Page 136 of Empire of Ache & Ruin

“Ah.” she exclaims again when the man enters her from behind.

I can’t stand here and watch. I make myself look away, painfully aware that my clit is throbbing between my legs. What the hell is wrong with me? I shouldn’t be here. I take several steps back and knock over a vase.

“Look.” The man with his cock buried inside the woman glances my way with greed in his eyes. “They sent a second one. Grab her.”

My heart thrashes in my ears. I want to tell them that I’m not here for them. That I’m looking for Dad. But somehow, I don’t think they’re interested in anything I have to say. They want to add me to their orgy or whatever it is they’re doing.

I shake my head and back away until the back of my legs hit the soft bedding over the king-size mattress. Their laughter fills the air and sends my heart rate into overdrive. “No.” I put up my hands, scrambling to get away from the bed.

“Tells us how you like it, pet.” One of the men strides toward me with his erection on full display.

Pet? The name finally makes me snap out of it and run out of the room. Their taunting laughs echo in my head as I dart toward the grand staircase. I need to find Dad and get out of here fast.

Down on the main floor, the guests don’t seem to notice me as I rush down the steps, struggling to catch my breath. Bit by bit, the entire room comes into focus. The women are dressed in long evening gowns while all the men are in their tuxedos. Everyone is wearing a mask except for a few people who are dressed exactly like me.

Are we all supposed to be black swans? Is that why the man upstairs called me a pet? Like a sub? Are the black-tie people supposed to be Doms then? Crap. Hunter should’ve warned me. But of course, he didn’t. This was revenge for the beating Archer gave him. What does it mean to be a pet? Do I get a say in whether they take me to one of the rooms?

Swan Lake plays in the background as many other swan princesses dance in the living room. I keep my head down and head toward the study where I hope Dad will be hosting his donors, like he usually does. I have to imagine that the whole point of this insane party is to get more money for his campaign. Chuck alluded to that earlier tonight when he found me outside.

I don’t care if Dad is working. I can’t stay here. And I’ve come too far not to at least try and talk to him. As I make my way through the throng, I can’t help but notice that all the women dressed like black swans look like me. Not just my height and physique but also my high cheek bones, my hair, and even my eyes. Is it possible they’re all wearing contacts?

Blood pumps hard through me when I stumble upon a group of Doms surrounding a black swan. They clap as she bends down and takes a cock into her mouth. They all reach in and pet her and call her a good girl while fondling her half-exposed breasts and rubbing her ass. And then I realize, no one saw me come downstairs because they’re all busy playing with their subs.

Fuck. I look around the room.

I can’t wrap my head around this entire theme and the idea that they’re all in a sense fucking me. Is that the point? I lift my head and immediately spot Hunter taking a black swan upstairs. He’s all over her, kissing her neck as he slips his hand under her skirt. From this angle, she could be me.

“No.” The word is barely a whisper.

Dad wouldn’t have a party like this, where everyone is here to play with his daughter. To these people, I’m just another dancer. None of them recognize me as Paloma Davis. I’m just one of many right now. Same as I am during ballet before I find my prince. But Hunter, my own brother, and Dad, they know me. They know the real me, not the Swan Queen. Anger pools at the pit of my stomach. No wonder so many of his friends showed up to the auction.

Their presence wasn’t a coincidence. Dad invited them. Dad knew that I would fetch the six million dollars he needed because all of these people have fantasized about me. Or rather, they have fantasized about being with the Swan Queen.

I close the distance between me and the study and push the door open without looking back. Inside, Dad is on his wing backed chair facing the fireplace. Two black swans with their breasts hanging out are at his feet looking up at him with adoring eyes.

“You did good.” He pets her head. “Go on. I need to be alone.”

I stand frozen by the door as the two women fix their dresses, and then, walk past me. They’re not surprised to see me at all. In seconds, the door closes behind them and the cacophony of voices and laughter on the other side dies down. Suddenly, the room is too quiet. My chest tightens, and I can’t breathe. The air feels thick and heavy. Everything around me just feels heavy.

Leaning on the door, I grip my left wrist with my right. My mother’s portrait, Dad calling her a whore, his friends raising the paddles to up the bid—all the images flash in my mind until it’s a single entity that spirals fast in my head.

What am I looking at? I squeeze my eyes shut, refusing to recognize the truth staring me in the face. When I lift my gaze, I open my eyes and immediately see him looking at me in shock.

The panic in his eyes tells me I’m not supposed to be here. I wasn’t supposed to see any of this. But if that’s the case, why did Chuck let me in? Why did Hunter take me upstairs and then let me roam the house at my leisure? Were they doing as he asked? Or are they like me, and they’re finally seeing Dad for what he is.

A handful of dots, clues, bounce around in my head waiting for me to connect them. But it’s too painful. Right now, I can only deal with a single thought. Dad lied about Freya being my mother. He lied about the painting. I can feel it in my bones. That everything he’s ever told me about Mom has been a farce. He made everything up, but to what end?

“You lied to me.” I glare at him with all the contempt I can muster.

CHAPTER33

LOVE ME UNTIL DEATH DO US PART

Paloma

“What are you doing here?” Red creeps up his neck just above the collar of his tuxedo shirt. “This is not a place for you.”

“I can see that.” I step toward him.

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