enines
Joseph <b>had </b>the kind of looks and presence that turned heads wherever he went—tall, lean, broad–shouldered, with long legs and a trim waist Dressed to the r In designer brands and wearing a smile that seemed almost innocent, he could easily pass for a polished man of high society.
As long <b>as </b>he wanted to y the part, no one would ever suspect he was the kind of man who hadmitted half the crimes listed in the criminal code.
charlotte had never met Joseph before. When the man <b>called </b>her name and she saw him dressed so impably, her first thought was that he might be <b>a </b>friend of a
But Joseph didn’t introduce himself. He just looked at her, his expression loaded with hidden meaning
“You really are a beauty.”
Η
Beside him, Kara’s eyes narrowed slightly. A flicker of jealousy shed across her face, but it vanished quickly.
She didn’t know much about Joseph’s grudges with the Jasper and Riley familles–and she didn’t ask A proper mistress knew when to keep quiet and never questioned him about other women.
She simply stood at his side, calm andposed, sizing Charlotte up from head to tor
<b>She </b>had to admit that Charlotte was stunning. Her beauty was clearly natural: fair skin, delicate features, and not a trace of cosmetic work. Her figure was just as elegant–slim waist, long legs, and curves in all the right <b>ces</b>.
Charlotte, meanwhile, didn’t even notice <b>Xara’s </b>gaze.
What she did notice was the man’s unsettling tone. His flippantpliment made her frown
something about him made her <b>deeply </b>ufortable.
The way he looked at her wasn’t appreciation. It was predatory, like he was eyeing prey. There was something cold and calcted in his amusement
Charlotte’s voice sharpened slightly<b>, </bced with offense.
“Who are you?”
Joseph smiled faintly, ignoring her question..
“Oh… you’ll find out soon enough, Miss Riley. We’ll be seeing eachother again.”
“what on earth?” Charlotte thought
She didn’t respond. She brushed past him and walked to the counter to pay the bill
Jenny followed<b>, </b>ncing back as they reached the door.
“Charlotte,” she whispered, “do you know that guy? He was really good–looking. I <b>mean</b>, guys like that barely exist in real life!”
Charlotte didn’t reply immediately. Her nerves were still slightly on edge.
There was something off about that man. Eerie, even. But she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly.
“I don’t know him,” she said tly. “He was acting weird. Forget about him.”
“Oh, y. I thought muybe you two were friends or something.”
On December 31st, New Year’s Eve, <b>Mia </b>hud organized a big celebration.
The A–story Skylight River Tower was andmark in <b>downtown </b>Jersey City
The outh floor offered the best views in the building–perfect for talding in the city’s glittering skyline
streamers. The New Year’s vibe was in full swing.
Inside the presidential <b>suite</b><b>, </b>the <b>room </b>was decked out with fresh flowers, balloons, and festive stre
Mia tossed her mink <b>coat </b><b>onto </b>the couch and arrunted <b>in</b>, wearing nothing <b>but </b><b>a </b>champagne<b>–</b><b>colored </b><b>body</b>–hugging gown. She had gone all out with her makeup tonight, looking bold, radiant, <b>and </b>utterly dazzling.
“I’ve got to admit,” she said<b>, </b>tossing a nce toward Jan, “tuming this ce into a hotel was actually one of your smarter <b>inoves</b>”
Lan let out <b>a </b>cold coff
Did <b>1 </b><b>ask </b>for your opinion?”
<b>Mia </b><b>smirked </b>and shut him a teasing
<b>look </b>
“Well, look at you, actually using your brain for once. Impressive.”
The <b>50th </b>to 69th floors of the building were all part ofn’s <b>hotel </b>chain. Tonight’s party was held in the presidential suite, going for six <b>figures </b><b>a </b>night<b>. </b>
“Oh really? Who are you calling beamless?”
Ma stock out her tongue yfulbe
“Oh<b>, </be on. You know exactly who I’m talking about ”
The room was warm and cory. Lena took off hereal and walked over to the sofa, picking up Mia’s discanded fur coat along with her own she carried them both to the coat rack and hang them up neatly before turning back with a bright smile
* This ce in perfect for a New Year’s party –Tireworks, a killer view, great vibes. I love it.”