So Close (Blacklist, Book 1) by Sylvia Day
About So Close:
Until he sees a woman with his wife Lily's inimitable beauty on Manhattan's streets. He whisks her up to his towering penthouse, nestling her in dark opulence.
Aliyah, Kane's mother, sees a threat. "Lily" has dangerous control over Kane and there can be only one queen on this throne.
Amy, Kane's sister-in-law, has been bloodied by betrayal. She's paid too high a price and now intends to claim what she's owed.
Three women, linked by buried secrets, circle the man who unquestioningly accepts the return of his beloved long-dead wife.
But Kane is happier than he's ever been, and he'll do anything to stay that way . . .
Excerpt:
Witte
The
party is a lively crush, yet I’m keenly aware of one singularly significant
presence—my employer’s wife, a woman who has been dead for many years.
Manhattan glitters in the vast night enfolding the penthouse tower. Clouds
froth against the floor-to-ceiling windows, at turns obscuring then revealing
the stygian spread of Central Park and its reservoir far below. The tower
creaks as it sways ever so slightly in gusts of evening wind, the plaintive
sound hidden beneath the music and sea of conversation.
Within the glass walls, tension seethes. Dangerous electricity charges the air, the inevitable result of confining rivals in a neutral space. Restrained by decorum and the fear of losing face, adversaries bristle, claws and fangs only briefly and resentfully sheathed.
The event is a black-tie reception in honor of a new cosmeceutical line. The attendees are the best known of Manhattan’s young elite, a collective pool of the too-beautiful and too-rich. Among them are celebrated friendships and infamous feuds. It’s a testament to Mr Black that he could bring such a diverse – and divisive – group together in his home.
Like chess players, the guests have chosen their positions for the best advantage. Mr Black’s longest-known friend, Ryan Landon, stands opposite the spacious living room from Mr Black’s business partner, Gideon Cross, the two men perpetuating an enmity passed down from their fathers. As regretful as their discord is, I can still admire the purity of their open dislike of one another.
In contrast, Mr Black’s main adversaries—his half-brothers Ramin and Darius— undermine him whenever it benefits them. And then there is Amy, Darius’s wife, the only woman in the room who won’t look at Mr Black. Not even a surreptitious peek.
The spaces between these key players are filled with reality television personalities and influencers, models and musicians. Bursts of light bounce off the glittering dresses and wide windows as mobiles capture a seemingly endless number of selfies that will be shared with millions of followers. Most companies pay exorbitant fees for such photographic endorsements, but that is not the case tonight. An invitation to the penthouse is a social coup, as is proximity to Cross and his wife, Eva, seemingly the world’s most popular couple, if measured by media coverage.
I glance around the living room, assuring myself that the waiting staff are present but unobtrusive, supplying canapés and beverages while clearing away the discarded Baccarat glasses and Limoges plates.
Extravagant bouquets of Blacklist lilies decorate the sterling-silver tops of African blackwood tables, adding texture and glamour without colour or fragrance. Music weaves through the room, effervescent and of the moment. The singer is present, slouched against a wall with his arm around a woman’s waist and his lips to her jaw. His eyes are on Mr Black, but they shift to me just as the smartwatch on my wrist gives a haptic signal announcing the arrival of new guests.
I move to the foyer.
The moment the sleek brunette glides through the front door on limousine heels, I know my employer will seduce her. She’s arrived on the arm of an attractive gentleman, but that’s irrelevant. She’ll succumb; they all do.
The lady resembles the late Mrs Black: inky hair, sultry green eyes, crimson lips. A beauty, yes, but a pale imitation of the woman immortalized in the portrait Mr Black treasures. They all are.
Amazon
About Sylvia Day:
Bestselling titles in Sylvia’s canon include Bared to You, Reflected in You, Entwined with You, Captivated by You, One with You, Wish List, A Touch of Crimson, Eve of Darkness, Seven Years to Sin, and more. The sequel to So Close and the final chapter of the Blacklist Duology will be entitled Too Far.
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