Page 198 of Plaything

“Because you’re my dream men. And if I don’t go, I’ll wake up,” I mumbled.

Aiden took no time to understand what I meant. After all, he had told me he loved me by calling me his dream girl. There was a storm in his eyes as he watched me. Relinquish and worry battled before his eyes finally softened. “Will you be safe?” was all he asked, giving approval for me to go.

“Yes,” I answered. Charles was cruel, but he wasn’t dangerous—not in a way that would put me in danger.

Still at war with his gut feelings, he looked to the sky before back down at me. “Keep your phone on. I’ll bring you home myself if you’re not back in six hours. Understand?” He decided.

Two hours there, two hours to convince Charles to reconsider, two hours back—that was plenty of time. Agreeing to his terms, I quickly nodded. “Thank you,” I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his hoodie. His masculine scent and warmth calmed my racing heart as he returned the embrace.

Parking my car in the massive circular driveway, I noticed the other vehicles. There were chauffeurs in the drivers’ seats, patiently waiting for their bosses. I wasn’t expecting others to be here, but it didn’t deter me from my mission.

I only had to knock once before Lawrence opened the door for me. His double take made it clear he expected someone else. “Miss Whitlock, my apologies. I wasn’t informed you’d be here this evening,” he said, stepping to the side.

Despite my unease, I sent him a halfhearted smile. “I didn’t tell anyone,” I clarified as I entered the house.

Other than voices in the next room, the house was relatively quiet. The warm lights were dimmed, giving the house a deceptively cozy ambiance.

“Dotty,” a friendly voice whispered from across the room. Turning, I saw Anthony walking up to us in his usual work attire. “Hey, what are you doing here?” He greeted with a smile.

“Hey Tony, you’re looking sharp,” I teased. He always hated wearing the monstrous black and white waistcoat, top, and slacks. He’d much rather be in jeans and a hoodie. “I just need to talk to Charles,” I explained vaguely.

Lawrence straightened next to us. “Truth be told, now isn’t the best time, Miss Whitlock. He had to call an emergency meeting. Perhaps I can bring you some supper or a beverage while you wait?”

Tony cocked an eyebrow at me. “Lestat is still missing; he probably took the money and retired in the Bahamas. But now that he’s out of the picture, the business load he was responsible for has to be distributed to the others—”

“Charles will make time to see me, trust me,” I interrupted, not caring about his business or the men he worked with. I patted Tony’s arm before I began walking towards the voices. I was on a time crunch, and I didn’t want to lose the confidence I’d worked up to all week.

“Odette, it’s pretty icy in there!” Tony whispered after me. “Like he’s seriously pissed.”

Ignoring his caution, I knocked three times on the door. “Not now!” Charles shot quickly, and I heard the frustration in his tone. I somewhat understood; he was gone in less than a week, and the empire he built had an issue. I didn’t care, though.

When I opened the door, I saw nearly 20 men sitting or standing around a massive table, papers, and laptops everywhere, all in a heated conversation.

I felt intimidated for a moment before I remembered my purpose. The conversation died down quickly as they turned towards me. My skin crawled, knowing what some of them subjected me to as a child. My brows fell into a soft glare before I looked away from them and to Charles.

He was standing over the end of the table, pointing at a document before I interrupted. He was clearly upset at my intrusion, but his eyes softened upon seeing that I disobeyed him, not one of his workers.

“Odette, what are you doing here?” He asked once the initial shock was over.

Well, after I got my brains fucked out by the men you hate, I decided to come serve you blackmail.

“You asked me to, remember?” I hinted. He had said to come sign the documents anytime leading up to graduation.

A satisfied smirk flashed quickly before he straightened. “I see.” He turned to his business partners, who looked confused—especially Vincent. The last time he saw me, I was being carried out of a BSDM club. Still, it was oddly comforting to have a friend in the room. “I’ll only be a few minutes. Please, continue,” he addressed before he walked out the door with me towards his soundproof office.

“It’s unacceptable for you to just show up out of the blue like this, Odette. Your timing is impeccable—however, I’m glad you’ve come to your senses,” he gently scolded while closing and locking his office door behind us.

“I’m not here to sign the papers,” I deadpanned. Instead of sitting across from him, we stood on either side of his desk. A standoff.

He lifted his head higher, skipping a beat as he watched me. He wasn’t accustomed to being caught off guard. “So you’re dooming them to a tarnished reputation, destroying their credibility, ending their careers, and making them homeless in the process?” He said condescendingly.

“That’s not going to happen either,” I shook my head confidently.

He chuckled. “I don’t recall giving you a third option.”

I matched his fake chuckle. “No, I’m giving you the third option.”

“Odette, I don’t have time for this. Sigh the damn papers.”

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