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Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

She walked as quickly as possible but still felt like she was moving underwater. By the time the dean handed her a glass plaque for the top honor in jewelry design, she was so winded she could barely muster a smile.

“Congratulations,” he said, shaking her hand.

She knew she was expected to make a speech, but she hadn’t prepared anything out of superstition that she’d jinx herself. She looked out at the audience, and Sanjay gave her a thumbs-up. Gemma took a deep breath.

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my mother, Paulina. She’s my inspiration. Mom, this is for you.” The mothers in the audience glanced around, smiling, wanting to acknowledge the woman who must be so proud in that moment. But that woman had been gone for over a decade.

She slid back into her seat and then fanned herself with her program, vibrating with adrenaline.

Sanjay leaned forward and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Congrats. See you at the party tomorrow?” he said. She nodded, but the answer was no. There was only one party she wanted to attend.

Whether her family liked it or not.

3

Elodie Pavlin sat in her sun-filled office on the top floor of Pavlin & Co’s flagship building. Behind her vintage brass and leather desk, the window offered a view of the busy streets of midtown in late spring, the worker bees on their lunch breaks, the tourists filing in and out of Gucci, Prada, and Versace, the police taking a break from their post outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral. But Elodie didn’t waste time with the view. She hadn’t gotten to the helm of the company by daydreaming. At fifty-three years old, she was a woman with tunnel vision, and her focus at the moment was the party she was hosting tomorrow night.

Her eyes glanced toward The New York Times unfurled across her desk. It was a three-week-old copy she kept in her top desk drawer, open to the style section. The headline read, “One Hundred Years of All That Glitters.”

This summer marks the centennial anniversary of Pavlin & Co, eponymous jewelry company founded in 1919 by Isaac Pavlin, whose son, Elliot, made engagement synonymous with diamonds. To mark the occasion, the family’s private jewelry collection will be on display at the flagship store through the month of June.

“My father, Alan, spent his life celebrating the idea that a diamond says love,” said Elodie Pavlin, now CEO. “He marked many occasions with a piece of jewelry gifted to my mother. Now I want to share these treasures with our devoted customers to show our love for them.”

The exhibit opens the night of May 25 with a private party. It opens to the public the first week of June.

The black pug by her feet, Pearl, let out a sneeze that sounded like it came from a much larger creature. Pearl, her only trustworthy companion.