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Kira walked into the party with her head held high, doing the best she could to act as though she belonged there. She silently willed her ankles to remain steady while she made her way through the crowd, teetering slightly in Laura Stirling’s high heels. She smiled and murmured greetings as she passed the other masked guests, her senses alert for any sign of Carlo.
She had followed the music from upstairs to a large ballroom on the main floor. Crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling, their warm glow reflecting on the marble dance floor below. A small orchestra was assembled in the far corner of the room beside a seven-foot Steinway grand piano. Festive gold silk bunting hung from the high ceiling and long tables lined the walls, piled high with exquisite-looking dishes serve
