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Jasmine straightened. “Mr. Weinberg.”
The real-estate mogul, Len Weinberg, had aged drastically since she last saw him. She prepared to take a step forward to greet him before it occurred to her he could be one of the men on Roth’s blacklist.
“It’s been too long, missy,” Len said with a kind smile before he extended his hand to Roth. “Welcome to the big leagues, son.”
She let out a relieved breath when Roth shook his hand. Len had been associated with her dad, but apparently, he hadn’t participated in ruining Roth’s livelihood.
“Beginning of the New Year, we’ll have lunch,” Len said to Roth before someone hailed him. “Nice seeing you two. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
And just like that, Roth was in.
Seven years ago, Roth met Len Weinberg at her father’s party. Just getting an introduction had been an honor, and now one of the wealthiest men in the city had gone out of his way to acknowledge Roth and invite him to a private lunch that was guaranteed to lead to lucrative business deals. Colette was right. Sullivan had given them his endorsement, and everyone was following his lead.
As Len Weinberg disappeared into the crowd, he was replaced by Lyle’s boss, Desmond Simons.
“I was hoping to see you here tonight,” Desmond said to Roth before he focused on Jasmine. “I wasn’t able to catch you when you visited Lyle at the office.”
“I was just passing through.” What they would have said to each other she had no idea. They had met only once before, but apparently, that was enough. According to Lyle, Desmond had a photographic memory and used it to great effect. He was a master networker.
“My wife, Ginevra, is here somewhere. You and Colette should do lunch with her.”
She knew it wasn’t a suggestion. “That sounds lovely.”
“Excellent.” Desmond’s gaze shifted to her right. “You look stunning as usual, Colette. How’s little Polara? Lyle’s been showing the whole office photos.”
“She’s perfect. It was hard leaving her this evening.”
“You should enjoy this stage while it lasts,” Desmond said genially before switching his attention back to Roth, who was speaking to two men who looked vaguely familiar to her. Lyle was handling introductions. Desmond edged forward to get in on the action.
When she felt a tug on her dress, she stepped back. She was started when Roth’s head whipped around. She gave him a reassuring smile to show she wasn’t going far and patted his arm, so he’d pay attention to the men in front of him who clearly wanted his attention.
Under her breath, she muttered, “Ari?”
“Didn’t get an invitation,” Colette said in the same low undertone. “She attended last year. I think they do one couple per family, since they know we all do business together. Has Roth told you who he needs to meet?”
“No.”
“White whales are Christoph Braun, seventy-six, owns the largest sea-freight forwarder. Wife’s name is Elsa, but he’s here with his son, who’s taking over the business. He hasn’t come to a ball in nearly a decade. He’s establishing the son before he steps down. Son may be just as reclusive as his father, so it’s worth making yourself known to him now. Mikhail Belikov is a self-made private equity investor. Estimated net worth is ten billion. Made his fortune from digital payments and banking services. He’s thirty-five and extremely private. I’ve heard he knows Igor, so make sure you bring him up if you manage to cross paths with him. Another white whale is...” Colette broke off and straightened. “Octavia! How are you? It’s been ages, hasn’t it? Have you met my sister, Jasmine Roth?”
Octavia, heir to a fashion empire, was a bubbly delight. She fawned over the draping on Jasmine’s dress and congratulated her on the upcoming spread in Vogue for her wedding gown. Apparently, she and Daiyu were friendly rivals.
“Are you interested in our brand? We’d love to dress you as well. Why let Daiyu have all the fun?” Octavia gave her an arch look. “After the holidays, we’ll talk, yes?”
Before she could respond, Octavia spotted a dress that made her gasp and spent the next two minutes applauding the fashion choices in the room while also dropping a ton of useful gossip before she flounced off.
“The governor’s here,” Colette said, picking up right where she left off in her briefing. “We just saw him at Dad’s funeral, but make sure you introduce Roth. You never know when you’ll need to make that call. There are dignitaries from all over the world, so depending on which countries Roth’s doing business, you may want to seek them out. Touch base with the tech giants—Azim, David, Andreas. Of course, mention Rami’s name, though I’m sure most of them are aware Roth’s now part of the family. Make sure you greet Art Thomson. The wife had an affair, and they’re going through a nasty divorce, so don’t ask after the family. Pamela, granddaughter of Edward Grand III, is now running Grand Investments. She’s doing excellent work. There are quite a few royals present, religious figures, former presidents...” Colette gripped Jasmine’s arm. “The bald man with the handlebar mustache standing next to the woman in pink—that’s Amos Faulkner. I’m sure Roth will want to talk to him. He owns...” Colette broke off as two women broke through the crowd. “I knew I’d see you here!”
Colette introduced her to the wife of a South Korean businessman and the daughter of the Ellis hotel chain. They socialized for a few minutes before the women were swept away by another group. Colette had less than thirty seconds to point out a few heads of state before another handful of ladies approached. She eased half a step back, assuming they wanted to speak to Colette. It took a minute for her to realize she was their target. They showered her with compliments on her dance with Sullivan, her dress, jewelry and congratulated her on her recent nuptials. She was in a minor state of shock. She’d never been the one people sought out at events like this. She was usually on the sidelines, helping others make connections. Sullivan put a spotlight on her and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. This all felt like some bizarre misunderstanding.
She touched perfumed cheeks with nearly a dozen women—heirs, entrepreneurs, and the wives of the most influential and powerful men in the world. Colette was a rock at her side handling introductions and guiding the conversation while cleverly extracting useful information while avoiding anything too personal or invasive.
Zoe, the heir to the De Vries diamond fortune, brushed her finger over her emerald-cut diamond bracelet. “This is exquisite.”
She extended her hands so Zoe could get a better look at her jewelry. She flushed when Zoe touched the ruby ring, which had turned right-side up.
“A sentimental ring,” she said dismissively and touched her necklace to draw Zoe’s attention to it. “Roth surprised me with this set this evening.”
“A very generous gift,” Zoe said sagely, leaning in to inspect the necklace. “Phenomenal work. I’d estimate its value is around fifty million.”
