Vanessa's POV

The ballroom glittered with chandeliers and crystal glasses, a gathering of wealth and power dressed in gold. Vanessa stepped into it as though she owned the air. Every head turned, every gaze lingered along the line of her light purple gown that hugged her figure like a second skin. She knew how to make an entrance, and tonight, she needed every eye on her.

The click of her heels echoed across the marble floor as she descended the wide staircase, her smile calculated to strike ...