“Would you be angry if I disqualified one of the girls?” Maxwell asked by my side, drawing me out of my musing.

I turned to look at him to take stock of the situation, but his expression was stone cold. His hair was slicked back, and he wore a fitted suit, but the button-up was undone. His scruff had gotten a bit longer over the last few days, the dark spots under his eyes darker. But I wasn’t one to pry about his home life.

All I knew was that it definitely had something to do with his shitty father.

I followed his gaze to a redhead in a fox mask. She wore a tight-fitting black dress that shimmered under the light with gloves that went all the way up to her mid-bicep.

I know her from somewhere…

“That’s Addi’s friend,” I said, remembering seeing her with this girl when she was out shopping and I was supposed not to be stalking her. “I didn’t know you knew her.”

“Piper’s my best friend’s little sister,” he said, his jaw ticking. “And she should definitely not be here. I’m not sure how Dante got it past me, but⁠—”

“Maybe you just don’t pay enough attention,” Dante chimed in, coming up to my other side. He was wearing a deep blue suit, champagne glass in his hand. “She’s staying.”

For the first time, Maxwell’s face visibly twisted, and before I could stop him, he was stomping off toward the girl.

“Shit. Wait, Maxwe⁠—”

I grabbed Dante just as he was about to run off after him.

“Leave it,” I ordered and watched as Maxwell all but dragged the girl back to the dressing room.

A better question would be, Why is Addi’s little friend here?

Maybe she heard about the money and decided to cash in as well?

If I remembered correctly, she was a Whitmore. A family that had a long line of steel factories whose revenue made them extremely comfortable.

Her father had come up more than once in one of my investigations, but going after him would take a whole other level of dedication. If I wasn’t prepared, he could eat me alive.

It’s not worth it.

“So? Selection is good this time, hm?”

I gave Dante a firm nod. If I were being honest, I’d barely looked at the girls. To be even more honest, I didn’t much care about them.

All I could think about was Addi. What she would be doing. How she felt after she got the money. What happened with her mom. Wondering if she was comfortable or if she needed anything else.

I was a man obsessed, plain and simply. I wanted her. Wanted her by my side. In my bed. In my life, period.