Page 31 of Silk and Sirens

I knew she was in her early fifties, though you wouldn’t guess it at first glance. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth had been softened by money. Her body was curvy, with medically enhanced breasts that defied gravity, and her bottled blonde hair was threaded with a faint lilac sheen that mirrored the shimmer across her eyelids.

With the right lighting, she could’ve passed for early forties.

“What has Vivienne said?” I asked gently. “You told me to make sure she met Caden. I made it happen.”

“But it didn’t work,” Vivienne cut in, sweeping her long dark hair over one shoulder with an impatient flick. “I could barely hold his attention for five minutes.” She was the opposite of her mum, tall and slim compared to short and plump. Night to her mother’s day.

“I can’t make him like you.”

“He walked over to you!” she hissed with brattish frustration.

Vivienne had a reputation amongst the city’s party circuit, drifting through elite social circles with the ease of nepotism. A party girl who’d been forced to calm down. But tonight, with her blown pupils and jittery energy, it was fair to assume that she hadn’t adhered to her mother’s warning.

“That’s enough,” Selene snapped, and I tried not to flinch. “If you failed to seduce Caden Ackworth, that’s hardly her fault. Not to mention you’re high.”

Vivienne stared, stunned. “But Mother⁠—”

Selene didn’t even look at her. No, her gaze remained locked on me, cold and unyielding. “You knew why Vivienne was there, Aeris. You should have removed yourself the moment he showed interest. Because of your carelessness, we’ll have to start all over again.”

“Selene, he doesn’t even like⁠—”

“Did I say you could speak?” Her eyes narrowed, sharp as glass. “Vivienne will marry Caden Ackworth. Not only for his name, but for his reputation in both the aristocracy and Underworld. There is no other acceptable outcome.”

I knew better than to comment.

“This is ridiculous,” Vivienne hissed, her voice dripping with venom. “He shouldn’t even be looking at her. Mother, you promised he was mine.”

“I know, darling,” Selene replied, extending her hand in a calming gesture. “And he will be. Patience.”

“This would have worked better if I were marrying Sebastian,” Vivienne muttered. “He has more influence and⁠—”

“That was before he took a wife,” Selene interrupted coolly.

“We could just⁠—”

“Enough.” Selene’s voice cracked like a whip. “We’ve discussed this. Killing the Beast’s wife isn’t worth the risk. That’s why we agreed on Caden.”

Vivienne pouted before smirking at me. “Well, at least Caden looks like a prince. Doesn’t he, Aeris?”

I didn’t reply, even as that strange feeling curled in my stomach. I simply held her stare, refusing to give her even a small victory that she could get to me.

“Go rest up, darling,” Selene said, waving her daughter away. “We’ll make sure you run into him again soon.”

With a sneer in my direction, Vivienne swept out the room.

“There’s something else I’d like to discuss,” Selene said, and I swallowed, making sure I kept myself sitting tall. “Want to tell me why you’re meeting with a detective?”

“Keeping tabs on me?” I asked, forcing my tone to be light and neutral.

“You know the rules,” she said, her expression calm, yet her long nails tapping at the armrest betrayed her annoyance. “This works because you’re smart and do what you’re told. If you become sloppy, you jeopardise everything.”

“I was getting information, just like I’m supposed to,” I explained. “The detective’s crooked.”

“Aren’t they all, child,” Selene chuckled, and it was my single most hated sound.

This was the woman that had shaped me into exactly what she’d needed, nothing but a body trained to gain information. Videos caught in unguarded moments. Emails never meant to be seen. Recordings of careless confessions whispered behind closed doors.

It didn’t matter what it was, only that it went into her private vault full of incriminating materials, information I’d given her on celebrities, politicians, and rivals. Secrets she used to extort and threaten in exchange for favours, loyalty, and submission.