Page 83 of Fool's Gold

The distance is a knife through my torso. I don’t blame her for wanting to stay the hell away from me or for gravitating toward someone easier. This is what I want, right? What I’ve been working for this entire time.

I stay put when a slender arm slides across mine, a pale hand lingering on the crook of my elbow, a spider nestled against dark webs.

“What’s put such a sour expression on your face, Mr. Ortega?” Celeste cajoles. “This is a party. You need to enjoy the attention.”

To prove her point, she angles her face toward the waiting paparazzi and forces me with her, the lights blinding for half a second. A purposeful move on her part.

Cameras click, voices blur together in an endless stream of questions, and the only thing I know is that I’ve got the wrong woman touching me.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter that you look ready to explode. It fits the image you’ve worked hard to cultivate,” she continues.

“No hard work necessary. It comes naturally,” I bark out.

She only chuckles at my thunderous tone and smooths her free hand down the sheer front of her ebony gown. “How about we go have a chat with your little starlet? She has an opening. It’s best to take advantage of it.”

An opening? My mind goes straight into the gutter, and the momentary lapse makes it easier for Celeste to manipulate me. Her eyes glint beneath a layer of thick makeup. Greedy cunt. She knows exactly what she’s saying.

Her grip is as strong as iron.

The silk of her dress is a stark contrast to the lightness of her hair and the eerie glow of her skin. Her makeup is minimal with the exception of the dark smoky effect around her eyes and the extra-long lashes placed on top of her own.

To anyone looking on from the outside, Celeste would be stunning.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“What?” She tosses back innocently. “She’s the woman of the hour, of course. I need to make my move before she’s once again swamped by the press.” A sly smile lights her vulpine features. “Of course, the handsome star at her side is surely helping her deal with the barrage of attention.”

A dig, and one she easily throws at me. I nearly stumble over my feet, and then, in the blink of an eye, we’re in front of the happy couple.

Empire lifts her gaze to meet mine, and there’s a hollowness there. One she quickly suppresses in favor of the winning smile I’ve seen her practice in the mirror.

For a moment, she looks so much like her mother that my heart breaks all over again. But it’s not because of Olivia. Not because of the lost chance with her but because of the loss of her daughter.

I’m so well and truly damned it isn’t funny.

“Congratulations are in order,” Celeste greets smoothly, without bothering to make introductions or say hello like a normal person. “The early buzz around this picture is that you are certainly in line for a round of nominations.”

Empire grins, and there’s a cold detachment to the gesture. “Yes, I’ve heard the same. It’s appreciated. The crew worked overtime to pull this off.”

A slight dig at me this time. She’s learning. Growing.

Jacob looks like a fish out of water in comparison.

“It’s best for you to get used to the breakneck pace,” Celeste continues, a sharp edge to her words now. “Rising stars such as yourself are always in high demand. Sooner or later, you’ll have to learn how to juggle and make the best out of the opportunities presented to you.”

“Enough.”

“What?” Celeste chuckles. “I’m only stating the obvious. I’m sure she understands. If not, she will soon enough.”

“The only thing I understand,” Empire starts, taking a step forward with Jacob bobbing in her wake, “is that you may believe you can escalate things in public, but I am not going to rise to the occasion.”

“Who’s escalating? The only thing rising to the occasion will be Marcus, soon enough.”

The innuendo is impossible to ignore.

“I’m sorry,” Jacob says smoothly. “I think I’ve missed something.”

Celeste smooths her free palm across my chest in a proprietary way I feel down to my bones, filling every last atom with a hot sickness. “Marcus belongs to me now.”

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