Chapter Eleven: What the World Thinks We Are
The first article came out that morning.
Lena was barefoot in the kitchen, sipping her second espresso, when Nikolai’s phone buzzed on the marble countertop. He rarely reacted to messages. He had people for that. But this time, he checked it.
And his jaw tightened.
Lena tilted her head. “What is it?”
He slid the phone across the counter to her.
It was a headline.
“Reclusive Billionaire Nikolai Duran Resurfaces in Florence—With Former Supermodel Lena Marceau on His Arm”
Below it: a photo from the gallery opening. Her in the red dress. Him at her side. The way his hand gripped her lower back. The way she leaned slightly into him. Possession and performance, captured in one perfect click.
And beneath the image, a subheading that made her s
