Page 11 of The Bratva's Secret Twins

“Thank you, sir,” he replied.

“The runway show,” I said to him. “That was you?”

“I wouldn’t take all the credit,” he answered with a light chuckle.

“Ohh, pay no attention to him; he’s just being modest,” Gabriel chipped in. “Asher is a great designer—the best I know—and he handled the show all by himself.”

I couldn’t care less if he was being humble or if he’d single-handedly pulled off the whole event. That wasn’t my concern. What mattered was that, as the man in charge, he’d know the identity of the model who’d caught my eye.

Right as I was thinking about her, I spotted her in the crowd to my right. There she was, hot as fuck in a simple yet sleek black dress with a strategically placed slit that showed off her toned thigh.

Fuck.

I stroked my jaw reflexively, eyes fixed on her.

She was chatting with some women, her smile and graceful movements oozing sophistication. The dress hugged her curves, accentuating the dip of her waist and the sexy flare of her hips. She stood out to me, not just because of her banging body but also her radiant smile.

I could feel Gabriel’s eyes on me, and he traced my gaze to the girl.

“That’s one of the models that walked the runway, am I right?” he asked.

Asher glanced in the girl’s direction with a faint grin.

“Ah, yes…she did good, didn’t she?” he asked.

“Of course,” Gabriel replied. “Her performance was great. But I’ve never seen her before. Who is she?”

“Funny story. She’s a cashier in one of our outlets,” Asher said. “I found her by chance when I needed a replacement for Anna after she bailed on me at the last minute. I asked her if she could do a catwalk for me there in the store.”

“She did?” Gabriel asked, indulging him.

Asher nodded. “I knew she’d be amazing.”

“Well, you weren’t wrong,” Gabriel said, sipping his drink. “She was spectacular.”

“What’s her name?” I asked, not shifting my gaze off her.

“Vivian. Vivian Kennedy.”

Vivian.

As though I’d summoned her, she looked in my direction, and our eyes met. I didn’t break my stare, and she didn’t, either. It was obvious that she recognized me.

Good. Very good.

She blinked a few times and smiled at her friends before excusing herself.

I trailed her with my eyes and realized she was probably heading to the bar to get another drink. This was my window. I rose to my feet without saying a word to anyone at the table as I made my way to the bar.

She was seated on a stool at the counter, a cocktail in front of her, as she slowly spun the straw in the drink.

“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re stalking me,” she said as I halted beside her, resting a hand on the countertop.

“What makes you think you know better?” I asked, a faint grin tugging at the corner of my lips.

She looked at me, and it hit me just how much hotter she was up close. Her blue eyes beamed, and her brunette hair, which fell loosely on her shoulders, shimmered in the soft light.

“My gut,” she replied, her eyes subtly sizing me up.

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