The chandelier in the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel hummed with a low, electric vibration.

I adjusted the strap of my rented emerald gown, trying to blend into the velvet wallpaper.

Then I saw Tristan.

He was laughing, his hand resting on the small of Khloe Dupont’s back.

Khloe’s diamond necklace caught the light, bright enough to hurt my eyes.

That necklace was likely bought with the life savings Tristan had stolen from my bank account three months ago.

Tristan spotted me across the crowded room.

His smirk was instant, sharp and victorious.

He excused himself from Khloe and walked straight toward me, holding two flutes of champagne.

“Kate,” he said, his voice smooth and dripping with mock pity. “I didn’t think they let public relations coordinators into events of this caliber.”

“I’m working the press desk, Tristan,” I said, keeping my hands clamped tight at my sides to stop them from shaking.

“Of course you are,” he murmured, stepping closer. “Still cleaning up other people’s messes. You look tired.”

I looked past his shoulder, desperate for any excuse to run.

A few feet away, a man stood alone near the terrace doors.

He wore a tailored black tuxedo that fit his broad shoulders perfectly.

His dark hair was slicked back, and his jawline looked like it had been carved out of granite.

He wasn’t drinking. He was simply watching the room with cold, calculating grey eyes.

Everyone else seemed to give him a wide berth, as if he carried an invisible warning label.

I didn’t care about the warning. I only saw an escape.

I stepped around Tristan, ignoring his call, and walked straight up to the stranger.

“Please,” I whispered, reaching out to touch his sleeve. “Just pretend you know me for two minutes.”

The man didn’t flinch. He looked down at my hand on his arm, then up at my face.

His grey eyes narrowed slightly, evaluating me.

“And why should I do that?” his voice was a deep, quiet baritone.

“Because the man behind me is a parasite, and I need to look unavailable,” I said.

Tristan appeared at my elbow, his smirk faltering as he looked at the stranger.