Page 16 of One Twisted Christmas

“You are late, Fian!” the girl says, smacking his shoulder once they break from the embrace.

"Fian?" I ask and their heads whip towards me.

“You brought a date? Oh, this is going to be fun!” the girl laughs before walking to meet me. “Sorry, you are the first girl Fian has ever brought to Christmas dinner. I’m Arianna but everyone calls me Aria. Oh, I call him Fian because I couldn’t pronounce his name when I was a toddler and it kinda stuck.”

“Nice to meet you, Aria. You can call me Helena.”

"Helena, love it," she says with another laugh, twining her arm with mine and guiding me to the entrance. "Come, let me introduce you to the rest of the family. Oh, this trapeze dress looks stunning on you. I'm glad you chose this gorgeous look because all the attention tonight is going to be on you."

“Aria!” Fabian’s warning voice comes behind us.

The girl laughs, oblivious to my growing nerves. I’ve never had to meet a boyfriend’s family before and Fabian… can I really think of him as that when we’ve only known each other for a day?

There is loud chatter in the background when we walk in before it all stops when we step in. I count at least twenty people in the massive living room before I give up and they’re all looking at us.

If Aria is to be believed, they are all looking at me.

“Everyone,” Aria calls out with a smile, one that scares me a little. “This is Helena, Fabian’s partner!”

There is silence as they wait for someone to tell them it’s a joke or something and the room stays awkwardly silent in that period. Until Fabian steps beside me and wraps his arm protectively over my shoulder, sending warmth licking up my body.

“Since when does Fabian date?” calls out a voice that kills the chatter once more.

A voice that sends chills racing down my spine and I follow everyone’s gaze to the man I missed earlier in my rapid headcount.

Seated at a round table surrounded by other men, is the last person I ever thought I would see.

Nico Sorrento.

My eyes widen as it slowly sets in that this man is related to Fabian. Is he the stepbrother? Please don’t let it be true! Christ, in the same room as me, is the same person who bet on my virginity two years ago. And he's related to the man I just gave it to.

Please, let this not be true.

Please.

Chapter Seven

Fabian

I can't shake the feeling that my bad mood has transferred to Helena. She's seated next to me, her fork hovering above her untouched plate and the vibrant room visibly contrasts her somber expression.

For someone who seemed equal amounts of nervous and excited to come here, it seems like it's all been stuffed out of her, but I can't exactly pinpoint when this exactly happened.

I reach under the table and take her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. We only need to get through dinner and then we can leave. I’ll take her home like I promised or we can celebrate Christmas alone at my penthouse. Preferably in bed and naked.

“So, Fabian, when did you start dating Helen Jerkins?”

My eyes shoot up and meet Nico’s. The brat is seated directly across to me and from the mischievous glint in his eyes, I can tell he’s trying to stir trouble so I ignore him. He’s always been like this since he was younger and it seems he still has some growing to do.

“Helen Jerkins?” chimes in Aria. “Isn’t her name, Helena? Wait, how do you know her surname? She hasn’t told us yet.”

Nico makes an act of dropping his folk drawing all attention to his mock surprised face. There is a sudden stillness in the roomas everyone tunes into the attention whore of the family. “Oh, she didn’t tell you? Helen and I went to high school together.” He says, picking up his wine and taking a long sip and he must know that almost everyone is hanging on his every word because he takes his words before speaking the next words. “We even went to prom together in our senior year!” he says with a chuckle that grates my nerves. “I’m just as shocked as you are that my prom date is now dating my big brother. The heir of the family!”

"I didn't know," Helena whispers but her voice is low, and barely anyone hears her. Judging from the terrified look in Helena's eyes, I can tell whatever she and my brother had did not end well. I know Nico well enough to know what a little shit he can be.

Competitive too. It must sting him knowing he’ll never run the family business and hates the fact that soon I will take over. The only reason he gets away with living recklessly now is because my father enables it, willing to do anything to praise his mother.

It’ll all end with me!

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