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Chapter One
“Clarissa, Clarissa! The ice sculpture is falling!”
“Clarissa, what are we supposed to do? The caterer lost the appetizers!”
“It’s an eic to orchids and has passed out by the bar!!”
Yes, this is my life Despite the fact that atowards me at a breakneck speed, I was cal is known only tocrew For everyone else, all they will see is the glalitz of yet another Durant party succeed
I’m Clarissa Durant, and I love to plan parties If there is any kind of party in New York, than it was most likely ate it all to a planner, but I find thatthe way And I like to think big Even when I was ten years old, I was planning for h I didn’t have the kind of funds then that I do now I loved organizing the details, the surprise factor of what could go wrong each ti it all off anyways
And at a party this big, the problems caton first rang otten into New York Ladies for a Better Society Because I wasn’t technically a Durant (my mother had married my stepdad when I elve), and the fact that I was only twenty, it had taken a long tianizing their 150th anniversary But I’ve never been one to shy away fro off I was even being featured on the blog NYCnow!
After a tense few hours, ere finally in the clear The cha, and all the little mistakes and disasters were s passed around I know, it’s a little weird to enjoy doing hen I belonged to such a wealthy farown up without I walked out slowly into the garden, appreciating hoell everything had coether For now at least, my place at the Society was secure
The guests olden light frohts dimmed and ere set free from the dinner table speeches, I allowedfrom the sidelines The majestic columns of the banquet hall allowed h my phone, I was all ready to check my emails when I noticed that I wasn’t alone
Aiden
His tux was perfectly tailored to his broad shoulders and tall fra him instead of the other way around He had co pensively at the crowd, and yet he found no need to make conversation His profile was patrician, the product of New York’s finest The beat of ht of hih I knew that there wasn’t a chance for us He was my stepbrother after all
“Hello,” I said politely
“Clarissa,” he said His voice arm and smooth, like the whiskey he held in his hand “You look lovely tonight”
“Thank you,” I said softly
Hazel eyes regardedback up towards my face For once in my life, I didn’t mind My red dress had a deep cowl neck that swooped just above ave me an incredible set of curves I knew that I looked radiant tonight, and yes, secretly, I had planned it for him Aiden liked a woman in red
It sounded stupid, and wrong, to be in love with your own stepbrother, but sometimes the heart jumps in before the brain could tell it to stop It didn’t matter at first, because Aiden felt the same way about me too But then he was sent abroad to run the international arm of the Durant Corporation, and he came back a completely different man
A ant, but ht to sleep with him In short, he was a man who had broken my heart
“Aiden!!” a high pitched voice squealed, breaking into hts
Our gaze broke, and we both turned to the left, where a tall, y blonde was stuh her hair was a little ruffled, it seeh profile fashion s and fake breasts She gave Aiden a kiss on each cheek, giggling as she almost spilled all of her drink on his tux Yet another new date
“Aideeenn, I was looking all over for you,” she said with a pout
I wasn’t surprised Aiden always had one woet laid seemed to be the only skill he’d picked up abroad I didn’t believe it when the rumors made their way back to me at first After all, the Aiden I kneas loyal and quiet,personality back then too, and he was always able to convince the maids to do e’d like It was a shame the way he wasted it now