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CHAPTER ONE

Luca

MY NAME IS Luca Donato You es of Forbes, Fortune and the Robb Report, because my family is ridiculously, obscenely rich

I’ Saudi prince–level money

I could wipe my ass with hundreds for several lifetimes and still not make a dent in the family trust

My family descends froo back far enough—and we’ve done well enough with our investain if that were our choice

But unlike sorown soft with privilege If anything, our wealth has rier—all about the victory

We decimate our opponents, and the word no really isn’t part of our vernacular

In fact, I can’t remember the last time someone refused to cave to my demands

Until a certain redhead ca

The one I’d chased to the airport

Ah, there you are, you gorgeous pain in my ass

Katherine Cerinda Olivermy runaway fiancée

If Katherine had thought to blend in, that spectacular head of burnished auburn hair was her downfall Stubborn tendrils escaped herwispy ends that tickled and caused her to rub her nose without thought

My hands itched to twist in those sweet, silky curls and bury er threatened to overridewas, she was so damn beautiful sometimes all I could do was stare I’d been a fool to play fast and loose with her heart years ago

Noas paying the price

Our ed by our powerful fathers when Katherine was only a girl, was about to be unarranged if my runaway fiancée had her way

If Katherine had any inkling how difficult the last two years—giving her the space to do her own thing while I focused on the Donato empire—had been for me, maybe she’d be less inclined to hiss at me like a wet cat

But that didn’t seeiven that over the last six ether Katherine did everything she could to avoid me

We were supposed to be working toward building a partnership, courting each other, even But Katherine wouldn’t even sit through a single dinner unless it was insisted upon by my parents

And now she was running away from me—literally

I watched unnoticed froo ahead of me to find their seats on the massive commercial plane I couldn’t re the Donato private jet—and I saw little to coain

So she thought she’d gotten away, had she? Believed she’d outs without notice, paying with cash for every purchase, including her direct flight to the wilds of California

But as our wedding date loo—and preparations had hit a fever pitch, I’d sensed so only deepened when our last dinner engageone spectacularly sideways and Katherine had practically tripped on her own feet in her haste to get away

And when your bride-to-be wants nothing to do with youwell, it doesn’t do your ego any favors

In spite of her bravado, she nibbled at her cuticles in her seat in coach, a habit ed to dru my mother’s sharp reprimand, Katherine lowered her hand to double-check her seat belt was cinched tight

Then she trained her attention out the , though ere still on the ground and there was nothing to see yet

That hair was her crowning glory If she’d been playing it smart, she would’ve worn a hat, at the very least, but then, Katherine was a hothead, passionate to a fault and sometimes reckless

Case in point: her decision to run away before our wedding

In certain circles, I was considered quite a catch—rich, handsome, fit—but Katherine saw only the man who’d broken her heart when he’d been too stupid to realize that a wo only once in a lifetime

I had a week to prove that I’d changed Starting now

I peeled away from the attendants’ area to make my way to my ard fiancée

“Leaving withouther with the silky censure in my tone

“Luca,” she gasped in open dis as her nose wrinkled, as if she’d just stepped in so here?”

“I could ask you the sa, love”

“Don’t call lower that could flash freeze um on my shoe Go awa

y”

Not a chance “And ould I do that?”

“Because I don’t want you here,” she answered, cutting me a hard look

I stared pointedly at her ringless finger, hating that she seeed to htly so other passengers could get past jam

“It’s too heavy and it’s gaudy”

“It ,” I said “Once we’re married, you’ll only have to wear it on special occasions or e dine with the faifted family heirlooms”

“I’ it,” Katherine returned flatly, “because I’ you”

Her declaration hit ht stated she wanted to call off the wedding, but I should’ve seen it co

“That’s a big decision to ood idea,” I warned, glancing at the people trying to push past me

“Luca, you’re blocking the way,” Katherine said, eo home and I’ll call you when I land”

“Sorry, that’s not going to happen Where you go, I go”