Page 2 of Tower of Temptations

His cigarette cast one last golden glow across his perfect features.

And I knew I was in trouble when I wanted to see more.

1

PEARL

Three Days Earlier

Iran the ivory-handled brush through my blonde locks, counting each stroke until I hit fifty. The soft bristles, once my mother's, now mine, whispered against my scalp.

Morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the fortieth floor, casting long shadows across my bedroom's polished floors. The city stretched out below like a toy model, everything made tiny and insignificant by the height.

I turned to the side, eyeing my reflection in the gilt-framed mirror mounted next to my mahogany four-poster bed.

My gaze dropped to my midsection. I pressed a hand against the burgundy crushed velvet of my dress, searching for any betraying curve that might provoke Vittorio's sharp tongue.

Nothing. At least the Pilates sessions were paying off.

I sighed, a barely-there lift of my lips that couldn't quite be called a smile.

Most girls my age would be out celebrating their twenty-first birthday, downing shots and dancing until dawn in downtown Providence.

And me? I was trapped in this gilded cage, primping for a man who saw me as nothing more than a pretty doll to be kept on a shelf.

"I'm here, Miss Pearl. Did you eat?" Nan's familiar voice drifted through the suite.

I gave myself one last critical once-over before stepping into the living room. Nan was already at work, her small but sturdy frame silhouetted against the wall-wide window as she opened the vertical blinds.

"Ooh, bright," she giggled as sunlight flooded the room.

I reached for the remote, adjusting the opacity of the smart glass. "Yes. I had a waffle with strawberries. And I loaded the dishwasher myself."

Nan turned, waggling a finger at me. "Oh no, miss. If you break a nail, I'll hear about it too. You know how he gets."

I did know. All too well.

I drifted to the window, gazing out at the city sprawled below. So many lives, so many stories. And here I was, stuck on pause while the world kept spinning.

"He's coming today," I murmured. "With a cake."

Nan bustled about, straightening cushions and wielding her cleaning supplies. "Good. You're too skinny." She took out asmall, gift-wrapped box from her pocket. "Happy birthday, Miss Pearl. I'll leave it on the bed when I change the sheets?"

Our eyes met, a world of unspoken words passing between us.

I wanted to hug her so badly. But Vittorio's rules hung heavy in the air, an invisible barrier keeping me from embracing the woman who'd been more of a mother to me these past years than anyone.

I watched her disappear into my bedroom, then glanced at the clock. I still had time. Retreating to my computer room, I closed the door softly behind me, desperate for a connection to the outside world.

I fired off a quick text to Ella, my lifeline to normalcy.I'm old now, haha. Facetime?

Seconds later, Ella's face filled my screen, her blonde hair pulled back and dark circles rimming her eyes. "Pearl! I've been thinking about you all morning! Happy birthday!"

"Thanks," I smiled, genuinely happy to see her. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

"Ugh, don't even," she groaned, flopping back dramatically on her pillows. "Wedding planning is insane. Grant and Howie almost got into it yesterday over centerpieces."

"The Prince Charmings not being so charming?" I grinned, settling back in my chair.

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