Page 14 of The Billionaire's Masquerade Ball

Gail was watching his face with veiled interest and Xander wondered again about the dynamic on their staff. It made him distinctly uncomfortable. Not just the way Crystal and Eliza looked at him, but also a sense of some kind of tension that seemed to rest just below the surface.

“Please let Crystal and Eliza know if you need anything at all. Patrick will be moving between the front of house and the back. Eliza and Crystal will make themselves available and can stay within earshot.”

The two women smiled broadly and Xander got a mental image of the two of them following him around all night.

“That’s really not necessary. I trust that you can all handle your jobs without me micromanaging the little details. Wyatt will contact you if he needs anything or you can text him. I’m sure you can understand that I’ll be very busy speaking with the guests and handling my other duties tonight.”

Again, Wyatt hid his surprise quickly. Xander hadn’t asked him to do this, but he hadn’t realized how involved Gail and her staff seemed to want to be. The last thing he wanted was to be talking with any of them tonight.

Gail’s smile tightened and she gave a small nod. “Of course. Please do let any of us know the moment anything arises.”

“Anything at all,” Eliza said, her eyes conveying a not-so-subtle offer that Xander couldn’t miss.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Xander said. He heard Wyatt giving them all his number and giving them extra instructions as he walked away. Xander made a mental note to give him an extra bonus for having to be the one to deal with Gail and her staff.

* * *

There’s no way this is going to work.Cynder stared at herself in the bathroom mirror as Lucy finished lacing up the corset. With the mask already in place and her hair down, Cynder looked nothing like she had just ten minutes before in her all-black ensemble, meant for blending in with the staff in the kitchen and back halls.

“I know what you’re thinking and everything’s going to be just fine,” Lucy said. “Not one of your stupid step-family will recognize you now. You’ll get a chance to actually enjoy a party you put on for once. Though if I know you, you’ll be out there looking for things that need fixing and doing your best to make this a success.” After a breath, Lucy muttered, “Though I really wish you’d stop trying.”

Cynder stepped forward even as Lucy protested, her hands still in the corset ribbons. “You want me to just let them ruin everything Dad and I built?”

Lucy’s mouth tightened and she looked down at her black shoes. She had brought her own all-black uniform and would be taking Cynder’s place in back. “No? Yes? I don’t know.”

“I can’t believe you. This is all I have left—”

Lucy’s eyes burned as her gaze shot back up to Cynder. “Don’t you say that! You have so much left of your father. His kindness. His humor. His loyalty and grace. I just hate the way they treat you like you’re a lackey, not the brains behind everything and the rightful owner.”

The last thing Cynder needed to do was cry, ruining the light eye makeup Lucy had just applied. Cynder lowered her head, blinking. Lucy gripped her chin and tilted her face back up.

“You also have his ability to make the best of any situation. I know that no matter what happens with Looking Glass, you will land on your feet. Because you are your father’s daughter. If you can save the company, great. But with Gail and her family entrenched inside, it’s as good as gone already. I’m sorry. I truly am. But I also don’t want you thinking that all is lost somehow if you can’t save it.”

“I know you don’t like it when I’m cheesy, but you’re a great friend, Lucy.”

“I like cheesy. Just in small doses. Or on pizza.”

“Ha ha. Would I be pushing it if I told you that you’re more than my friend, you’re family?”

Lucy tilted her head, pretending to think about it. But the corners of her lips were already climbing up into a smile. “Way too much cheese.” Without warning, she launched herself at Cynder, wrapping her in a hug.

“Oof! Watch the dress!”

“Shut up, you. And turn around so I can finish cinching you up.”

Ten minutes later, Lucy had replaced her in the kitchen and Cynder was walking into the grand ballroom. And it was grand. She sucked in a breath. Her eyes were in danger again of overflowing down her cheeks at the sight. Not because of the beauty, though everything in sight was completely magnificent. She felt proud of what she had accomplished.

The emotion flooding her came from a completely different place. She looked at the room the way her father would have, or, as she would have standing beside her father. Cynder could almost imagine him there, next to her in a tux. He would be going over every detail with appreciation in his eyes. Cynder didn’t need Lucy to tell her that he would be so proud of all that she had managed to pull off.

Oddly, the moment felt like a goodbye of sorts. Cynder had done plenty of other projects since her father died and worked with half a dozen other clients. But somehow, leading up to this gala felt like an impending doom. Being stuck in the back only confirmed it. She could see Gail, working the crowd. Patrick was, not surprisingly, by the bar. Eliza and Crystal were both dancing with men who were having trouble keeping their eyes off the low necklines of their dresses. But both women’s eyes kept darting around. Looking for their billionaire, most likely. Cynder rolled her eyes.

Whether Gail fired her for whatever reason she could drum up or she tanked the business or just forced Cynder to resign, she had to admit that Lucy was right: her time really was coming to an end. She knew it on some level, but tonight, Cynder felt it.

At least she was going out with something she had worked hard on. It was beautiful, but it was also much more lavish than their usual projects, at the client’s request. Because Christmas was only two weeks away, there were real fir trees around the edges of the room, stretching up to past the balconies on the second floor. Christmas lights were strung throughout the branches as well as overhead. Cynder had never seen so many poinsettias. There were exactly three-thousand one-hundred fifty-seven. She remembered being blown away by the number when she spoke with the local greenhouse supplying them. A separate florist handled the other arrangements. There were red and white roses everywhere, but that number escaped her memory. The overall effect was breathtaking. Breathtaking and also … such overkill.

It was hard to believe this opulent affair had anything to do with charity. That reminder had Cynder seeing the whole thing in a new light and trying not to be disgusted as she walked past the dessert table with chocolate art that had been hand-fashioned by a local chocolatier. There were decadent swirls of dark and white chocolate made to look almost like music notes and milk chocolate flowers with delicate petals. Macarons in festive colors arranged beautifully on Waterford crystal platters.

Cynder couldn’t help but pick up a few discarded napkins and a half-empty champagne glass that rested on the dessert table. These were the kinds of things that she would be doing if she were out front. Not picking them up herself but getting on the staff about doing it. If Gail saw her, however, she might realize, even with the mask. With a fluid move, Cynder placed all the items on a passing server’s tray.

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