Chapter 5 - The Invitation You Can't Refuse"You cannot go," Kate said, pacing Mila’s tiny living room like a caged panther. "It’s a trap. Or a billionaire romance novel cliché. Which, honestly, is fine if you get free shoes out of it, but what if he's a psychopath?"
"He's a billionaire tech mogul who lets his dog steal food," Mila said, staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She was holding a curling iron she hadn't used in two years. "He’s eccentric, not a serial killer. Besides..."
She looked at her kitchen counter. There was a single box of expired macaroni and cheese and a half-empty jar of peanut butter.
"...he humiliated me in front of three million people. I am going over there to demand a public retraction and dignity."
"Right. Dignity. Is that why you're debating between the black blouse and the dark blue blouse?" Kate arched an eyebrow from the doorway.
"Shut up, Kate."
At precisely 6:55 PM, Mila walked back down the sidewalk toward the Vance estate. This time, she didn't sneak. She marched up to the grand double doors of the mansion and pressed the brass doorbell, which chimed with a rich, resonant chord that sounded like a cathedral bell.
The door swung open instantly.
It wasn't a butler. It was Victor Vance himself.
He had traded his tailored daytime suit for a casual black cashmere sweater that hugged his broad shoulders, the sleeves rolled up slightly to reveal lean, powerful forearms. He looked devastatingly handsome—the kind of man who made your brain short-circuit just by standing in the same zip code.
"Miss Hayes," Vance said, a slow, amused smile playing on his lips. "Punctual. I respect that in a professional extortion victim."
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"Mr. Vance," Mila replied coolly, stepping past him into the cavernous, minimalist entryway. "I'm here for my public apology, my retraction, and to tell you that your dog is a menace to society."
"Is that so?" A deep, rumbling chuckle vibrated in Vance’s chest. He gestured toward the formal dining room, where a table was set with crystal, silver, and candles. "Walk this way. Brutus has been reviewing your case file all afternoon."
