“Perhaps.” Asher shrugs. “Perhaps not. In either case, wouldn’t matter, would it? I’d throw it away.”
It’s a horrible moment to feel a rush of warmth fill me, considering Asher’s actively putting his ass on the line… but he’s going out of his way for me.Again.
“Fine.” Soren glares at Delilah, who arches a perfectly-plucked eyebrow and stares right back. Unsurprisingly, Soren is the first to blink. Few people can hold out under the sheer force of Delilah’s stare, and I don’t bother counting myself among that number.
“We’d like to do a photoshoot with the two of you.” Soren nods at me and Asher. “A star-crossed couple is good PR.”
“How much are you offering for the privilege?” Delilah asks with a toothy smile.
I sit back and hide my laugh. Asher reaches over and clasps my hand in his. I feel his support in the gesture, and his love in the air between us.
And I know, with a deep certainty, that I’ve found my person. He’s imperfect. His flaws are significant. But I love every single one of them, just as I know he loves mine.
Epilogue 1
Victoria
“Are you certain we have to be on time? I vote for fashionably late.” Asher stares hungrily at my dress, like he wants to tear it off.
“There are many people to meet forboth of us,” I remind him pointedly.
Reynard’s engagement party brings high-powered individuals from all around the world. It comes as no surprise that Asher’s grandparents and brother are counted among them. I knew in theory that he comes from great prestige; seeing it in reality is a different story.
Asher’s parents regrettably didn’t make the cut, but he doesn’t seem broken up about it, or in any particular rush for me to meet them. Likewise, I’m in no rush for him to meet the man who gave me half my DNA… but nevertheless, I don’t think I could bear going to the engagement party without him.
We flew in two days before the event. One full day was spent with my mother, who now has two nurses attending to her at all hours of the day and night. She was surprisingly lucid throughout the day, and was more than excited to meet mybeau, as she calls Asher.
She’s also painfully aware that her mind is failing her—I could see it in her eyes. I took the day, filled with enjoyment and conversation, as a gift from a higher power. I don’t know how many of those she has left, and getting to spend one of them with her and Asher, the two people I love most in this world, is a priceless gift I could never repay.
“Fuck them. We should stay here tonight.” Asher flutters his fingertips over the nape of my neck, and goosebumps erupt over my arms.
“Be good,” I warn him, turning around. This dress isn’t conducive to a bra, and I forgot to bring nipple covers, which means he can see my body begging himnotto be good.
“Why?” Asher cocks an eyebrow and leers at my chest.
I smack his in return. “Stop.We’re already late. Hunter sent a limo for us—it’s waiting downstairs.” I sidestep him and pick up my silver clutch and matching shawl from the table, wrapping the shawl around myself and tucking the clutch under my arm. “We have to go.”
Asher’s expression sours at the mention of my brother. While the two tolerate each other, I’m under no illusions that they’ll ever get along or become friends. Hunter has told Asher repeatedly that I’m too good for him; Asher has told Hunter repeatedly that he couldn’t give less of a shit.
“We should take a cab instead.”
“Play nice tonight,” I warn him. The prospect of meeting his grandparents and sharing a room with my father, not to mention all of my half-siblings, is daunting.
“Fine.” His jaw tightens. “But, I’ll warn you in advance, I’m fucking you extra hard when we get back.”
“Promises, promises.”
The party sprawls across the ground floor of one of Reynard’s estates, which looks like the lovechild of a luxury magazine. Soaring ceilings, walls of windows overlooking manicured grounds lit by landscape lighting, and enough white marble to build a Roman bathhouse. Everything is tasteful in that aggressive, billionaire way: enormous floral arrangements in crystal vases, a live jazz quartet tucked into an alcove, waitstaff in black circulating with trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres that look more like art installations than food. It’s beautiful.
I hate every square inch of it.
The only upside is the company. Asher’s grandparents are lovely; his grandma more so than his grandpa. We spend the better part of an hour chatting everything from industry to politics, and I do myverybest to make them like me.
Hunter decides to cut in and pull me away while Asher’s grandfather is grilling me on my algorithm. He pulls me to the bottom of the marble staircase leading to the second floor.
“He requested twenty minutes,” Hunter tells me, nodding at the staircase. “He’s waiting on you.”
“You cannotambush me like this,” I hiss. “I was talking with Asher’s family—”
