CHAPTER 12
The day after the launch, the air in the Lancaster penthouse was thick with tension, yet everything appeared pristine. Flowers had been delivered. A bottle of vintage wine sat unopened on the marble counter. But Selene Carter stood unmoved in the middle of the living room, her arms crossed, her guard firmly up.
Damien Lancaster entered, impeccably dressed as always, but there was a cool gleam in his eyes that made Selene stiffen. He didn’t speak at first. Instead, he held out a black velvet box.
Selene’s eyes narrowed. “What is that?”
He walked closer and placed it on the coffee table between them. “Open it.”
Her instincts screamed no, but curiosity won.
Slowly, she flipped the lid open.
Inside was a diamond necklace—intricate, dazzling, and clearly expensive enough to pa
