Page 19 of The Kat Bunglar

The girl at the store had ignored her.

Uncomfortable and unsure, Laila grabbed the first thing she saw, hoping the romper with the wrap skirt was trendy enough for an art gallery showing. She also prayed that the coral color wouldn’t make it seem like she was trying too hard.

Laila winced at the slight wedgie, cursing herself again for not trying the outfit on in the store.

Slipping into her rented Porsche Carrera, Laila eyed her cell phone. Jay hadn’t called her once. He hadn’t spoken to her the entire morning. And she had left for the airport without a backward glance in his direction.

She peered at the small gift she’d brought for Gabriel, hoping he would like it.Hoping he would like her.Somewhere in the last week, he had become the only person she wanted to impress. Everything—and everyone—else had fallen away for her.

There it was. The sign forEden Gardensloomed ahead. The lush foliage and palm trees felt welcoming and refreshing.

Laila smiled determinedly. She was going to shake off the cobwebs of uncertainty and enjoy today. Whatever it held for her.

She handed her car over to the valet, who pointed her in the general direction of the building. Taking in the well-dressed crowd, she accepted a glass of champagne from one of the passing servers.Thank God the bar was already open.

A woman with calculating eyes and a slicked-back bun approached her. “Name?”

Startled and a little taken aback, Laila replied, “I’m a friend of Gabriel Santos—Laila Malik.”

She extended a halfhearted handshake, only to withdraw it when the woman let out a high-pitched laugh.

“Friend? Oh, that’s right. You’re the lawyer. I thought it was adorable that he invited you.”

Something about this woman made Laila bristle. “And you are?” she asked pointedly.

“I’m the curator of the entire event. I’m the reason he has this show.” Her gaze swept Laila from head to toe, making Laila’s wedgie creep up. “Isabella Juanita Carmen Morales,” she announced grandly.

“Laila, there you are.”

Gabriel’s hand caught her arm from behind. “I’m so excited you could make it. Come, I want to show you something I recently created. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“You can’t do that right now, Gabriel. The buyer from Morocco is here, and I need you to finesse him,” Isabella interrupted as they started to walk away.

He hesitated, then turned back to her with a warm smile. “What would I do without you, cariño? You are the sun in my skies, always lighting the way.”

Cariño? The sun?

The champagne began to taste bitter in Laila’s mouth.

“I’m so sorry, Penthouse. We’ll catch up soon, yes? Isabella has left me no choice but to be a sellout,” Gabriel chuckled in a way that set Laila’s teeth on edge.

Isabella simpered, tilting her face up at him. “It’s not hard when you’re so talented, mi rey.”

Laila watched them giggle and walk off, her stomach sinking.

Had she blown her encounter with Gabriel completely out of proportion? Was he just this friendly with every woman?

Her gaze dropped to her left hand.

The ring finger was unadorned.

She had left her mother’s ring back in Chicago because she wanted to be different in LA. Someone carefree. Uninhibited.

But Isabella JuanitaStúpidahad soured the evening completely.

Present Day

July 10th

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