Chapter Seventeen
Josh
The sales clerk at Sebastian Jewelry hovers as I look around.
A soft Mozart piano sonata floats in the air.
I walk along the marble floor and study the selection of diamonds, laid out on dark navy velvet.
Nothing really screams Klein. She needs something lovely, delicate and sweet.
Nothing overly ostentatious but something that makes a statement that she’s important.
“Is there anything that catches your eye?” the clerk says. His name tag reads Andrew.
“Well, Andrew, I need something grand and sweet. It needs to show that the woman is significant to me.”
He considers for a moment. “I have a few items here. Diamonds are classic, but sometimes you require something that’s a bit more unique, if you know what I mean.
” He shows me an exceptional selection of sapphires.
“I personally think diamonds are a bit too common. And unless blue diamonds are super-saturated, sapphires look much more regal. Did you know that the royals used to propose with sapphire rings? They’re really so much more romantic. ”
The cuts and designs are stunning, especially set against platinum bands.
I take one with a large, round stone in the center, its color the shade of the Pacific on a calm, sunny day, with diamonds surrounding it like little flames.
Small sapphire chips dot the surface of the band, giving it a contemporary but classic feel.
As I turn the ring, the stones reflect the lights like tiny midnight stars. It’s fit for a princess.
I close my eyes for a moment to imagine it on Klein’s finger. It’d complement her creamy complexion, and stand out for all the right reasons. People would admire a woman wearing a ring as stunning as this.
Most importantly, it’ll show everyone she’s taken. Stay away, motherfuckers. She’s mine.
God, that’s going to be satisfying.
“This one,” I say.
“A great choice,” Andrew says sincerely.
I scan the area again just in case I missed something. I stop as a tiara snags my attention. It’s large enough to be noticed without being obnoxious, the clear stones evenly cut and sparkling like each holds its own inner fire. “That one—all diamonds?”
“Yes, set in fourteen-karat white gold,” he says.
“Okay. That one, too.” I can just picture Klein with the tiara in her pretty curls, looking bright, beautiful and special. A sweet princess.
“Certainly, sir.”
“My accountant will arrange for the payment,” I say, texting instructions to the man who manages my large expenditures, then share the information with Andrew. The wire should go out within an hour of confirming the price.
“Of course.”
“Once the payments are finalized, deliver both to Josh Huxley at Huxley & Webber.” I hand him my card.
“Yes, sir.”
I nod and head out. I don’t want to be late for my lunch meeting with one of the most well-known socialites in the world.
Elizabeth Pryce-King is famous for her charitable work, but also famous for being Hollywood megastar Ryder Reed’s only sister.
She agreed to see me at the last minute, saying her husband canceled a date because of some work emergency.
She sounded a bit forlorn, but not for long.
She picked éternité for the meal. The contemporary Japanese fusion restaurant has a wait list so long, people joke that you might die before you get to eat there. But she can always get a table because her cousin owns the place.
I head inside and give the hostess Elizabeth’s name. She nods and takes me through the airy, open hall space all the way to the back where the private rooms are. She opens one to her left. “Here you are, sir.”
I take a step inside. Elizabeth is at the round table, her golden hair cascading down her back. She’s a beautiful woman with intelligent gray eyes and soft, delicate features. However, I never felt any attraction to her—something about her didn’t speak to me, although we’re good friends.
As the head of the Pryce Family Foundation, she’s an extremely influential fundraiser for a variety of worthy causes. Unlike many charities, her foundation actually sends most of the money raised to the people she hopes to help, which is why I regularly donate to it.
As usual, she is in a well-fitted dress—this time pink—and gives me a wide grin. “Hey, Josh.”
“Hey.” I start to take a seat, then notice we aren’t alone.
Her assistant Tolyan is sitting behind her, looking like an even-more-humorless-than-usual version of the Grim Reaper.
The man’s from Russia, and he doesn’t say much.
I actually thought he was either mute or didn’t speak English until I heard him brief Elizabeth about some embezzlement scandal at one of the organizations she was planning to partner with.
There’s a thick solidity to him, the kind that has to do with brutal efficiency and physicality.
His dark navy suit isn’t custom made, but it’s well tailored and fits him perfectly.
I’m convinced the man’s really there to protect her—it’s just that she feels a self-conscious about having “a bodyguard” tagging around with her everywhere.
“I didn’t realize Tolyan would be here,” I say.
“You can trust him to keep whatever we discuss confidential.”
I nod, then order the sea bream drizzled with basil and wasabi sauce. It’s served raw, which I like. The server leaves, and we make small talk for a few minutes. Then Elizabeth leans forward.
“Okay, so. Who’s this woman? Tell me everything,” she says.
“My assistant. Haven’t you met her?”
“No. You never introduced us, and I never had a reason to go to your office. I’m not my brother.”
“Too bad. You could’ve been a bigger star than Ryder.”
“Ha. Say that to his face—but invite me first because I want to see his reaction.” She waggles her well-shaped eyebrows.
I laugh. “If you get a chance to drop by, I’ll introduce you to Klein. I think you’ll love her. She’s very nice.”
“Nice,” Elizabeth repeats. “So. What’s going on? I know you didn’t invite me to gossip about your fiancée.”
“This is why I like you. You never waste my time.”
The door opens, and the server brings out three plates—the sea bream for me, some fancy maguro slices arranged to look like roses for Elizabeth, and basic steamed lobsters with butter sauce—specially done for Tolyan, because that isn’t on the menu.
I wait until the server’s gone. “I need a favor. You use a special team for running background checks, right? I need an introduction.”
She cocks an eyebrow. “Doesn’t your family have its own? Or the firm?”
“Yes, but they haven’t found anything.”
“Who are you trying to look into? A client?”
I shake my head. “Kenna Miller. An employee at Huxley & Webber.”
Her background report came back too clean, and I don’t like it.
I saw her arguing with people who stopped her in the lobby, ostensibly to “collect what she owes them,” which first got my attention.
So I had her investigated because I don’t trust that she’s just an innocent blonde with a burn scar on her back, exactly like the girl who saved Ares from the fire, and just happens to work at the firm.
Although Kenna turned out not to be Ares’s savior, something about the situation still feels wrong.
She hasn’t worked at the firm for long. And if Ares hadn’t found Lareina when he did, Kenna might’ve taken credit for saving him back then and wormed her way into the family.
We would’ve been more welcoming and kinder to her—and let our guard down.
That’s exactly what Mom would want. And she’s careful enough to ensure Kenna’s background is as clean as possible.
I want to use Elizabeth’s team because there’s nothing she doesn’t know—or can’t find out. She’s very thorough about vetting those she hires and partners with due to the huge sums of money her foundation handles. If there are any skeletons in Kenna’s closet, her team will discover them.
“My team may not find anything either,” Elizabeth says.
“I still want to try. If this doesn’t pan out, then okay.”
“I’ll have the team lead text you if he’s interested in taking on the project. I can’t guarantee anything. They hardly ever accept new clients.”
“That’s fine. I appreciate it.”
“And if they say okay, could you do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“I need you and your fiancée to come to the charity opera a few weeks from now. I can send you the details, but the organizers are having trouble selling tickets. Their PR efforts have been less than stellar. I’m helping because they’re trying to get some relief to the latest hurricane victims in Florida and Georgia. ”
“That’s fine,” I say even though operas aren’t my thing. “I’ll let my family know too.”
“You’re a gem. Your assistant is lucky to have you.”
I shake my head. “The lucky one is me.”