Chapter 68. Caught in the Act

Layla’s fingers trembled around the stem of her wine glass, the crimson liquid sloshing perilously close to the rim. Blake leaned back against the plush loveseat, his eyes fixing on her wrist with an intensity that sent a chill racing down her spine.

“Tell me, Layla,” Blake’s voice cut through the hum of the opulent room, “where did you find such a unique bracelet? It’s almost identical to one I saw in an exclusive boutique recently.”

The question, innocuous as it might have seemed to any eavesdropper, struck Layla like a bolt of lightning. Her heart pounded in her chest, a frantic drumbeat threatening to burst forth from her ribcage.

“Um, this old thing?” Layla forced a laugh, her voice cracking slightly, as she twisted the bracelet around her wrist, the diamonds catching the light and scattering it across Blake’s sharp features. “It was just a... a lucky find at a little shop downtown. You wouldn’t believe the deals they have!”

“Really?” Blake’s eyebrow arc