Chapter 8

"I'll draft it. Next."

I ignored his glare and took another sip of merlot.

The conversation devolved into a mind-numbing rundown of guest invites, flowers, and a million other things I didn't give a shit about.

Restless anger churned beneath my skin as I tuned Francis and his wife out.

Instead of working on the Santeri deal or relaxing at the Valhalla Club, I was stuck entertaining their bullshit on a Friday night.

Beside me, Vivian ate quietly, appearing lost in thought.

After several minutes of strained silence, she finally spoke. "How was your flight?"

"Fine."

"I appreciate you taking the time to fly in when we could've met in New York. I know you must be busy."

I cut a piece of veal and brought it to my mouth.

Vivian's stare burned a hole in my cheek while I chewed leisurely.

"I also heard the more zeroes one has in their bank account, the fewer words they're capable of speaking." Her deceptively pleasant voice could've sliced through butter. "You're proving the rumor correct."

"I thought a society heiress like yourself would know better than to discuss money in polite company."

"The keyword is polite."

A ghost of a smile flickered over my mouth.

Under normal circumstances, I might've liked Vivian.

She was beautiful and surprisingly witty, with intelligent brown eyes and the type of naturally refined bone structure no amount of money could buy. But with her pearls and Chanel tweed, she looked like a carbon copy of her mother and every other uptight heiress who only cared about their social status.

Plus, she was Francis's daughter. It wasn't her fault she was born to the bastard, but I didn't give a damn. No degree of beauty could erase that stain on her record.

"It's notpoliteto speak to a guest that way," I mocked softly. I reached for the salt. My sleeve grazed her arm, and she visibly tensed. "What would your parents say?"

I'd already clocked Vivian's hangups less than an hour into our acquaintance. Perfectionism, non-confrontation, a desperate need for her parents' approval.

Boring, boring, boring.

Her eyes narrowed. "They'd sayguestsshould adhere to social niceties as much as the host, including making an effort to hold a polite conversation."

"Yeah? Do social niceties include dressing like you stepped out of a Fifth Avenue Stepford Wives factory?" I flicked a gaze over her suit and pearls.

I didn't give a shit if people like Cecelia wore such an outfit, but Vivian looked as out of place in the dowdy clothing as a diamond in a burlap sack. It pissed me off for no good reason.

"No, but they certainlydon'tinclude ruining a nice dinner with discourtesy," Vivian said coolly. "You should buy a nice set of manners to match your suit, Mr. Russo. As a luxury goods CEO, you know better than anyone how one ugly accessory can ruin an outfit."

Another smile, still faint but more concrete.

Not so boring after all.

However, the embers of my amusement hissed into a smoky death when her mother inserted herself into our conversation.

"Dante, is it true all Russos get married at the family estate in Lake Como? I hear renovations will be finished by next summer before the wedding."

My smile vanished as my muscles tightened at the reminder