Chloë smirked and the resemblance between her and Callum grew stronger. “Cal does love a shenanigan, but you don’t need any beauty rest. You’re objectively attractive by most measures, and the majority of our mutual acquaintances think you’re strikingly beautiful. The people who disagree do so out of jealousy or because they dislike your personality.”
As usual, Chloë spoke with a matter-of-factness that appealed to Bianca. She’d witnessed more than one conversation where Chloë bluntly and unemotionally countered someone’s argument so thoroughly that they were offended, but they never could refute her because she was so damn smart. The wordgeniusmight be thrown around a lot,but it was literal in Chloë’s case. Bianca had read aBizfeedarticle that speculated her IQ was over a hundred and sixty.
“Thank you,” Bianca replied, feeling oddly comfortable with Chloë already, despite being unable to remember ever having a one-on-one conversation with her before this. “You, of course, are every bit as lovely as your mother, but with a brain to rival history’s greatest thinkers. It’s disgusting, honestly.”
Chloë smiled and slid a bill to the bartender, who’d returned with their drinks. “I can already see why Cal is so enamored with you. You’re not like him exactly, but you complement him perfectly. Cheers.”
Bianca was glad the martinis spared her the necessity of having to respond right away. She clinked her glass against Chloë’s and sipped her drink, letting the crisp bitterness ground her. She didn’t need to think about why such a simple remark had sent a thrill through her core.
“Callum sees the best in people, which I usually find irritating, but he makes it endearing,” Bianca said finally, trying to be honest without giving too much away. “I don’t know why he took a liking to me, but I’m glad for it.”
Bianca swallowed against a lump in her throat. She really was grateful he’d pushed past her prickliness to become her dearest friend, despite the short time they’d known each other. She knew that her connection with Callum was special, but she still didn’t know how he fit into her life plans. She could ask him to join her in Pack Willoughby—she had no doubt they’d leap at the prestige of having two young omegas of distinguished birth—but the idea made her angry. Callum deserved better than that. He deserved love and adventure and laughter, not to languish away the years as some rich assholes’ plaything. He was too vibrant for such a colorless life.
Chloë was right about Bianca not being like Callum. Bianca had always been gray and cold, made of steel and ice. She couldn’t condemn Callum to share her drab fate.
Chloë fixed her amber eyes on Bianca’s face, intently studying her expression. “Cal has a big heart, but he also has a hell of a bullshit detector. He’s one of the only people who has made me feel seen and unconditionally loved. If he likes you, I like you.”
Bianca didn’t know how to respond to that. She wasn’t accustomed to being liked and had actively avoided forming human attachments. Callum had been a fluke. Pack King had been paid to put up with her and then, for some inexplicable reason, decided they enjoyed her company. On a low day, Bianca could explain that away with money and sex. But now here were Dawn and Chloë and what the entire fuck was going on?
Her instinct was to pull away, to retreat into herself and hide behind a shield of cold indifference. It had protected her for so long. The walls around her heart were what had held it together after it’d been ripped to shreds by her parents and her almost-mates. Now, she was voluntarily talking to people and caring about their feelings. It was weird.
But she was also laughing more often than ever before. She was learning to be a part of a team and experiencing the excitement and satisfaction of channeling her boundless rage into fulfilling work with people who valued her contributions. It was weird but also sort of wonderful.
Which is why Bianca decided to be honest again. “Callum has spoken often of how much you mean to him and how you’ve always stood by him, so the feeling is mutual. That is, I suppose I quite like you too, Chloë Breckenridge.”
Chloë smiled wryly. “Good. Because I intend to get to know you, Bianca Bonnycastle. You and Cal will have to come over for dinner soon. You can bring your bodyguards, of course.”
Something in the way her eyes glittered told Bianca that she knew they were more than bodyguards. Bianca took a long sip of her drink, letting her gaze drift to Daniel, who stood attentively surveying the room from a position near its rear. As if feeling her gaze, he flashed a wink that only she would catch. Bianca’s stomach did a little flip, and she quickly turned her attention back to the bar.
She wasn’t ready to bethathonest yet, so she ignored the innuendo. “I’d love to join you some time. I’ll have my assistants coordinate with Callum.”
An awkward quiet settled over them for a long moment and Bianca remembered why she avoided talking to people. She finished her martini and set the glass on the bar, unsure whether their little visit was finished.
“Sorry. My autistic ass is bad at small talk,” Chloë apologized, running a hand through her sleek, black bob. “I’m just so glad I ran into you. I’ve been wanting to meet you again, and to thank you.”
Bianca lifted an eyebrow. “Thank me? Whatever for?”
Chloë looked at Bianca like she was an idiot. “Um, for making my brother happy? I’m so glad to have him back home. I know this was hard for him. Coming back, facing the family politics, dealing with the gossip, and trying to carve out a place for himself after being away for so long. He needed someone and you’ve been there for him. I’ve never seen him this happy and he fucking deserves it, so thank you.”
Once again, Bianca found herself speechless. She didn’t think she deserved so much credit, but she took a profound pleasure in knowing she made Callum happy. It made her want to purr with satisfaction, and she never fucking purred.
“I’ll text Cal about dinner,” Chloë said, smirking knowingly at Bianca. “See you soon.”
She gave a little wave before leaving Bianca alone with her swirling thoughts. Pleasure and curiosity warred with guilt and fear as she thought about what it would mean to keep Callum in her life, and how it would hurt them both if she couldn’t. She was still brooding over it when she left the event. She thought she might lie awake all night thinking about it, that she might never stop thinking about it.
As she and Daniel entered the hotel she’d called home for so long, Bianca wondered how everything around her could look exactly the same when she felt so different. After a silent elevator ride, she trudged into the penthouse and started toward her bedroom, but Daniel stopped her.
His grin was even wider than usual as he handed her an envelope. Bianca took it, turning it over in her hands, before raising a brow at him. He nodded encouragingly, practically bouncing with excitement. Bianca rolled her eyes and opened the envelope, pulling out its contents.
“What is this?” she asked, staring at the rectangle of paper in confusion.
“It’s a check,” Daniel replied teasingly. “Duh.”
Bianca sighed. “Obviously, I see that it’s a check, you mastodon. But why does it have my name on it?”
“Because it’s for you!” Daniel exclaimed, still infuriatingly chipper. Bianca glared at him, and he lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop being a smart ass. It’s your commission, BB. You negotiated a ridiculously high price for a custom nest for that makeup influencer with the long ass name. This is your thirty percent commission for brokering the deal.”
Bianca’s mouth dropped open. She read the check again. Her name, the name and address of the newly christened Vanguard Custom Furnishings, Daniel’s signature, and an amount of nine thousand dollars.When the words began to blur, Bianca realized her eyes had filled with tears.
