Page 77 of His Beloved Princess
I still couldn't comprehend why Andreas would pick this place to meet with my best friend. My overactive mind was going through every possible option of what he wanted from Zoe, and the surroundings made me anxious.
There wasn't any mention in the press about Bastian being the owner of a net of private clubs for kinksters. Reporters either didn't know about it or were leaving this bomb for later. Not knowing what they knew and planned to do had kept me awake since the press conference. Whenever I checked the news, I awaitedan attack. Peter called me paranoid, but I just couldn't help myself. I considered everyone an enemy, and it was slowly taking away my sanity.
My musing was interrupted by the incoming red Ford Fiesta. Recognizing the car, I opened the door and got out, followed by Daniel, who didn't know we were waiting for Zoe to join us. Before she could turn off the ignition, another car showed up. Andreas' black Audi A7 hid in the shadow of the only tree there; its lights were like the curious eyes of some night monster awaiting a feast.
I shook my head slightly to eliminate the disturbing image of Andreas' car being a people eater and focused on my best friend. When I called her, she was surprised by my invitation to the private club, yet when I mentioned a meeting with Andreas Thorn, her light shock turned into nervousness. My suspicion about those two having something going on between them grew when I noticed the look she flashed him. But his face was a typical blank mask, and I could read nothing from it.
"Follow me inside, ladies," he commanded in his typical commanding voice and walked past us like a celebrity. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes at his broad back and nodded at Zoe to go.
She walked behind me, giving the impression of a mouse stuck in a hole with cats surrounding her. I understood her feelings completely, but I was willing to do anything to save Bastian's reputation, so I didn't care where I had to go to find out what Andreas was up to. My only intention was to find out the plan of action.
Once inside, we walked down the long corridor with many doors I was familiar with. Inside were rooms for customers who paid for a one-time experience.
From what I heard from Bastian, they were primarily couples who wanted to spice things up in the bedroom, but some members of the club who found their new catch within the guests in the club had their first time there, too.
VIP members didn't often take strangers into private rooms before signing the long-term contract. Only a questionnaire with soft and hard limits was needed for those short adventures, followed by written consent, and they could enjoy the time together. Not to mention that everyone who entered the club had to bring apsychic evaluation, negative tests for STD, and at least three thousand dollars for one month of regular membership.
I was lucky to be the wife of an owner, or I would have never walked inside. My monthly salary couldn't cover such an expense.
Andreas led us through another corridor and up the stairs on the third floor. Focusing on him helped me shake the thoughts of one of the best nights I ever had here. My first visit to the club was safely stored in my mind forever, but now, it was a harrowing memory.
So I watched his every move, every tap of his fingers on his phone screen, and every look at his expensive silver watch. I scrutinized whether the simple black shirt sat on his shoulders o that it was the first time I saw him in blue jeans, and I compared everything I noticed with his older brother.
In my eyes, he could never live up to the top because Bastian held that place, yet I had to admit, he really was uniquely impressive. The weird darkness that surrounded him pushed regular people away from him, but he built a career around it. Not only criminals but also influential public figures became nervous when he started to dig into their business.
No one wanted to be on his radar; they didn't want to stand against him—oppose him. They would pay millions to have him protect their dirty secrets. What people could do when he showed his capabilities was wild. He was dangerously intelligent and willing to bust his ass off for his clients. And to top it all off, he took pro-bono cases.
When I first heard about it, I didn't believe it, but then I Googled the name “Lucrecia Day.” It was a woman accused by her ex-husband of abusing their four-year-old child. She didn't have money for an attorney, and without the help of Andreas' office, she would've ended up in jail and lost the right to raise her child.
It was a massive discovery for me to realize that the dragon had a heart.
Andreas opened a pretty wooden ornamental door for us, waking me from my reverie. I entered the room, and a frown instantly settled on my face. Behindthe table, which was the only piece of furniture inside, on the wooden chair sat Rosalind, glaring back at me. She obviously wasn't delighted to see me either.
"What am I doing here, Mr. Thorn?" Zoe spoke from behind, and I turned to her. I knew her my entire life, and while the others probably didn't notice the signs, I knew how unsettling this was for her.
She drifted her gaze between him and Rose like she expected them to start laughing. It didn't make sense in my head why she was staring at them like this, but it was what I saw, and I was not fond of it at all.
"I'll explain everything, Miss Botegga," Andreas replied, closing the door. "Please, take a seat. You too, Electra."
I sat opposite Rose, who was inspecting her long white nails, and Zoe sat beside me. Andreas took the last seat, placing his phone and car keys on the table.
"I'll be quick," he announced, rubbing his eyes, "don't interrupt me. I'll answer all of your questions later."
Rosalind sucked in a breath, and I suppressed a grin. She hated to be bossed around, but he didn't care about her and directed his attention to Zoe and me.
"Miss Botegga, I believe you're familiar with the lawsuit against my brother," he started, and she nodded, shooting me a glance. "We need your services to uncover the conspiracy against him."
"My services?" she echoed, but his raised eyebrows shut her up immediately. I had never witnessed her be so obedient around someone. She almost didn't dare to breathe.
"You're a very skilled detective with great results," Andreas stated, and her eyes widened, and her cheeks reddened. This wasn't the woman I’d known my entire life. Her reaction to his words was unnatural. She never blushed. "I'm disappointed your boss didn't give you a promotion after the Lazarus case."
"Thank you," she whispered, straightening her spine. I watched them, completely confused about what was happening before my eyes when I noticed a barely visible smirk on Rose's red lips. This only confirmed my previous suspicion. Those two had a history.
"No need to thank me for statingthe obvious," he uttered, leaning into his chair. "We need your help finding the other woman who claims my brother took advantage of her."
"There is no other woman," Zoe objected, looking at me, but I decided to play by Andreas’ rules and not interrupt their conversation. In my head, I was already planning a long talk with her in my apartment, complemented by a few bottles of Chardonnay.
"That's where you're wrong, Zoe," he remarked, folding his hands in his lap. "Sarah is in contact with another woman who supposedly experienced some kind of attack from Sebastian."
