Chapter 6 Seraphina's Warning

CHAPTER 6

Rose's POV

One of the women, in her mid-fifties with all-grey hair styled in an elegant chignon, answered, her voice even lower. "Her name is Seraphina. She is a part of the Duval family, an heiress, that is. Their family is so powerful they have the vice president in their pocket."

"I even heard," another woman, a bit younger with grey streaks in her full, long brown hair, began, "the Duval family once rivaled the Sterling. But with Damien now in charge, they lost. Since then, they had been looking for ways to merge the family by getting her married to him."

They seemed to enjoy the interaction, but I didn't. The more I heard, the more I realized I was in a bigger problem than I thought I was.

Damien was right. There were bigger forces at play. I grabbed a flute of a drink I didn't know and took a sip. It burned, but that was exactly what I needed. As I was still disconnected, staring into nothing, I heard someone talk through the microphone.

When I looked up, it was Damien standing on the podium.

"First, I'd like to thank everyone who showed up tonight to honor me in the introduction of my fiancée," he began to say, his stance so confident I could have been fooled if I wasn't in on the lie. "I know you all are surprised. Don't be. We had agreed to make this as private as possible. You know how private I can be."

The guests cracked into small laughters. The kind that sounds like stacks of money being dropped on the floor.

Damien chuckled and took a pause before he continued. "However, it is only a matter of time before her beauty shines through the dark. When I first met her, his eyes searched for me, and when they landed on me, my polite smile faded. Why did he seem like he was serious?" Her fire and boldness had caught my eyes. I couldn't believe it. When everyone would have shuddered and cowered out of fear, she stood strong. And when she should have looked away, she looked me in the eye with those beautiful eyes of hers."

Was it me, or was the hall suddenly getting hotter? Why couldn't I tear my gaze away from him while he spoke? Why am I believing his words when they were all lies?

"If I had the power to time travel, I would gladly replay the time we met over and over till the gavel of time comes down on my coffin."

My heart skipped a beat when I saw a twinge of something in his eyes. But then he spoke again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Rose Sinclair!"

As the guests clapped, music floated across the room and the spotlight fell on me. I could feel eyes on my body and knew I had to get into character.

So I let my lips widen into a smile as I waved at everyone, looking like the proud fiancée. But my eyes wouldn't leave Damien, who remained on the podium, his eyes on mine.

"He looks smitten by you, doesn't he?" A familiar voice dragged me out of my thoughts.

I looked to my side to see Seraphina in her usual skin-tight dress, a blue color this time that made her eyes pop. I remembered what she said about me the last time, so I straightened my shoulders and gave her the once-over glance.

"I can see why."

"Oh, darling," she tutted. "You can't be clueless, right? I mean, look at him and look at you. You're from two different worlds. What could possibly make you special enough to marry him?"

I gripped the glass of drink in my hand so hard I could have broken it. "At least, he's smitten enough to show me off to the world." I raised my hand to show off the ring Madison had asked me to wear. "Just cut the crap already, Seraphina. The game is over."

She stepped in closer, her eyes narrowing even closer than I could have imagined. When she was just an inch away, she spoke. "You're right. This is a game of chess. And in this game, I always win. Don't think it's over just because he got you some cheap ring," I winced. "And a business party used to announce your poor self. You're not the first person he's done that to. He always ends up coming back to me."

"What does that make you, then?" I should have stopped, but I was enjoying this way too much. "Always the second choice, isn't it? For this one, I already won."

She scoffed. "Prove it."

Her eyes widened with anger, but before she could say another word, Damien showed up.

"Hey."

I didn't let him finish before twirling to face him. I stretched to make myself taller and grabbed his head before planting my lips on his. I should have thought this through, but I was too desperate to put Seraphina in her place.

Surprisingly, Damien snaked his arm around my waist, making me shudder at the contact while he opened up more to kiss me. Our lips danced to a tune of romantic melody, bodies warm, music blaring, atmosphere airy, and an enemy fuming behind me. Damien took in my lower lip, his other hand grabbing my neck.

With a final pull of my lips, I finally let go to breathe. That was...

Damien pulled me out of the hall to follow him. He drove to the penthouse faster than lightning. The moment we were inside, he swept me into his arms, his lips finding mine again.

He couldn't wait any longer, so he dropped me on the couch and hovered above me, trailing kisses down the corner of my neck while I shuddered, gasped, and arched my back.

When he got to my chest, he kissed the swell of my breasts and was about to raise the hem of my dress when I stopped him.

"Um," I rose and was about to leave when he pulled me back.

"You can't leave now," he rasped, his voice hoarse with lust and possibly conflicted emotions. "The people are watching."

What people?

My phone pinged, and I went to fetch it from my bag, only to see a message from an anonymous number.

"You are being watched. You know what to do."

Below it was a picture that made the hair on my neck stand. It was a picture of me at the gala.