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Prologue

“We need to get back at all of theht a lesson”

When Everly Briggs had decided to attend the Beautiful Woe event, she’d researched the attendees and settled on tomen she believed she could convince to participate in a devious plot to take down three of Charleston, South Carolina’s most influential men

Each of the three woed Linc Thurston had broken his engageh a brutal divorce But what Ryan Dailey had done to Everly’s sister, Kelly, was by far the worst

“I don’t know about this,” London said, chewing on her coral-tinted lip “If I go after Linc, it will blow up in my face”

“She’s right” Zoe nodded “Anything we try would only end up s worse for us”

“Not if we go after each other’s men,” Everly said, pierced by a thrill as her companions started to look hopeful “Think about it We’re strangers at a cocktail party Who would ever connect us? I go after Linc London goes after Tristan and, Zoe, you go after Ryan”

“When you say ‘go after,’” Zoe said hesitantly, “what do you have in mind?”

“Everyone has skeletons in their closet Especially powerfuland let them out”

“I’m in,” London said “Linc deserves to feel a little pain and huement the way he did”

Zoe nodded “Count me in, too”

“Marvelous,” Everly said, letting only a slass “Here’s tothem pay”

“And pay,” London echoed

“And pay,” Zoe finished

One

The party celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the Dixie Bass-Crosby Foundation was in full swing as Harrison Crosby strolled beneath the Baccarat crystal-and-brass chandelier hanging fro Snagging a glass of cha waitress, Harrison passed frorand colu quartet played in the corner

Thirty years ago Harrison’s uncle Jack Crosby had purchased the historic Groves Plantation, located thirty-fiveto headquarter Crosby Motorsports on the hundred-acre property At the time, the 1850s e of knocking it dohen both Virginia Lamb-Crosby and Dixie Bass-Crosby—Harrison’s mother and aunt respectively—had raised a ruckus Instead the Crosby family had du it up to code and make it livable The result was a work of art

Although Harrison had attended dozens of charity events supporting his family’s foundations over the years, the social whirl bored him He’d much rather just donate the money and skip all the pomp and circumstance Despite the Crosby wealth and the old family connections his aunt and mother could claim, Harrison had noth