Page 8 of Darkest Deception

Dinner with Aurora, Remo, and his sister, Venezia, this evening is especially fun. The hostile energy oozing off Remo can be felt for miles, but I smile through it. It’s amusing to watch him be so protective of Aurora while she recovers from the aftermath of what happened to them both.

It surprised me that Aurora, for the second time, has wanted me here and extended the invitation to dinner. She should hate me for jeopardising her marriage with Remo, but she is grateful that I saved her. Regardless, I will take what I can get because not much has been given to me. I’ve always had to take what I wanted.

“How is your new role in Glamorous, Helia?” Aurora asks, her soft voice overlapping Remo and Venezia’s conversation.

I nod, glancing at my plate of lamb chops. Aurora made them, along with Caesar salad and a small side dish of garlic bread, which I discovered is a favourite of Venezia’s. There is the option of parmesan pasta, too, but everyone is diving into the lamb chops more than anything.

“Good.” A smirk travels across my face at the tasks I have thought up for Ambrose.

This morning, she was cooped up in her office. I could hear her grumbling whenever I stepped out of my office. She threw me a glare every time she saw me, but I gave her enough useless tasks to keep her busy and away from me as I try to form a new finance team with select hand-chosen people. I need people who are trustworthy.

“I know that look. Who are you thinking of torturing now?” Aurora raises a brow.

“Me? You got the wrong person, lady.”

She narrows her eyes, and I let a little truth spill. I can’t help it when I’m subjected to her intense gaze.

“Just a new hire at the company. She fights me too much, but her work is good. So I’m thinking of giving her some harder tasks.”

Aurora looks at me a second longer before nodding. There is uncertainty in her eyes, but I don’t care what she thinks about what I do.

“You kept her?” Remo asks, his dark eyes levelling on me.

His expression is bland, and he looks almost bored, but I know he has been listening the whole time. Remo Cainn is the epicentre of the elite circle in London. He is the owner of Vino Corporation, with its franchise of Giorgio Vino. The global wine company, founded by his grandfather, manufactures its wine in Italy and transports it across the globe. Many of its subsidiaries are tech companies reaching as far as Asia where its manufacturing plants are based, but he is also the supplier of glass wine bottles to his competitors, so he is able to stay ahead and keep a tight hold on them.

The power this man sitting in front of me holds is partly due to aid from me, but the reach and influence he has within the corporate world is insane. No other person has power even close to him. He has been able to hide his very dirty work while living in the heart of London because of me, a small shadow to be wielded as a ruthless weapon when necessary.

I helped Remo with his sister, Venezia, and in return, he owed me a favour. I cashed in that favour last year when I realised that my offshore account had been tracked down by US and UK intelligence and I needed a good-sized company to hide it.

“Hm… She was working until two weeks ago. I fired her because I don’t need her looking into the finances. She came back, so I took pity and gave her another position.” I shrug and look right into Remo’s eyes. He won’t find anything in mine, not with my years of practise of hiding my emotions.

Growing up on the streets makes you tough, and it helps you learn from your mistakes. Forces you to hide what you feel and makes you grow a spine of steel, so no one takes you lightly.

Remo nods once before his eyes slide to Aurora. She sits next to him, talking to Venezia, who sits next to me.

“Aurora, you have to bake me those croissants again. My stash is gone,” I say.

“And why would she do that? That’s for special people only. A.k.a. not you.”

I turn towards Venezia. She shrugs like she is the oh-so-special person she is talking about.

“And you are? I didn’t see you here when she was baking me all this.” I raise my brows.

Venezia scrunches her nose at me.

“Sure am. I don’t see you asking her politely. Fun fact, I am her favourite.” She sticks out her tongue.

I snatch the cupcake—the last one—from her hand and shove it in my mouth in one go.

“Hey! Helia! That was my last cupcake!” Venezia shouts.

Aurora laughs. “You guys need to calm down.”

Venezia whines about it like a damn child while I try to swallow the cupcake.

“Tastes like ass to me.” I wink at Aurora, who bites her lip to stop herself from laughing again.

“I promise you didn’t miss anything,” I assure Venezia.

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