Layla's fingers trembled around the stem of her wine glass, the crimson liquid sloshing perilously close to the rim. Blake leaned back against the plush loveseat, his eyes fixing on her wrist with an intensity that sent a chill racing down her spine.

　　"Tell me, Layla," Blake's voice cut through the hum of the opulent room, "where did you find such a unique bracelet? It's almost identical to one I saw in an exclusive boutique recently."

　　The question, innocuous as ...