Chapter 23 – The Spark
The venue wasn’t like the gala. No chandeliers dripping gold, no sea of diamonds flashing in the light. This place thrummed with a darker kind of elegance—low lights, a string quartet weaving sharp, haunting melodies through the air, and people who looked like they could burn the city to the ground with a whisper.
It was exclusive. Dangerous. The kind of place where every glass of wine carried a secret, and every smile was a negotiation.
And Kieth fit into it like he had been born from its shadows.
His hand rested lightly on my lower back as we entered, not possessive, not gentle—just there. A reminder. A tether.
I kept my chin high, though inside my heart thundered. Andrew’s words still clung to me like barbed wire: Push harder. One slip, and Ivy pays.
But sta
