Chapter 7 7

Kassandra stopped right in front of Joseph.

She reached out with her red-painted nails and slowly adjusted his bowtie, a blatant display of ownership.

"Joseph," she purred, her voice loud enough for the investors to hear.

Joseph stood completely frozen, too terrified of the board members watching to push her away.

Kassandra then turned her head, looking Gemma up and down with a pitying smirk.

"Gemma, you look so tired today," Kassandra said sweetly.

Gemma didn't even blink. She slowly took a sip of her champagne, refusing to give the woman a single word of acknowledgment.

Around them, the older women hid their mouths behind their hands, whispering about Gemma's pathetic lack of a spine.

Up on the second-floor balcony, Jakob stood in the shadows. He swirled the amber liquid in his whiskey glass, his eyes locked on Gemma's rigid posture. A dark scowl pulled at his lips.

Down below, Gemma felt physically sick. She placed her half-full glass onto a passing waiter's tray with a sharp clink.

Ignoring Joseph's panicked glare, she turned on her heel and walked away, heading straight for the quiet, narrow hallway near the coat check.

Once she was out of sight, she pulled her phone from her clutch. She needed to call the club again. She had to find that ring.

She dialed the number, but the line was busy.

Frustrated, she shoved the phone back into her bag.

When she looked up, a massive figure blocked the hallway.

Jakob stood there, the ice in his glass clinking softly.

"What a brilliant display of suffering in silence," Jakob mocked, his voice echoing in the narrow space. He took a step closer. "You allow yourself to be so easily diminished. You presented yourself as little more than an empty vessel out there."

Heat rushed to Gemma's face. "It's called keeping my dignity, Jakob. Not all of us like to scream like lunatics in public."

Jakob's eyes darkened. He leaned against the opposite wall, the narrow hallway suddenly feeling claustrophobic. His presence was an immovable object, a psychological cage.

He lowered his head, his gaze intense. A flicker of something unreadable-recognition? A predator's sudden, chilling satisfaction?-crossed his face before being instantly replaced by his usual cold mask.

Before he could push further, the sharp clack of stiletto heels echoed down the hall.

Kassandra marched around the corner. Seeing them standing so close, her face twisted in ugly jealousy.

Jakob let out a disgusted sigh. He pushed off the wall, didn't even glance at Kassandra, and walked away.

Kassandra stopped in front of Gemma, crossing her arms.

"Trying to seduce his brother now?" Kassandra sneered. "How pathetic."

Gemma calmly smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.

"Joseph promised me," Kassandra bragged, stepping closer. "He's kicking you out of the penthouse by this weekend. And Arthur already knows about my baby boy."

Gemma looked at Kassandra's stomach.

Instead of crying, Gemma smiled. It was a terrifying, empty smile.

She leaned in close to Kassandra's ear.

"Then you better pray," Gemma whispered, her voice like crushed glass, "that Joseph's finances survive long enough for this baby to be born into wealth. Because I have the recording of you admitting to a malicious plot, and I assure you, his little empire is far more fragile than you think."

Kassandra gasped, stumbling backward, genuine fear flashing in her eyes at the pure darkness in Gemma's tone.