Glimpses and flashes of the last month or so, since thefirst letter showed up, flicker in my mind. I freeze when I remember the night of the masked Valentine’s Day party, where we first met.
He had two friends with him, probably two of his teammates, given their size and build.
Are they secretly in on it?
Has this all just been entertainment to them?
Oh God, have they seen the cameras?
A chill runs through me.
No.
Somehow, someway, Bates’s key chain ended up in my closet—in the exact same place my masked man hid to scare me—and there’stotallya reasonable explanation that doesn’t involve Bates beingmyguy.
Right?
Right?
I let Freddie in and follow him upstairs after locking the door. But I can’t ignore the obvious signs.
I might have been the dumb main character who didn’t see what was right in front of her the whole time, but that doesn’t mean that I have to keep being that way. I can take the reins of our relationship from here.
An idea forms in my mind as I crawl beneath the sheets and blanket, cozying up with my little Frederick.
There’s one way to find out if Bates is reallyhim, and I have the perfect place to enact my idea … tomorrow’s gala.
He may think he’s the one in control, the one with all the power, but he couldn’t be more wrong. The thought weighs on my chest because what if …what ifthis wasn’t a game, but a way to get close to me?
If that’s the case, it feels a little bit more like betrayal and less like I’m the butt end of a joke. Heknewmy boundaries—he’s known them for months, since I first turned down his affection.
Does he think he gets to manipulate me and get away with it? He’s acting like abrat,and like he taught me,brats have consequences.
The way my body has been fluttering all fucking day is driving me insane. Every second leading up to this event felt like a goddamn hour. Especially knowing Serena will be here, dressed to torture me thoroughly, unknowingly.
All while I’m expected to behave and not secure her to my side the second she arrives. It’s going to be damn near impossible to hide my affection for her because I know my eyes will struggle to veer away.
I’ve been fidgeting like a maniac since the moment I got here and the guys havenoticed.
“Bates, you’re never this …” Emil searches for the right word, smirking, his Russian accent heavy in his voice. “Anxious for event.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I flip him off.
He laughs, walking back to the bar with Rurik, and I ignore the deep chuckling coming from both of them.
My eyes drift over the party.
It’s a classy event, being held in one of the ballrooms—something built in the arena. I doubt most arenas come complete with grand rooms and chandeliers, but I guess we’re special.
This arena was recently built, an entirely new facility, just for our organization. They created it so we’d have everything we’d ever need, including a place to host galas, apparently.
Gold, black, white, and shades of maroon, pink, and red decorate the space, transforming the plain room into something elegant.
I think Serena will enjoy what the event team has done, but I’m sure she’ll notice things she would’ve done differently—she’s a perfectionist at heart after all.
But one thing I’m certain of: she’ll love the flowers. Dozens of red roses are strewn throughout the room in vases. If there wasn’t going to be a couple hundred other people here, it would be romantic. But unfortunately, I have to share my date with Serena with everyone else.
Almost all the guys on the team have arrived, each one nearly giving me a heart attack when they entered the room. Not their fault, of course, but when I see the doors shift, the world freezes as I wait forherto emerge.
