The Hawthorne estate has always been extravagant during Christmas, but this year, everything was on a different level. Lavish floral arrangements lined the grand entrance, gold and silver ornaments hung from towering Christmas trees, and chandeliers glowed warmly, casting an ethereal glow over the guests. But the most striking thing wasn’t the decorations—it was the people.
Scarlett had grown up with grand holiday parties, but this was something else. The room buzzed with the presence of high-ranking officials, international businessmen, and the most powerful families in the underworld. It wasn’t just a Christmas celebration—it was
a gathering of power players.
She stood near the grand staircase, dressed in a sleek emerald gown that hugged her frame, the fabric shimmering under the lig
