Nate was predictable. Safe. Always the right choice in a world that demanded perfection.

Tripp? Tripp was fire. Dangerous fire. The kind that could scorch you if you got too close—but that also made the air shimmer with something electric.

You found yourself tangled in van der Bilt family drama before you even realized it. A charity gala, a whispered argument about inheritance, a room full of polished smiles hiding razor-sharp ambitions. And somehow, you were stuck in the middle.

“Stay close,” Tripp murmured as you maneuvered past a sea of socialites and family eyes. “They’ll try to pull you in, and I can’t promise I’ll shield you from all of it.”

You tried to laugh, but it caught in your throat. “Why do I feel like I’m already in too deep?”

“Because you are,” he said, flashing that knowing grin that made your pulse quicken. “But I think you like it.”

You frowned. “I don’t like being manipulated.”

“No,” he said, voice softening, “but you like that someone gets you—even here. Even when it’s messy.”