Page 102 of Ruined Vows
Because Bianca never plays fair, it’s the subtle barbs shelands like a knock-out. She playsto win.And she won’t hesitate to take an opening when she sees it.
I gesture to the driver to drive before I text my brother for an update. He needs to investigate Bianca further. How the hell did she know about my Uncle?
And what else does she know that she’s not telling me?
29
BIANCA
STEAM AND SECRETS
The Halekulani doesn’t feel like a hotel.
It feels like a secret you get to keep, and an expensive one at that. From the moment I step out of the car, it’s clear—this isn’t just luxury. It’s over-the-top luxury, and it’s intentional.
The architecture is sleek and open, as if it were designed to breathe. It faces the sea, which stretches beyond the infinite edge of the grounds like a promise, and the air smells of jasmine, salt, and something impossibly clean.
The entrance is a blend of glass and stone, accented with wood, and flanked by private gardens that bloom effortlessly. Even the sunlight looks curated here—filtered through palms and sheer curtains, everything warm, never harsh.
Inside, it’s all marble floors, polished dark wood, paper lanterns casting golden shadows across walls that feel more like art than structure.
I’m almost caught slipping his elixir of grandeur. It alludes to a one-of-a-kind ambiance. But who am I kidding? This is Vukan, and he has unlimited resources to pull this off.I shouldn’t be this impressed. I shouldn’t bethis affected.But he did this. And he did it for me.
He didn’t just fly me halfway across the world. Hecuratedevery detail of this place like he’s been listening to the thoughts I never say out loud. It’s as if he knows me, and knows I like to travel and explore, and that I’ve never been to Japan. But most importantly, he knows Ilovesushi.
But being here is beyond my wildest dreams. The textures. The scents. The staff caters to every whim; it all feels like it was designed to strip away whatever armor I’m still wearing.
It’s… unsettling. Because for a moment, standing in this room with ocean air curling through sheer linen curtains and the sea breathing just beyond the terrace, I feelseen,spoiled,and safe—the three things I don’t trust.
I glance at the bed and chuckle because it’s large enough to swallow a kingdom. It’s covered in soft, sage-colored silk sheets and piled high with too many pillows. It looks like it’s waiting for a surrender I haven’t agreed to give.
I’m still staring at it when I hear the soft click of the door behind me, but I don’t turn around.
“I see your standards are high,” I say, my voice lazy and playful. “I like that.”
“Anything for you, Kitten,” he says, his words dripping with sexual intimacy, and it’s unnerving as hell.
I take a slow and steady breath and find my spine again.
The flutter in my chest?
Buried.
The smitten warmth in my belly that borders on desire?
Extinguished.
I turn and raise one eyebrow. I keep it cool and tell myself I’m in control.
“Oh, is this the part where I’m supposed to melt?”I snark.
He smirks, stepping farther into the suite. “You already did.”
I walk past him, brushing his shoulder as I go, as I follow him back to the balcony. The fact that he’s giving me the tour proves that he’s been here before.
“Please. This is luxury. Not love.”
“Sometimes the difference is paper-thin,” he says from behind me.
