Elodie pressed her lips together. What was he trying to do?
"That’s my business," she said flatly.
Whether she was fine or not wasn’t his problem anymore. Hadn’t been for a long ti.
Dante just shrugged like he’d only been making small talk. When she didn’t answer, he didn’t push. Instead, he quietly steered them off the dance floor, then let go and walked away without another word.
Nobody had seen it coming, that Dante would suddenly be dancing with Elodie. People were staring now, whispering. Confused.
Sienna bit down on her lip hard enough to hurt.
But she pulled herself together fast. If Dante had feelings for Elodie, it would’ve happened years ago. It didn’t. So whatever that was, it didn’t an anything.
When Dante ca back, Sienna stepped off the floor to et him. "Did you need to tell her sothing?"
"Just talked about Liora," Dante said simply.
Sienna nodded. "Oh. Okay."
That made sense. If it wasn’t about their daughter, Dante wouldn’t bother talking to Elodie at all.
She smiled and held out her hand. "Want to dance again?"
Dante took it and followed her back onto the floor.
On the other side of the room, Johnny had watched the whole thing with his jaw tight. When Elodie told him it was about Liora, he relaxed a little. But only a little.
"Stay away from him from now on," Johnny said quietly.
"I will," Elodie replied. She ant it.
That’s when Jimmy walked over, looking genuinely apologetic. "Miss Miller, I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have switched without asking you first."
After the swap, he’d noticed how stiff she’d gotten. How cold. She clearly didn’t want to be anywhere near Dante.
Jimmy had put two and two together. Dante was Sienna’s boyfriend. Sienna and Elodie didn’t get along. So Dante probably grabbed Elodie to say sothing about Sienna. Maybe even to defend her or sothing.
Elodie shook her head. "It’s not your fault. I would’ve done the sa thing if I were you."
She sounded sincere. Calm. Like she really didn’t bla him.
Jimmy had already noticed during their dance that Elodie wasn’t the type to play gas or work a room. She was quiet. Honest. When she looked at him, there was no hidden agenda, no flirtation. Just a polite stranger being polite back.
He held out his hand again. "Want to dance? Make up for that ss?"
Elodie hesitated.
But Jimmy’s expression was open. Friendly. There was nothing weird about it. He wasn’t hitting on her, he was just trying to be decent. Apologizing properly.
So she took his hand. "Alright."
He smiled and led her back onto the floor.
Across the room, Harry had already left the dance area. But when he saw Elodie and Jimmy dancing again, his expression darkened. Just a flicker, but it was there.
Sienna noticed too. Her eyes followed them, sothing uneasy twisting in her chest.
And Dante?
He noticed.
Dante’s eyebrow lifted, amused by sothing. He smiled just slightly, then kept dancing with Sienna like nothing had happened.
A minute later, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, then left the floor with Sienna following.
Levi had also had enough dancing for one night. He headed over to where Harry was standing, and Sienna joined them.
Harry’s eyes were still locked on the dance floor. On Elodie, specifically.
She was still dancing with Jimmy.
Levi grabbed a drink from a passing waiter and took a long sip, his gaze drifting to Elodie too.
"Jimmy seems pretty interested in her," he said casually. "But even if he is, the Hall family would never go for it."
He didn’t spell it out, but the implication was clear. Elodie was divorced. Had a kid. Her family was a ss. The Halls were one of the most powerful families in the European Pack, hell, in the whole region. There was no way they’d let their son get involved with soone like her.
Levi didn’t say all that, but Sienna heard it loud and clear.
She’d been in the capital long enough to know the big nas. Wilson, Becker, Kwan, Hall, Hardin, those families ran everything. When she’d first seen Jimmy tonight, she’d wondered if he was part of the Hall family.
Turns out she was right.
Still, watching Jimmy with Elodie... maybe he did like her. But not in a romantic way. More like friendly, polite way.
As for Elodie ever becoming part of the Hall family? Yeah, that wasn’t happening.
Just then, Jimmy and Elodie left the dance floor.
Jimmy said sothing to her, nodded politely, and walked away. No lingering looks. No hesitation. Just gone.
Sienna’s smile widened slightly.
See? She’d been right. Elodie didn’t have whatever it took to make a guy like Jimmy fall for her at first sight. She just wasn’t that girl.
"I’m starving," Levi announced, stretching. "Anyone else want food?"
He’d noticed Elodie and Johnny heading toward the buffet tables.
Harry glanced that way too. "Yeah. Let’s go."
Sienna looked over at Dante, who was still on his phone across the room. She caught his eye and nodded toward the buffet. He nodded back.
So the three of them headed over.
The second they got close, people sward. Handshakes, and introductions, and complints were exchanged. A few bold ones even started pitching business ideas to Harry and Levi right there by the shrimp cocktail.
Sienna stood off to the side, watching them work the room.
Then Rex and Jimmy showed up.
Rex spotted her imdiately and walked over. "Miss Brown."
Sienna smiled. "Mr. Hardin."
"Where’s Mr. Wilson? Thought he’d be with you."
"He’s on a call."
Rex glanced at Jimmy, then back at her. "Oh, right. You two haven’t t. Miss Brown, this is my brother Jimmy."
He turned to Jimmy. "Jim, this is Miss Sienna Brown."
Jimmy held out his hand, polite as ever. "Nice to et you, Miss Brown."
Sienna shook it. "You too."
Right then, Elodie and Johnny walked up to the buffet table.
Johnny saw the whole group standing there and let out a quiet "tsk" under his breath.
There were so pastries over by the far table that Johnny had been eyeing all night. He was about to head that way when soone grabbed his arm and started talking business. Again.
anwhile, after Jimmy greeted Sienna, she turned and nodded to the others.
"Mr. Becker. Mr. Kwan."
Harry gave a small nod back.
That’s when Dante finished his call and walked over.
Levi suddenly looked uncomfortable. He scratched his nose, cleared his throat. The thing was, Jimmy and Elodie had spent a decent amount of ti dancing together earlier. And Elodie was still technically Dante’s wife, so...
This could get weird.
Harry’s eyes flickered toward Dante, watching.
But Dante? Didn’t seem to care at all.
He walked right up to Jimmy and stuck out his hand like they were old friends.
"Mr. Hall."
"Mr. Wilson," Jimmy replied, shaking it.
Dante raised his glass slightly, clinked it against Jimmy’s, and took a sip. "Been a while."
Jimmy’s grip tightened on his own glass. "Yeah. It has."
Levi relaxed. Okay. False alarm. Dante clearly didn’t give a damn.
The group settled into conversation, talking about business, upcoming projects, the usual stuff.
Across the room, Elodie and Johnny were still trapped in soone’s orbit, nodding along as they pitched so venture capital thing. It took forever to politely extract themselves.
By the ti they were free, Dante and his group had moved on. They didn’t cross paths again.
Eventually, the night wound down. Elodie and Johnny said their goodbyes to the host and left.
---
Monday morning, Johnny had barely settled into his office when his assistant knocked.
"Mr. Gray, there’s a General Manager from Wilson Group downstairs. Says he wants to discuss a partnership."
Johnny looked up. "Who’s with him?"
"Miss Sienna Brown."
Johnny closed his eyes. Of course.
If Dante had shown up himself, Johnny would’ve told him to get lost. Easy. But the General Manager? That guy was decent. They had a good working relationship. Turning him away would be rude. Unprofessional.
Dante knew exactly what he was doing.
And he’d sent Sienna along too. Just to make it even more awkward.
Johnny rubbed his temples, already feeling the headache coming on.
He got up and went to find Elodie.
"Wilson Group’s downstairs," he said. "General Manager and Sienna. Wanting to talk partnership."
Elodie didn’t even blink. "Okay. So et with them."
"You sure?"
"eting her isn’t a problem," Elodie said simply. "Doesn’t an we’re agreeing to anything."
Johnny nodded. "Fair. You want to sit in?"
"Yeah. I’ll co."
---
By the ti they got to the conference room, the General Manager and Sienna had been waiting a few minutes.
Both stood when Johnny walked in.
Then Elodie followed him through the door.
Sienna’s expression shifted, just for a second but she recovered fast. She greeted the General Manager first, then Johnny.
"Mr. Gray."
Johnny nodded. "Miss Brown. Please, sit."
The General Manager’s eyes landed on Elodie, and recognition flickered across his face. He’d worked with her before, back when she was still at Wilson Group. She’d been good at her job. Really good. And morable... hard not to be with a face like that.
Reviews
All reviews (0)