33

BRIAN'S POV

"Is Mr. Brooke enjoying the party?" one of the ladies surrounding me purred sidling closer, her fire-engine red lips curving in a seductive smile.

Brian slapped a polite smile on his face as he lifted the champagne glass in response. "Of course," he said smoothly while inside his head he was elsewhere-he could hardly recall the name of this one.

The woman to her left tittered, her face bending forward as she started to twist a lock of hair around her finger. "Well, if you need someone to show you a better time, we're always available."

Brian nodded, his hand waving in some kind of feigned interest. Actually, all these parties were just his norm of exhaustion: the same people overdressing before him to impress him, flashing their statuses before him, desperate to hang on to his wealth and family name.