He was waiting for the blow to land, but he didn’t expect it to come from me.

When I stepped into the ballroom, his gaze locked onto mine, and the color drained from his face.

He murmured a quick excuse to the investors and walked rapidly toward me, his shoes clicking against the polished marble.

“What are you doing here, Shelby?” he hissed, keeping his voice low, his smile frozen for the benefit of the nearby cameras. “We have an agreement. You are supposed to be resting at home.”

“I am fully recovered, Jared,” I said, looking directly into his cold, blue eyes. “And I wouldn’t miss your big night.”

“Get out of here,” he whispered, his hand reaching out to grab my elbow.

I stepped back, just out of his reach, keeping my hands folded in front of me.

“The press is watching us, Jared,” I said softly. “Do you really want to drag me out in front of the Times reporters?”

He let his hand drop, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek.