All the Wrong Places (excerpt)

Chapter 4

From Jerilee Kaye:

Before you read this last chapter of the excerpt, I hope you can find the time to watch the book trailer. Or maybe after. :D

I am sorry, I cannot upload beyond this point. (Contractual obligations and all.) 

All the Wrong Places will be released on June 16.

Thank you!

Xoxo!

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As expected, she had to dress elegantly. It had been seven long years since she last dressed up for a ball as grand as this.

She was wearing an elegant soft pink strapless gown, adorned with floral appliques on its tight bodice, and Swarovski crystals on its asymmetrical skirt. Her skirt displayed her long legs and her silver high-heeled sandals showed her perfectly pedicured toes. Her hair was neatly tied in a bun, with a few curled tendrils framing her pretty face.

She was sure that the dress she was wearing was expensive, especially since it was a gift from Adrienne. Adrienne knew she would never spend money on a designer dress. She was saving as much as she could for Jared's future. An expensive dress she'd wear only for a night was definitely out of the question.

In fact, many things were out of the question for Julianne these days. She only had enough clothes on her closet. Many of her expensive ones either came as a gift from Adrienne or a hand-me-down from Mason's wife, Abi. She was thankful for them and she always took good care of whatever she received from them. Whatever money she could save buying stuff was extra money she could save for Jared's future.

"Wow! You look like a princess, Mommy!" Jared was wide-eyed and full of awe and Julianne couldn't help laughing.

"Thank you, sweetheart." She leaned down and kissed Jared on the forehead. "Go to your nannies. They will look after you and your cousins."

"Maybe I do look good. Kids don't lie," she said to herself.

"They don't," Gian said, appearing behind her. "You look amazing, sis. You are probably going to be the most beautiful girl in the party."

"Oh my God! That's the last thing I want to happen," Julianne said. "Tonight is supposed to be some heiress's night, remember?"

"Which heiress?"

"The one that Adrienne's brother was going to propose to. I don't want to steal the spotlight away from her," Julianne said.

"Don't worry, you're not going to steal the spotlight from her," Adrienne said, appearing in the room, looking stunning herself, in a soft blue A-line chiffon gown. "The ring that Jin is going to propose with is an heirloom with at least a four-carat diamond in the center. Mother showed it to me and I think I just went blind. Here, I have a picture. Let me show you." Adrienne waved her phone in front of Julianne to show her a picture of the engagement ring.

"Wow! That's spectacular!" Julianne breathed, looking at the vintage rose gold ring with a huge square diamond in the center and tiny emerald stones around it.

Julianne sighed, admiring the ring's beauty, not to mention the fact that it was handed down to the Starck brides for at least five generations.

When Julianne was growing up, she had plenty of diamond jewelries. But all of those were left in her room in her parents' house. And since they had banished her, she hadn't owned an expensive piece of jewelry. She didn't need them anyway. Jared's future was far more precious for her.