So, I lifted my chin and stared back.
And when Drake’s eyes shifted to Landon, the unabashed hatred in his gaze flared that protective instinct in my chest.
“It’sQuinn,” I snapped, drawing his attention back to me. “Quinn Everly.” I dropped my voice and muttered under my breath. “God, first Merle and now, you.”
Drake’s eyes flashed with unmistakable fury as he snapped his head back toward me, and his untethered stare should’ve made me shut my mouth.
I refused to heel. “It’s not that hard a name to remember.”
Even with my voice low, he heard me loud and clear, and so did the rest of the room. A gasp rang out amongst the small crowd just as Drake’s knuckles cracked.
But Vivian got pissed that I’d garnered evenbadattention, and her shrill voice redirected his attention.
“Uncle Drake, did my parents get to speak with you?”
Drake slowly swiveled his head in her direction, and the arch of his thick brow prompted clarification from her. She beamed at Kingston’s father before turning her saccharine gaze on Max. “Go on, Maxie. Tell him.”
My hackles rose at her use of that nickname.
He’d snapped when I’d said it as a joke, but her usage got no such reaction. He beamed right back and bowed his head to Drake D’Arthur. “As you know, Vivian and I have been together for quite some time.”
The jerk actually said that with a straight face.
“Out of respect for our parents, who wanted your approval on anything official, of course, Vivian and I decided to wait to share this until after the Camelot Society Quorum. We’ve…been very good at waiting, as you now know.”
The lascivious wink Max added to the end of that delayed how quickly I processed what he’d said.
But his darling V quickly explained. “We’ve always wanted to wait until we got married.” Vivian squealed with delight at the thought, and my head spun. “Oh, Maxie, tell him the rest.”
“I’ve asked Mr. Valencourt for Vivian’s hand, and I hope you’ll give us your blessing.”
His announcement punched all the air from my lungs.
Compounded by the sheer joy on Vivian’s face, sweat broke out along my temples, and the room shrank in size as the walls closed in around me.
I gritted my teeth and breathed through it, horrified as Vivian cuddled into Max’s side. “Isn’t that wonderful news, Uncle Drake?”
Uncle Drake’sface turned a delightful shade of purple, and as much as him keeling over from an impending heart attack would’ve pleased me, I couldn’t watch to see if it happened.
I stared straight at Max.
He didn’t so much as glance in my direction.
As congratulations and good tidings rang out around the room, my pulse pounded inside my skull. Blood rushed past my ears. This couldn’t be what he actually wanted.
It had to be tied to what we’d learned about his inheritance, but even as I tried to remind myself of that, what I swore had to be true in my head was so far from what played out in front of my eyes.
Nothing official had even been announced, and Max accepted all the praise and attention without so much as a smirk. Without a hint of indifference and nonchalance. Likethathad been the lie this whole time.
I tried to piece together how it was possible, but I couldn’t.
Even the idea that he’d gotten pissed about me using his nickname because itbelonged to herdidn’t make any sense with everything else he’d said and done.
But there the reclusive asshole was, soaking up the attention like he’d never been happier.
When Drake D’Arthur offered him his hand, he shook it with pride, avoiding my gaze as it bore into the side of his face.
Until Drake pulled Vivian into a hug.
