Page 66 of Toxic Revenge: Part Two

I wandered over to a table full of desserts, snatching a finger cake with a strawberry and some white chocolate curls resting on top.

I did my best to quell the urge to shift from side to side, not wanting the other guests to see my nerves and latch on. It was impossible. I swayed as I took delicate nibbles of my cake, the stem of my champagne glass clutched in my other hand.

A few guests were sneaking glances at me, the awkward woman who’d come alone and didn’t have the guts to talk with anyone. If they got too suspicious, I’d never be able to sneak away and let Mercer in through the side window.

I needed to…

A man approached me, and I took a deep breath to stave off the panic spiral.

“Need a conversation partner?”

He was vaguely familiar. Around Benjamin’s age, maybe a little younger. He wore an expensive suit, but shoes that hadn’t been recently polished. His alpha scent wafted toward me, a mixture of sea breeze and smoke—but unlike West’s soothing woolen smoke, this man’s scent reminded me of cigarettes.

“How could you tell?” I asked jokingly.

The step he took toward me felt predatory. I couldn’t avoid wrinkling my nose.

“A pretty lady left alone in a corner is always in need of something.”

His gaze scanned me, and I suppressed the urge to shudder. Where did I know this man from? If he was this lecherous, it couldn’t be someone I’d met with my fathers.

“My bondmate couldn’t make it.” I tilted my head to the side, subtly showcasing the mark on my neck. It made my chest tighten uncomfortably, showing it off like this, but I had to use it where I could. Being bonded was a small protection against alphas like him.

As he eyed the mark with disappointment, it clicked where I knew him from.

He was a lawyer at Benjamin’s firm. Maybe the closest thing my scent match had to a friend, even. They had a mutual interest in climbing the ladder and were happy to use each other to do it.

They would have stabbed each other in the back at the first sign of it being convenient, of course.

But as far as I knew, that hadn’t been done yet.

“You’re Trent, right?” I asked. “You worked with Benjamin.”

“Ah, you’re Benjamin’s girl. I knew I recognized you from somewhere. That’s right. Poor sucker got fired, I heard. Are you here trying to fish up a new job for him?”

I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to deny belonging to my bondmate in any way. Being called ‘Benjamin’s girl’ made my stomach turn, and I regretted my little cake.

“Something like that,” I said.

“This is the place to do it. Shame he couldn’t come himself, but I’m happy to accompany you.”

I glanced at the huge grandfather clock beside the dessert table. Only half an hour had passed. If I fled the party now, there was no guarantee Mercer would be ready at the window. I mightalso end up caught on camera—Emilia couldn’t take control of the high-tech security system, but she could make them go dark for a short period of time.

I couldn’t be early. There was still time to kill.

“I couldn’t steal you away from all the networking opportunities.” Time to kill or not, Trent was giving me creepy vibes.

He chuckled, reaching out to place a hand on my arm. The touch almost made me retreat, but I fought the sick sensation in my stomach.

It wasn’t Benjamin.

Trent was flirting despite my bond, definitely, but he wasn’t the man who’d ruined my life. He wouldn’t be able to do a single thing to me when my true pack was waiting outside.

“Oh, it’s no trouble to spend some time with a gorgeous woman. Let me introduce you to some people.”

I was scared that if I spoke, I’d say something offensive. So I only nodded, my head rushing to determine how I could ditch him as soon as possible. Trent linked our arms together, leading me through the ballroom and engaging in small, empty conversations.

He kept trying to get closer to me, but I discreetly rebuffed every attempt while speaking as little as possible. I could sense his irritation over it, but I saw an opportunity there.

---