Page 4

Before I can ask, she beats me to it.

“Everyone knows who he is, but you don’t,” she says, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

“I spent time abroad,” I reply smoothly. “But I haven’t seen you around either.”

“I wasn’t here for a while,” she says with a small, enigmatic smile. “Now, I’m back.”

I open my mouth to press for more, but another voice interrupts.

“Elena!”

Someone calls her name from across the room. She turns toward the source, her smile brightening as she waves. Then she looks back at me.

“Excuse me,” she says politely before slipping away, leaving me alone again.

I glance around the room, feeling suddenly isolated and vulnerable, but my brother is nowhere to be found; neither is the mysterious Nicolas Paolo.

I set my glass down and scan the room, searching for a way to escape. The balcony door is slightly ajar, and I seize the opportunity.

Once outside, I take a deep breath, immersing myself in the view. Strings of delicate lights wind along the stone railing, and the city sprawls below, glittering in the darkness. I exhale slowly, allowing the tension to slip from my shoulders.

For a moment, there’s peace.

Then I hear a soft shuffle behind me. My pulse quickens; I’m no longer alone. I turn, scanning the shadows for the source of the sound.

Standing there is the last person I expect to see.

Nicolas Paolo.

He leans casually against the far corner, one hand tucked into his pocket. The scar on his cheek catches the faint light, and his sharp eyes meet mine.

He doesn’t look away.

For a moment, I’m speechless. I just stare at him, and he stares back as if daring me to speak first.

I wonder if he realizes who I am. After all, it seems everyone knows him.

He steps forward into the light, revealing more of himself than I’d noticed at first glance. He’s devastatingly handsome. His dark blue eyes impossible to ignore. His presence is magnetic, yet there’s something dangerous about it, too, like I’m standing too close to fire. A very, very handsome fire.

This fire draws my gaze even though I try to look away.

"Enjoying the view?" his rich baritone voice breaks the silence.

I blush and quickly avert my eyes. “I was just wondering what you’re doing here.”

“I needed some air, too,” he says in a voice smooth as silk. “The falsity in there is unbearable.”

I give him a skeptical once-over. “You don’t seem like the kind of man who minds falsity.”

He takes a measured step closer. His movements are deliberate and calculated. “Hm. And what kind of man do I seem like?”

I tilt my head, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “The kind who thrives at events like this.”

“Wow, that’s rich coming from someone like you.” His voice sharpens, losing its earlier teasing tone.

The shift in his demeanor catches me off guard. “Someone like me?”

“Pretty ornaments,” he says, his eyes raking over me. “Useful for decorating a room, but not much else. Ready to spread your legs for the next big thing.”