Page 47 of Vengeful Princess

“There’s no such word as can’t, Cassian. Fuck the bitch and let her spend whatever she wants.”

I pretended to consider his words while internally screaming. “What about what I want, Father? What if I want to marry for love? Live my life away from the circus of public life and yourotheractivities? Choose a career that satisfies me?”

He stepped away from his desk and stalked across the room toward me. “I don’t give a fuck what you want. You are my son, therefore, you do as I say. Once I’m dead and buried, then you get a choice, but until then, you belong to me.” I forced myself not to lean back as his sour breath washed over me. “And don’t forget, your mother’s fate rests on you behaving.”

His threat was unambiguous. If I stepped out of line, my mother was in danger. Like always, he held her safety over my head, knowing full well that I adored her, even though she’d checked out long ago.

“I understand,” I ground out before downing the rest of my drink.

“The Bale-Lyons are leaving tomorrow, but Camilla will be back next weekend for the masked ball. Make sure you act appropriately. I don’t expect to see or hear any whispers of inappropriate behavior at the ball.”

“I thought there was a press blackout in place?” That was how he usually played it. The ball was when he let loose with his friends. It was a bacchanalian orgy of excess, coated in a veneer of respectability.

“There is, but people talk, and we don’t want any whiffs of discontent between you and Camilla before the wedding.”

“I think most people know I hate the bitch,” I pointed out.

“I don’t care what your friends think they know, but I do care what my colleagues and business associates believe, so treat Camilla with the respect she deserves at the ball.”

As much as I hated the idea of being stuck to my bitch of a fiancée at the ball, all was not lost. I had a plan in place to ensure Camilla was out of my hair for the evening.

24

Thea

Iwandered through Blackwood Manor in a daze. Everywhere I turned, guests wearing expensive ballgowns and jeweled masks mingled, making polite conversation. A few curious glances passed over me as I slipped outside, needing to catch my breath.

The gardens were impressive, featuring meticulously manicured hedges, lush borders, and lawns leading down to an ornamental lake, where boats bobbed. There was even a topiary maze.

Despite the colorful lanterns and flaming Tiki torches, the gardens creeped me out. Stone statues lurked in dark corners, casting ominous shadows. On a sunny day, the gardens were probably a lovely place to hang in, but at night, away from the house, it was eerie as hell out here.

Most of the younger guests had come outside, where the music and laughter were louder and the inhibitions lower. As my eyes grew accustomed to the low light, I saw a couple slink away, giggling, toward the trees, no doubt preparing to get freaky.

The air reeked of lust and weed. Indoors, the music leaned more toward classical, but here, people were dancing to club music, grinding on each other while smoking and drinking.

Like always, I felt like an outsider looking in. I wasn’t part of this crowd. I knew nobody here, other than Cassian and his friends.

I tried to remind myself that blending into the scenery was a good thing. I stood a better chance of completing my task if people didn’t notice me. Even if the thought of murdering Lucian Forsyth made my stomach curdle. Sure, he wasn’t a good man, but he was still Cassian’s father. For all I knew, they had a close bond, and losing his father to a violent act would destroy his life.

But I couldn’t afford to get caught up in the morality of what I needed to do.

I forced all the uncomfortable thoughts in my head down and buried them in a locked box. This was a job. Nothing more. Nothing less.

There had been no sign of the guys, although quite a few people had mentioned Cassian’s name in passing. Most guests I’d overheard appeared baffled by his engagement to Camilla. It seemed as if she wasn’t popular.

“…I thought he hated her,” one girl had whispered to her friend when I walked past.

“She’s a dog,” the friend agreed.

I snatched a glass of something alcoholic from a passing server’s tray and sat down on a stone bench under a large tree. It was far enough away from the party that nobody could see me, but close enough to observe…and listen.

Father wanted me to check out Lucian Forsyth’s study, but it was too early to be snooping around. I needed to wait until most of the older guests had retired and the younger ones were too drunk to care about anything.

My black dress helped me blend into the shadows, and after a while, I relaxed and sipped my champagne. Which was delicious, by the way. My phone vibrated from inside my clutch, so I pulled it out to check the screen.

Eden: having a ball? Lol

She’d gone back to Ireland this weekend to visit her family. Otherwise, she’d have been here with me as my plus one. Part of me was relieved she wasn’t here - her presence would have made it impossible to sneak around - but I couldn’t help but think it might have been fun having her with me. If nothing else, her kooky observations were entertaining.

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