The morning sunlight filtered through Jade’s bedroom window, casting a golden glow across her sheets. She lay curled up, staring at her phone, still processing everything that had happened since her return from Paris. The pristine state of her grandmother’s house, the paid-for medications, and the undeniable fact that Enzo—along with Milan and Thiago, no doubt—had done something so extravagant without even telling her.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was a message from Claire.
Claire: “Good morning, Jade. Be prepared for a red-eye flight to Brazil tomorrow. The details will be sent to you soon. Please confirm that you’re ready.”
Jade sat up, blinking at the message in disbelief. “Brazil? Tomorrow?!”
She let the phone drop onto the bed, groaning. “These men don’t believe in giving me a break, do they?” she muttered to herself.
Still, she couldn’t deny the small flutter of excitement in her chest. Paris had been chaotic but incredible, and the thought of going somewhere as vibrant as Brazil was almost too surreal to believe.
But then her eyes wandered toward her hands—her chipped nails were a mess. “Okay, first things first,” she whispered, reaching for her phone to text Mia.
Mia’s excited voice nearly drowned out the soft buzz of the nail salon. “Brazil? Are you kidding me? That’s amazing, Jade!”
Jade leaned back in the plush pedicure chair as the nail technician gently filed her toenails. “It doesn’t feel real yet. I mean, I just got back from Paris, and now they’re sending me off to Brazil. It’s like my life suddenly turned into a movie I didn’t audition for.”
Mia sat beside her, grinning from ear to ear as she flipped through nail polish samples. “Girl, this is insane. You’re working for three of the hottest, most powerful men on the planet, flying around the world, and they’re fixing your house and paying for everything? Where do I sign up?”
Jade groaned, shaking her head as her technician applied a creamy pale pink polish to her nails. “Don’t start, Mia. You have no idea how much of a handful they are. Paris was beautiful, but…” She paused, her voice trailing off as flashes of the trip came to her: Milan’s stern composure, Enzo’s teasing smirks, and Thiago’s kiss—the kiss.
“But what?” Mia pressed, raising an eyebrow as she selected a fiery red color for her own nails.
Jade sighed. “It’s complicated. They’re impossible to read, and they drive me crazy. But they’re also… I don’t know. Kind, in their own way.”
Mia shot her a look. “Kind? Enzo? Mr. Dark-and-Smirk? Did I hear that right?”
Jade laughed despite herself. “I know how it sounds, but—”
“But?” Mia leaned closer, her grin growing wider. “You’re totally crushing on one of them, aren’t you?”
“What? No!” Jade blurted out, her face turning crimson.
“Oh my god, you are!” Mia practically squealed, earning a disapproving glare from the older woman sitting in the chair beside her. Mia lowered her voice, leaning closer. “Spill. Which one? Milan, the brooding boss? Enzo, the dangerous one? Or…” Her eyes widened mischievously. “Thiago. It’s Thiago, isn’t it?”
Jade pressed her lips into a thin line, glaring at her friend. “I’m not crushing on any of them, Mia.”
“Oh, please,” Mia teased, wiggling her fingers as her nail technician started on her first coat. “You look like someone who kissed a man and can’t stop thinking about it.”
Jade froze, her face betraying her immediately.
Mia gasped, her eyes lighting up like she’d won the lottery. “You did kiss one of them! I knew it!”
“Shh!” Jade hissed, her head swiveling to make sure no one else could hear. “Keep your voice down, would you?”
Mia clamped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with glee. “Who? Who was it?” she whispered through her fingers.
Jade exhaled, defeated. “It was Thiago, okay? It was just a kiss. It didn’t mean anything.”
Mia nearly fell out of her chair. “Just a kiss? Are you insane? You kissed Thiago—the flirty one who looks like he could ruin someone’s life in the best possible way?”
Jade groaned, covering her face with her hands. “Why did I tell you this?”
“Because you love me,” Mia said smugly, sitting back in her chair. “And because you needed to talk about it. So, tell me everything—how did it happen? Was it one of those slow-burn moments, or did he just grab you and—”
“Mia!” Jade cut her off, shaking her head furiously as her technician laughed quietly. “It was an accident. We bumped into each other in the hallway after dinner, and then… I don’t know. It just happened. I kissed him.”
Mia sighed dreamily, clutching her hands to her chest. “That sounds like something straight out of a romance novel. Paris, a hallway, tension in the air… God, I hate you right now.”
“Well, don’t,” Jade shot back, trying to sound firm, though her cheeks were still flushed. “Because now I have to face him on this flight to Brazil, and I have no idea what to say.”
Mia grinned wickedly. “Oh, you’ll think of something. Just keep doing what you’re doing—look fabulous and keep them on their toes. Trust me, Jade, they’re probably just as flustered around you as you are around them.”
Jade snorted, shaking her head. “Not a chance. Those three are as unshakable as it gets.”
Mia wiggled her freshly painted red nails at Jade. “Well, we’ll see. But for now, let’s focus on making you look drop-dead gorgeous for Brazil. Trust me, Jade, you’re living the dream. Even if you don’t know it yet.”