“No, not really,” she said. “Truth be told, your manager approving my artwork here is my first breakthrough. I don’t know what will come of it, but it’s a start.”
“Peoplewillnotice, Sarah,” I said. “I do not allow anything to be on display on my properties that isn’t world class.”
You included,a thought briefly bubbled to mind. While true that she was gorgeous, it was a strange thought. This was someone I wanted to destroy, not to put up on display.
“But you raise a good point,” I continued. “One art gallery display, one showcase is not enough for even a Picasso or Van Gogh to break through. You would need that consistent showcase to break through. And I know how to help with that.”
“Help?” Sarah said.
Suspicion. I had to respond carefully. She could still run away as she had before. She would not defy me; no one was that stupid. She would not defeat me. But choosing not to play was a loss in its own manner, and I would not take a loss of any fucking kind.
“You think you are the only one tormented by the last two decades?” I said. “I have had many thoughts that I wish I did not have. Thoughts that kept me up at night. Thoughts that would be rather unbecoming to admit to you.”
A true statement. Just not in the way Sarah probably thought.
“Consider what I am about to offer you a way to cleanse my soul for all those thoughts,” I said. “There is a gala in a week’stime at The Cosmopolitan called theRed Court.I currently do not have a date. I would not struggle to find a date, but believe it or not, my goal in life isn’t to win every red carpet contest.”
I paused. Everything I had said was true, but it had to serve the correct purpose. If Sarah’s paranoia grew, I needed to change my tact.
Fortunately, my supposed pivot seemed to have caught her off guard in the best way possible. She’d probably come in here expecting me to destroy her. Now she might be wondering if I was coming to set her up.
Funny how both were still true.
“You will be my date,” I said. “It will give you the exposure you need to build your career. It will give me the peace of mind that I have atoned for the dark thoughts of the last several years. And after that, we go our separate ways. I take it you will accept…Sarah.”
I didn’t leave it as a question. When I wanted something, the question did not become yes or no. The question became how quickly the other party would agree with me—and they would always agree with me. Sarah would be no different.
Her jaw had all but dropped to the floor. She stood speechless for several seconds. I just affixed my gaze on those gorgeous green eyes, doing my best not to let it drop to her cleavage.
“You are serious?”
“I am always serious, Sarah,” I said. “I always get what I want. Right now, I want you. And I will have you.”
4
SARAH
Was he serious?
Thiswas Cassius Vale? The billionaire, the bully, the brute force offering me a chance to elevate my career?
A part of me refused to believe this could be real. A large part of me, actually. The press clippings about King of Hearts… the threats I had heard in the immediate aftermath of Virgil’s death… the rumors that spread as my father failed to corral the criminal King…
But then, a part of me thought more deeply.
Cassius Vale could be cruel, blunt, and beyond forceful. He would not kill a man for a dollar, but he might very well plant a damning press article for a penny. He would not hold a woman hostage for power, but he might very well hold her in his hand for the fun of it.
But the man I had dated several years ago was not all cold, manipulative, and cruel.
He could be surprisingly soft, tender even. His desire for a family was real, or at least had been real, and when he said he loved me back then, I had never doubted it. True, we were both so much younger and so much more foolish, but I didn’t think people changed that badly. Scars formed and wounds layeredover that softer side of us, but that softer side never vanished entirely.
Don’t delude yourself. He’s a billionaire who will only take you to the Red Court if he thinks it will benefit him. He’s not doing this for your sake; you just happen to benefit from it.
And? You’re not exactly living with the rich and famous. You’re barely making ends meet. Tonight was the first night you explicitly told Cassius you were sorry for what happened to Virgil. Even if this is all a game to him, some big setup, don’t you think you owe it to yourself to take advantage of what he’s offering?
Cassius never flinched as these thoughts ran through my mind. I didn’t want him to do that, but I couldn’t pretend I didn’t find it intoxicating. The longer I stared at him, the more I felt myself leaning toward taking the deal. So much so… thinking was difficult. Very, very…
“Give me a moment, Cassius,” I said. “I need to use the bathroom.”
