Then she turned on her heel, and the woman who had been three minutes from marrying into one of the great fortunes of the coast walked out of the penthouse with nothing, her father hurrying behind her, both of them understanding that the evening had not merely ended an engagement.
It had ended them.
Chapter 15 — After the Party
Within fifteen minutes the party was simply over.
The guests gathered their coats and their stunned expressions and filed out in an awkward hush, leaving behind half-drunk champagne and cold trays and rooms that had, an hour ago, been arranged to celebrate a marriage.
Adrienne stood in the quiet study holding Taylor, who had completed her enormous mission and promptly fallen asleep against her shoulder, one shoe dangling.
“I’m so sorry for the trouble, sir,” Adrienne said.
“I’ll pack my things and go quietly.
I won’t cause you any more disruption.”
Corbin looked at her with what she realized, after a moment, was astonishment.
“Trouble?” he said.
“If your daughter hadn’t walked up to me tonight — if she hadn’t taken my hand in front of all those people and refused to let go — I would have stood up next month and married a woman who was quietly dismantling everything I’ve built and everyone I love.
You didn’t cause trouble.
Your little girl walked me out of a fire I couldn’t even smell.”