with exaggerated tenderness.
Then the ballroom doors opened.
The sound was quiet, yet every whisper stopped.
Three black luxury vehicles waited beneath the entrance awning.
Men in dark suits entered first, rain glistening on their shoulders.
Adrian Cole followed.
Tall and composed, he immediately commanded attention.
Not merely because he appeared wealthy, although he did.
Not because half the guests recognized him from business magazines, although they did.
It was his effortless authority that silenced the room.
Dad froze with his champagne glass halfway to his lips.
Vanessa’s smile faltered.
