Chapter One
Christmas 2004
The party was a glittering affair. Every Treffen event was. From the immaculately dressed waitstaff, to the lilting strains of Christmas carols being played by a string quartet, all the way down to the golden marble floors of the ballroom.
Sydney Davis wondered, idly, how common it was for a law firm, even one as prestigious as Treffen, Smith and Howell, to have a ballroom. But she decided it didn’t really matter, since she was here, and she was just going to soak in all the fancy. And it was dripping with fancy.
She’d been exposed to most of this stuff at some point during her life, but it was only these past few years she’d been included in it.
Thanks to Travis Beringer. Who had wandered away from her at some point during the party. Probably looking to get kissed under the mistletoe. Which was the hazard of bringing a date who would never really be your date.
Travis was her best friend in all the world. Had been from the time they’d first seen each other in the hallowed halls of his family mansion. Her mother had been on the housekeeping staff, but that hadn’t stopped Travis, or his family, from treating them like equals. So much more than any of her mother’s other employers had ever given them.
Then they’d gone the extra step and actually taken interest in her, recommending her for a scholarship position at a very prestigious, private, all-girls school, which had led to her entrance into Harvard, and eventually to the annual Treffen Christmas party.
Not that the party was that important. But she had been excited to be included. It was a chance to make some professional connections, and with graduation on the horizon, it was particularly important.
She knew Austin Treffen, law student, and son of their host, through her former roommate, Sarah Michaels. And also through Sarah she’d met Hunter Grant and Alex Diaz. Powerful connections that she knew would serve her well later on. Hunter was a star athlete, making a name for himself in the NFL, while Alex was on the cusp of a prestigious career in journalism.
Every inroad forged was valuable for someone with an eye for politics. As long as none of them were too salacious.
But there was nothing salacious here. Here, there was nothing but glitter and diamonds. Old money, with a sprinkling of people like her. People who had been lucky enough to have been given the assist that allowed them to crawl up from nothing and into a world of endless possibilities.
She looked across the crowded room and saw Jason Treffen, who was, for lack of a better term, holding court. He wasn’t only the host of the party, but the focus of it. Wherever Jason was, he drew a crowd. He was so magnetic, it was almost off-putting.
Sarah had been working part-time for him for a while and her comments about her boss always left Sydney feeling a little uneasy. Sometimes Sarah seemed to verge on an obsession with him. Other times, she seemed fearful and edgy. And lately she hadn’t said much at all. They’d drifted apart a bit since Sarah had moved into the city, but Sarah had been even more distant recently. Sydney had mostly put that down to her recent breakup with Hunter, which had thoroughly devastated her friend.
Tonight Sarah didn’t look devastated. She looked stunning, if exhausted. Though, Sydney hadn’t seen her since they’d first arrived.
Jason suddenly broke away from the crowd, his eyes meeting hers, a smile on his lips. And she found it hard to look away. There was something about him. Sheer charisma. He would be an excellent politician, and yet he seemed content to stay a lawyer, devoting most of his time to high-profile cases of women who suffered injustice in the workplace.
He was an idol for someone with her ambition. A man who’d built an empire, and managed to make a difference at the same time.
“You must be Sydney,” he said.
“Yes,” she said, holding out her hand. When he shook it, she felt a vague whisper of disquiet
Christmas 2004
The party was a glittering affair. Every Treffen event was. From the immaculately dressed waitstaff, to the lilting strains of Christmas carols being played by a string quartet, all the way down to the golden marble floors of the ballroom.
Sydney Davis wondered, idly, how common it was for a law firm, even one as prestigious as Treffen, Smith and Howell, to have a ballroom. But she decided it didn’t really matter, since she was here, and she was just going to soak in all the fancy. And it was dripping with fancy.
She’d been exposed to most of this stuff at some point during her life, but it was only these past few years she’d been included in it.
Thanks to Travis Beringer. Who had wandered away from her at some point during the party. Probably looking to get kissed under the mistletoe. Which was the hazard of bringing a date who would never really be your date.
Travis was her best friend in all the world. Had been from the time they’d first seen each other in the hallowed halls of his family mansion. Her mother had been on the housekeeping staff, but that hadn’t stopped Travis, or his family, from treating them like equals. So much more than any of her mother’s other employers had ever given them.
Then they’d gone the extra step and actually taken interest in her, recommending her for a scholarship position at a very prestigious, private, all-girls school, which had led to her entrance into Harvard, and eventually to the annual Treffen Christmas party.
Not that the party was that important. But she had been excited to be included. It was a chance to make some professional connections, and with graduation on the horizon, it was particularly important.
She knew Austin Treffen, law student, and son of their host, through her former roommate, Sarah Michaels. And also through Sarah she’d met Hunter Grant and Alex Diaz. Powerful connections that she knew would serve her well later on. Hunter was a star athlete, making a name for himself in the NFL, while Alex was on the cusp of a prestigious career in journalism.
Every inroad forged was valuable for someone with an eye for politics. As long as none of them were too salacious.
But there was nothing salacious here. Here, there was nothing but glitter and diamonds. Old money, with a sprinkling of people like her. People who had been lucky enough to have been given the assist that allowed them to crawl up from nothing and into a world of endless possibilities.
She looked across the crowded room and saw Jason Treffen, who was, for lack of a better term, holding court. He wasn’t only the host of the party, but the focus of it. Wherever Jason was, he drew a crowd. He was so magnetic, it was almost off-putting.
Sarah had been working part-time for him for a while and her comments about her boss always left Sydney feeling a little uneasy. Sometimes Sarah seemed to verge on an obsession with him. Other times, she seemed fearful and edgy. And lately she hadn’t said much at all. They’d drifted apart a bit since Sarah had moved into the city, but Sarah had been even more distant recently. Sydney had mostly put that down to her recent breakup with Hunter, which had thoroughly devastated her friend.
Tonight Sarah didn’t look devastated. She looked stunning, if exhausted. Though, Sydney hadn’t seen her since they’d first arrived.
Jason suddenly broke away from the crowd, his eyes meeting hers, a smile on his lips. And she found it hard to look away. There was something about him. Sheer charisma. He would be an excellent politician, and yet he seemed content to stay a lawyer, devoting most of his time to high-profile cases of women who suffered injustice in the workplace.
He was an idol for someone with her ambition. A man who’d built an empire, and managed to make a difference at the same time.
“You must be Sydney,” he said.
“Yes,” she said, holding out her hand. When he shook it, she felt a vague whisper of disquiet
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