Aiden Knight's POV
The black sedan pulls up to the Grand Metropolitan Hotel exactly at seven PM. I adjust my suit jacket, the formal attire feeling strange after weeks of casual clothes. But Scarlett insisted - appearances matter at these events.
"Remember," Scarlett says beside me, nervousness evident in her voice, "these aren't ordinary wealthy people. Half the attendees tonight could buy entire city blocks without blinking."
I study her face in the dim interior light. The stress lines around her eyes have deepened since I last saw her. Whatever family crisis consumed Jasper has clearly affected his granddaughter as well.
"What exactly is your family dealing with?"
Her hands twist in her lap. "Business troubles. Competitors trying to force us out of several markets. Nothing we can't handle."
The lie comes too easily. But I don't press. Everyone has secrets, and I have bigger concerns tonight than the Finch family's problems.
