Chapter 2

She knew who he was immediately.

Lucas Grant.

Sophia's brother. Her future fiancé by arrangement.

He studied her for a moment, then removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

"Cover yourself," he said. "I'd rather tomorrow's headlines not say my fiancée showed up wearing another man's marks."

She fled in humiliation.

Back in the ballroom, the crowd had gathered around the staircase.

Ethan stood there in a dark suit with Sophia on his arm.

Sophia was all white silk and sweetness, the kind of beauty that looked fragile until you looked too closely.

Evie stood in the shadows and tried not to look.

Sophia noticed her anyway.

"Ethan, that must be Evie," she said with a smile. "You always said she was your best-behaved girl."

Ethan's eyes dropped to Lucas's coat over Evie's shoulders, and his face darkened at once.

"Where did you get that?"

Before Evie could answer, Sophia covered her mouth and said with mock innocence, "That looks like my brother's coat. Evie, were you with him just now?"

Ethan leaned close enough that only she could hear him.

"I told you to marry Lucas. I did not tell you to throw yourself at him."

Her heart dropped to the floor.

He did not ask. He did not listen. He judged.

So she smiled.

"If you're giving me away," she said coolly, "wouldn't it make sense to start pleasing my future husband early?"

For the first time that night, Ethan looked shaken.

Sophia saw it and smiled even more sweetly.

"Come with me, Evie. Let's talk about your wedding."

She led her out to the deck.

The instant they reached a deserted corner, Sophia dropped the act.

She raised her hand and showed off a huge pink diamond ring.

"Ethan bought it at Sotheby's for me," she said. "Did you think sleeping with him for three years would make you special? You're nothing but a bankrupt orphan he kept around."