jade would’ve pictured: a typical two-story plantation home, with a long driveway that led up to it, lined by oaks dripping with Spanish moss. It was white, with massive columns that reached for the sky and huge windows flanked by black shutters. There was a line of cars out front and a crowd of people walking up the stairs to the open entrance. There were valets in dark green suits greeting the guests and taking their cars to a grass lot around the side of the property.
When they pulled up, Jade found her heart pounding so hard in her chest she could barely breathe. This was it. Harley was fairly certain that her real parents were Trevor and Patricia Steele. Pictures she’d seen on the internet had only confirmed his suspicions. Jade was no doubt a younger version of Patricia.
In a few moments, she would walk through the front door of their home and lay eyes on them in person for the very first time. She would probably be able to pick them out of a crowd. But what would they think when they saw her? She didn’t know.
It was her idea to come tonight. She had sworn to Harley that she could keep her cool. Yet in the moment, she found she couldn’t make herself reach for the handle to open the passenger door. It wasn’t until the valet did so with a smile and offered to help her out that she started to move. Jade gathered up her small beaded clutch and stepped out of the Jaguar to face her future.
Harley came around the front of the car and took her arm. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Why?”
“You seem a little tense.”
She tried to smile and dismiss both their worries. “I’m just nervous. I’ll be fine.” She took a deep breath. “So, do we have a plan of action for tonight?”
“Observe. Try to talk to the family, especially Morgan, if we can. That’s it. I don’t intend to make a scene. I really just want to make the connection without their staff in the way. I’m certain once they realize the seriousness of the situation, they will fully cooperate.”
At the top of the stairs, they stepped into the grand foyer, where they turned in their tickets and were greeted by servers with flutes of champagne. They each accepted a glass and continued toward the sound of music and laughter coming from the far side of the house.
“Nice,” Jade said, after she took a sip of the champagne. It was dry, but had a sweet finish and enough bubbles to tickle her nose. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so good. I could get used to this.”
“It should be nice. Tickets to the party were ten thousand dollars a couple, and I’m not even sure they’re serving a meal.”
Jade came to a sudden stop and turned to look at Harley. There were easily a couple hundred people at this event so far. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “They’re raising money for charity and most of these people have the cash to burn and tax deductions to seek out. You’re not going to build houses for the poor charging twenty bucks a head.”
She nervously took another sip of her champagne and hoped the alcohol would calm her nerves. This was the life she very well could’ve been born to. It was a surreal thought. But not so surreal as the sight of the ballroom when they stepped through the wide French doors.
The room was huge, with gold and crystal chandeliers hanging overhead and thick velvet drapes framing each picture window. An orchestra was in the corner playing to the crowd on the dance floor, which was surrounded by dozens of round tables draped in gray and red fabric and topped with tall floral arrangements of bright red roses. Those were the Steele Company colors, of course. The sight was almost as overwhelming as the sound of music and hundreds of voices coming at them like a wave.
“Are you ready?” Harley asked.
Jade threw back the last of her champagne and set the flute on the tray of a passing server. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Harley smiled and led her through the crowds of people to one of the tables that had empty seats. He left Jade for a moment to go to the bar and get more drinks for them. When he returned, he sat beside her for a moment, seeming to want to give her time to acclimate.
“What now?” she asked.
He scanned the room thoughtfully. To their right was a big buffet display with hot and cold appetizers and a large bar. On the other side was the dance floor, where quite a few people had gathered. “May I have this dance?” he asked.
“I’m not a very good dancer,” she admitted.
“Neither am I. I just want us mingling. It’ll make it easier to track down the family.” Harley pushed up from his seat and offered Jade his hand. She accepted it and he led her through the maze of tables. They found a spot near the center of the dancefloor and blended in with the rest of the crowd. The music was slow and steady, allowing Harley to take Jade in his arms and rock back and forth in an easy rhythm.
Jade finally relaxed, with his hand resting warm and secure on her lower back. Things seemed easier when he touched her, somehow. It made her wonder how she was going to deal with what was to come without him.
“Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?”
She gazed up at him and smiled. “Almost enough times to make me believe it.”
