Chelsea Bright can have anything she wants. Yes, absolutely. Any man would be lucky to have her. She flipped her hair behind her back, checked her sunglasses covered her face and strutted into the reception door of her sister’s son baptism party.

The fact the father of her nephew had stupidly been on her list once made her pause as she saw how Remington Burke, the Earl of Sky, doted on her sister and their son.

All this vision of family and visiting royalty who cheered on the lawn of Bei Giardini Manor, her extremely rich brother-in-law’s estate meant that somehow Cassidy needed to finally do it. She took a champagne glass from a passing waiter and tried to calm her racing heart.

No more delaying the inevitable. No more painting to express herself. It was past time. She needed to get married and support her parents so all of them fit into the royals of Avce.

Last month, in Paris, her mother had pointed out that they were living on borrowed time thanks to her sister’s match, but it was up to Chelsea to ensure the Brights had a future now.

She’d not let anyone down.

She gazed the party and saw no single, eligible rich man of consequence, but then again she knew she needed to head back to Paris. Duc Astorre Manfredi was both her mother and hers most favorite bachelor in Avce, and it was past time she set out to meet the man who would likely be her husband.

Her sister waved her over to where she stood with her baby boy dressed all in white and called out, “Chelsea, there you are. Come take a family photo with us.”

Her sweet older sister was lucky. Chelsea saw that now. She married her best friend who happened to be one of the richest men in the country. Right now Chelsea put her champagne glass, untouched, down at the family table and headed over for that photo.

Her sister hugged her and for the one second, Chelsea wished she could really talk to her smart, perfect older sister.

However her husband turned her to shake hands with the Queen.

Chelsea kept her head down in a bow until the Queen left.

Her sister then asked, “Are you having a good time, sis?”

“I’m just happy your happy now.”

“Me too.” Cassidy said. “And mom tells me you and her are heading back to Paris tomorrow.”

“Yes, it’s time to do my part.” Chelsea said and again she glanced at the outdoor spread. Everywhere royals and nobility of Avce picnicked in celebration of one of the newest members of society, her cute nephew Cristian Burke.

Her nephew would never lack for anything and was already one of the richest men in Europe, despite being less than a month old. “Can I hold him a few minutes?”

“Of course.” Cassidy said and handed her son to her. “You are his godmother.”

Right. Her sister actually thought she’d be a good replacement for her? Cassidy was smart. Her computer program to find true love for the nobles of Avce was starting to get international recognition. Half of the old world was curious who the computer claimed was their true loves. So Cassidy married a rich earl and as a countess in her own right, her sister was banking.

It was too bad she had no idea how their father lost the money he’d gotten for Cassidy’s marriage to Remington and that her husband didn’t wish to bail her father out of a jam.

This meant Chelsea really had to do find this Duc Astorre Manfredi and charm him.

Her nephew, Cristian, cooed in her arms and brought her back. Maybe after she married and had a baby, she’d finally be happy. The cooing was almost as beautiful a sound as visually expressing her version of beauty on a canvas.

If only she had time to paint her new favorite godson. Her heart ached but she gave him back to her sister and said, “I have to go, sis.”

“Hot date?” Cassidy asked. “I know the singles of Avce were all too busy to come today.”

“You know me. The life of a party.” Chelsea winked and sashayed off like she always did.

No one said goodbye to her when she made her way to the door.

Her older black Mercedes now sparkled though as she made her way to the valet to claim it.

Near the door, she saw the Duke of Oakley and his wife that her sister matched together kissing as they waited for their car.

In another life, Chelsea might believe that loved existed because in her current life it didn’t matter. She’d kiss a frog, hold her nose and just get over herself.

Dreams had never been worth even a penny. As the sun set, she made her way toward a different estate. As she drove onto the notorious Matteo Korbel, the Count of Golchin’s, estate, her spirits sank but she kept her head up.

The music was already piercing the air and she hadn’t even made it onto the driveway or the valet. She tugged off her baptism jacket and checked her makeup in the mirror. Pink lipstick and her now low cut pink dress that was properly inappropriate barely covered her top.

Finally it was her turn to park the car. She fluffed her straight blonde hair as she stepped out of the car and tossed the keys to her valet.

Instantly her gaze locked near the front door with the closest man she had to a friend, and one she’d never consider marrying herself, the Marchese of Normanni, Stephano Durnovo. He had one foot on a roman column as he smoked his cigarette but he tossed it the second she joined him. “You look sweet enough to eat tonight, Chelsea.”

“I’m not on the menu, but I can totally ask my sister who your true love might be so you stop ogling.” She rolled her eyes and peeked into the party behind the front doors while covering her chest.

He made a sound with his lips so she turned toward him. “You’re the one putting them out there on display for me and every other guy to notice, Chels.”

If only she was attracted to Stephano. But honestly he was too handsome and he’d never be faithful to any woman. He wasn’t born that way, but he’d always been the one who knew where to find trouble which made Stephano and Matteo, the owner of the house, her best friends. While her sister was always a good girl, Chelsea preferred to know how the other half who didn’t care about anything lived.

Stephano finally took a step to walk with her and they walked into the estate mansion that doubled as the noble nightlife of Avce’s best.

She glanced at the bar and of course saw Olivia sitting on it with two men on either side of her pouring her more martinis. Olivia loved to play sex goddess to be worshipped at these parties.

Chelsea kept walking past the dance floor and finally saw Matteo, with his arms wrapped around some redhead who was so white, she’d burn in the Avce sun. Or she’d burn up Matteo’s mattress tonight. She’d not interrupt.

Some dark haired woman with rather large breasts stopped Stephano from walking with her, but that was fine.

She stopped and picked up a drink from a waiter and turned around.

This was her life. These were here people. She glanced around the room. She’d painted half of these people already in one way or the other as dark creatures longing for something more.

Not that anyone would ever see her paintings.

Not that she wanted them too.

She sipped her drink and remembered holding Cristian. Her arms ached though she sipped the wine that tasted sour to her lips. Good was supposed to be in this world too and not just these mindless games and people where nothing mattered.

Her heart pounded that she was in the wrong place. She put her glass down on a table and decided she didn’t need to be here.

Tonight was her last night before she transformed herself into whatever this Duc Astorre Manfredi wanted her to be. She’d figure that out once she actually met him. She could play any part.

But for now, it was best to go. She kept her shoulders high, smiled and made her way out the door.

The valet hadn’t even moved her car yet. Perfect. She slipped him her last five euros and took her keys back.

No one noticed her as she drove off, and headed home.

Her parents would be at her sister’s for hours. There was time and for the last time Chelsea needed to do something for herself. She needed to never forget Cristian’s coo or the emptiness her friends made her feel. Tonight she’d find a way to express that in a painting no one would ever see.

Perhaps then she’d find a way to let whatever bothered her go. Life wasn’t supposed to be boring. At least not hers.

As she found her way to her hidden studio in the wrecked part of the house no one fixed up, she prayed that the emptiness wasn’t part of her soul forever. She wasn’t sure how to survive if she was truly one of the lost that she was about to paint.