Chapter 6 - The Coastal SummitThursday night arrived with a brilliant, star-lit sky over the harbor.
The Grand Pacific Hotel was lit up like a palace, surrounded by black sports cars, armored sedans, and dozens of photographers shouting as the business elite of the Pacific Northwest walked up the red carpet.
The double doors of a sleek black Maybach opened near the entrance.
Nathaniel stepped out first, looking breathtakingly handsome in a bespoke black tuxedo, his dark hair neat, his scarred temple adding a dangerous, aristocratic edge to his commanding posture.
He turned and offered his hand.
I stepped out onto the red carpet.
Flashbulbs erupted like a thunderstorm.
I wore the custom emerald green silk gown from Paris. It fit my body like a second skin, flowing down to my heels in liquid green waves, with a low-cut back that exposed my pale skin. Around my neck rested a breathtaking forty-carat diamond and emerald necklace that Nathaniel had personally clasped around my throat an hour earlier.
Gasps echoed along the press line.
"It's Clara Vance!" a reporter shouted.
"Miss Vance! Are the rumors of a Pinehaven merger true?!"
"Clara! Look over here!"
I didn't turn toward the cameras. I kept my head high, my shoulders back, my hand wrapped firmly around Nathaniel's arm as we walked up the grand stone steps into the ballrooms.
Inside, the room was filled with five hundred people—CEOs, syndicate bosses, politicians, and high-society families.
As we entered, conversation died almost instantly.
Standing near the main bar across the room were Grant Holloway, his wife, Madeline Cross, and Daniel Reeves.
They looked at us, and for three seconds, no one in their group moved.
Madeline’s face turned bright red as her eyes swept over my emerald gown and the multi-million-dollar diamond necklace resting against my collarbone. She looked down at the simple silver bracelet Daniel had given her six days ago, her knuckles turning white as she squeezed her glass.
Daniel stood completely frozen, his eyes fixed on me as if he were staring at an empress who had descended from the sky. The girl in the cheap dress he had dismissed at Blackridge was gone, replaced by a woman who commanded the entire room without saying a single word.
Nathaniel leaned down toward my ear, his breath warm against my skin.
"How do you feel, Clara?" he murmured softly.
I looked across the room at Daniel's pale, broken face, then looked up into Nathaniel's gray eyes—the eyes of the man who had given me my strength, my armor, and my freedom.
"I feel untouchable," I whispered.
Nathaniel smiled—a dark, brilliant, breathtaking smile that lit up his sharp features.
"That's because you are," he promised softly.
He led me toward the center floor, stopping directly in front of Grant Holloway and Daniel Reeves.
Grant swallowed hard, trying to summon his usual corporate authority, but his hands were shaking as he adjusted his bow tie. "Mr... Mr. Mercer. Miss Vance. Good evening."
"Grant," Nathaniel greeted coldly. "I believe you know Clara."
Grant offered a tight, desperate bow. "Of course. Miss Vance looks... extraordinary tonight."
I looked at Grant, then turned my eyes to Daniel, who was staring at me with a look of profound, agonizing regret.
"Good evening, Mr. Reeves," I said, my voice smooth, elegant, and completely devoid of hatred. "I hope you're enjoying the summit."
Daniel opened his mouth, trying to find words, but his throat was so dry no sound came out. He looked like a man who was watching his entire life crumble into dust before his eyes.
May you like
"Excuse us, Grant," Nathaniel said smoothly, not giving Daniel a chance to speak. "Clara and I have a toast to attend to."
As we walked toward the executive lounge, I felt Daniel's eyes on my back—a desperate, broken gaze that I knew would haunt him for the rest of his life.
