Page 135 of In Spades

It’ll come to you, Lawson.

His eyes widened and turned to me.

Isaac and I ran in the same circles when I was engaged to Elena. She made sure of it. She was a talented corporate shark, but the minute she had that oversized rock on her finger, something changed. The woman went full-on ladies who lunch—content to be a leech on the fortune I had earned. We were always entertaining or being entertained and I hated every second of it.

I gritted my teeth and gave my head a terse shake.

“Well,” Isaac said, redirecting the conversation. “Let’s get some champagne, shall we? Your office, Hell Yes Ma’am?”

Hannah rolled her eyes at Isaac as the four of us walked through the hotel to the ballroom.

To my surprise, the party was actually fun. Hanging out with Isaac and Hannah was a blast. I didn't know if he realized it, but Isaac had become a completely different person than the asshole I’d known years ago. He probably had Hannah Jane to thank for that.

Women had a way of dropping into your life, turning everything upside down like a tornado, and then magically making everything ten times better. They could repaint a gray existence in technicolor.

And Kristin in that dress… Red was my new favorite.

“Oh my God,” Kristin hissed. “Don’t make eye contact and maybe she’ll leave.”

“Who?” Hannah Jane asked, looking around as she sipped on her champagne.

The four of us were crowded around a cocktail table, stuffing our faces with hors d'oeuvres from the catering team at Revanche.

“I said don’t make eye contact!” Kristin said through gritted teeth. “She can smell fear!”

Hannah snorted. “Too late. Something wicked this way comes.”

Shit! Fuck! Damn! Shit! There weren’t enough four-letter words in the English language to accurately describe the lightning bolt of fear that struck me when I saw my ex-fiancé walking towards us.

“Don’t let her see you sweat,” Isaac said under his breath.

I wasn’t sure if he was talking about Kristin or Elena.

“Miss Hayes, Miss Boyd—lovely to see you both,” Elena said with a sharp grin. Her black dress was elegant, but it didn’t do much in her favor. That bottle blonde hair was cut in a sharp angle. It made her cheekbones look hollow and severe.

Where Kristin was petite, Elena was tall. Where Kristin was radiant, Elena was lifeless. Elena’s eyes were shrewd and calculating. Kristin’s were warm and inviting.

They couldn’t have been more opposite if they tried.

Elena’s eyes met mine and I saw her put the puzzle pieces together.

Fuck. Me.

We ended things as amicably as a breakup could be, but Elena Callaway wasn’t the forgive and forget type.

And I just handed her a nuclear warhead.

She glanced over and watched as Isaac slid his hand down Hannah’s spine to rest on the small of her back, claiming her as his. Turning her head back to Kristin, Elena flashed a bogus smile. “And who do we have here?”

“Ms. Callaway, this is my boyfriend, William Solomon.” Kristin looked up at me and then to Elena. “Will, this is Elena Callaway. She’s been observing the hotel’s operations since the buyout.”

What the hell was I supposed to say…

Nice to meet you? See you at the office on Monday? Kristin doesn’t know we used to share a bed? Thanks for giving the ring back, Ellie? Please die in a ditch?

Luckily, Elena beat me to the punch. “Pleasure, Mr. Solomon.” She extended her hand and shook mine. “Elena Callaway, but you can call me Ellie.”

Well, fuck.

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