Page 5 of Violet

“And one line too many?” She starts ticking things off on her hand. “There’s the Omega you had the affair with who was meant to mate with that politician?—”

“She hated him. They weren’t a match.” We weren’t a match either, but it was dangerous fun.

“She was an Omega?—”

“No one,” I tell her firmly, “cares about that stupid hierarchy here like they do in high society.” Like they do on fucking Sabine. “True mates happen, but it’s not all by the damn book. The Council?—”

“Image matters.”

“Is that all?” I ask, going for bored.

“Felicity wants certain things.”

My stomach plummets. “Like what?”

“You to do the final movies in the series.” Clea flashes a smile. “You’re Asher St. James and Felicity Fine. Money in the bank. But she really wants a career push, a change of roles.”

I pour more bourbon in my glass. “So tell her to back out and take on other roles. Like I want to do.”

“I’m not her agent. Felicity wants your agreement to do those films and then wants you to step back to give her limelight time,” Clea says, standing.

I snatch up my drink and stand as well. “But you know her needs. She asked you for, what? Hiatus from me? I’ll dothat, but not the films. Take that back to her.”

“You want meatier roles, right? She has dirt and wants things her way, so this is what we do.” Clea smooths her black dress. “Postpone the movies till next summer. Announce you need some personal time, thinking time, attrition time this summer for all those bad behaviors. That’s just built-in press for you. You’re from Sabine, right?”

“Yeah, so?” My aunt wants me to visit and, knowing her, she has likely told the entire island I’m coming back. Which I have no plans to do.

“Go for the summer, say you’re taking a break and laying low because of some things you aren’t proud of.”

Anger flares. “Why the fuck would I do that?”

“Because like I said, Felicity wants more limelight and she has dirt on you, Stephan. She wants you to do those films, then you step back and let her broken heart?—”

“One fucking date, Clea. Nothing’s broken but a nail.”

She goes on as if I never spoke. “If you don’t give Felicity that chance, then she’ll announce you not only broke her heart, but that you did it after getting her pregnant.”

“That Iwhat?” I nearly choke on the word and keep away from memories that start to crowd.

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll get things sorted.” Clea takes a breath. “I can get you out of the films later, but you have totake the summer, get the fuck out of Emporia so she owns it. No statements from you, nothing. You have some contrition time away on the lovely Sabine, she can wallow in her pain. I’ll make sure your career grows as well. She’ll just have first crack at all the gossip pages. I can hire a PR coach for her. Give her all the gossip pages, her way.”

“Absolutely not. I won’t be blackmailed.” I grind my teeth, then I look up.

“Really? Because the thing is, Felicity must know someone from Sabine. Because sheknows.”

A darkness spreads through me, and I don’t move. “Knows what, Clea?”

“What do you think, Stephan?”

I nod slowly. “Be very specific in what it is she knows.”

I listen to what she tells me, all in hushed tones and heartbreak. She knows my past—the part of me I’ve been trying to forget.

Fuck. My skin starts to crawl. It’s not Clea repeating it that bothers me; Clea knows. Some of it. But Felicity—fuck knows how she got her grubby fingers on any of this—is a different matter. But I shut the memories of that part of my past down.

“How do you know she hasn’t said a word?”

“It would be everywhere.”

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