The look in his eyes renders me completely still. Even my breath stalls in my lungs. I part my lips, the low roar in my ears growing louder, drowning out what Violet’s saying to me, blocking out every little sound until all I can focus on is him.
He doesn’t look away. Doesn’t smile or lift a brow or wave a hand, no acknowledgment that we’re watching each other. Slowly, the movement so subtle I almost don’t notice it, he works his square jaw, his lips pressing together, his chest rising with his deep inhale. Squinting his eyes, one side of his mouth goes up slightly, the lopsided ghost of a smile appearing before it’s gone.
In a snap.
The man turns, his back facing me once more, and I wonder if I imagined it all. Blinking, I tear my gaze from him and turn to my sister, who hasn’t stopped talking. I have no idea what she just said. None.
All I can think about is the man who saved me.
And I don’t even know his name.
Chapter Two
Caden
The moment I see the necklace around the wrong sister’s neck, I’m infuriated.
Pissed.
Mad as hell.
Yeah. All that.
I had a plan and I hate deviating from the plan. I thought Lily Fowler was coming to this premiere. This is one of the biggest moments for the Fowler family and their business. And their oldest daughter isn’t even here with them at the freaking Cannes Film Festival, so what the fuck?
Not that I thought Lily would be wearing the necklace. I figured it would be Violet. The quiet sister who’s the true force to reckon with at Fleur, the driven one who’s taking the cosmetics company and pushing it forward. I hadn’t considered the new boyfriend, though. That guy never leaves her side and glowers at whoever looks at her with even halfhearted interest.
It’s freaking Rose Fowler wearing the damn necklace instead. The baby sister, who’s barely old enough to drink legally. The gorgeous-as-hell and completely untouchable sister is wearing a necklace that I heard from inside sources would be featured in the documentary. I have connections. Hell, I have someone who would pay me top dollar if I bring the necklace to him. I’m here in Cannes at his insistence and he sent me here to grab it. We both had a hunch it might be seen tonight, and that’s why I’m here.
Considering I’d known Lily Fowler in my previous life, I figured I might have an in. Though saying I “know” Lily is a slight exaggeration. We went to school together but I’m younger than her; I was a sophomore when she was a junior. It was my final year there, before the last of the money ran out and I had to finish high school in the public school system, much to my mother’s horror and disgust.
We never talked, but back then I had a small crush on Lily. I wanted to get close to her for more reasons than one and we hooked up at a party. She was drunk and we clicked instantly, but that wasn’t hard since I’d been in full hustle mode. We talked, we flirted, and next thing I knew, we were making out in a dark corner at the party.
I would’ve gotten into her panties, too, if she hadn’t passed out in my arms. My crush died a quick death when I realized what a mess she was.
So I plucked the giant diamond earrings from her lobes instead. Earned a fat amount of money for those stones, too.
Not that she ever knew. And if she did, she certainly didn’t say anything. There were no news reports, no gossip sites talking about Lily Fowler’s missing diamonds, no police report filed that I know of.
It was as if the entire matter … never happened. We even spoke a few times after that incident and she acted like she didn’t have a clue what really went down. Confirmation I got away with it.
Wild.
That was the first time I’d stolen anything of real value and the high I got from it, how easy it had been, knowing I could give Mom money to help put toward the overdue bills …
I was hooked.
And I had an in. I’d grown up with the rich kids. Hell, I used to be one of them. A rich kid, a spoiled-rotten only child who got whatever he wanted from his daddy, with time to kill and money to burn. Until everything was taken away from us, bit by bit, dollar by dollar. Until we were left with nothing.
So I had to go out and fend for us by helping Mom, because fuck all if my father stuck around and took care of the one woman who stood by his side through everything. All the scandal. All the heartbreak. All the devastation. She never walked away from him—and she had good reason to do so. Instead, she told him everything was going to be all right, as long as they had each other. Yet he still left her.
Deserted her.
Abandoned us both.
Not having Lily here tonight might have thrown me a little, but I ran with it. That’s what I do. If I let every little hitch hold me back, then I would have stopped long ago. Or I would have ended up in prison.
But nothing keeps me down. I’d come all the way to Cannes to pick up a few items. Came on my friend’s private jet, this asshole I’ve known since we were ten and in private school. I gave him his first joint and that was it. We were bonded for life.