Page 57 of His Reward
“Are auction participants allowed to bid on other participants?” Oliver asked me with a sly look.
Lucien laughed, which had my soul singing. “Calm down, you two,” he said, shaking his head.
He also absentmindedly touched a hand to his belly. Mike seemed to notice and gave Lucien a curious look. I held my breath, which was difficult to do, since nothing pleased me more these days than the idea of my omega growing round with child. We’d briefly discussed letting everyone know tonight, but we hadn’t decided on anything. It was Lucien’s decision, really.
All of that was put instantly on hold as none other than Jennifer Collier strode across the ballroom toward our group wearing a bright, oblivious smile. “Oh my gosh, Lucien,” she said, holding out her arms and evidently not seeing the scowls from all of us. “You look fantastic.”
“Jennifer,” Lucien greeted her with a cool nod.
I pulled myself up to my full height and looked down at her. Bea looked about as happy to see Jennifer as I felt. If the woman didn’t realize how big of a betrayal that piece she’d put together for the Winter Games was, then I would be happy to tell her. I hadn’t thought she was on the invitation list for the night’s event.
“I never would have dreamed you’d have such a healthy glow after the last time I spoke with you,” she went on, staring particularly at Lucien’s scars and ear. “It must be your alpha,” she said with a boorish laugh, patting my arm. “Your father told me that finding an alpha would improve everything for you. Hasn’t it improved everything for him?” she asked Bea.
There were so many wrong things about what she said and the way she said it that it nearly blew my mind.
“I’m sorry, Miss Collier, but I don’t remember you being on tonight’s guest list,” Bea said.
I backed her up by leaning slightly toward Jennifer in a blatant attempt to intimidate her.
Jennifer lost some of her smile. “I couldn’t miss one of the biggest events of the skating off-season,” she said, appealing to Lucien. “I figured my invitation just got lost in the mail, sincethis whole thing was planned so last-minute. A little birdie told me there would be a big announcement tonight. A big announcement about an even bigger event that might take place this June?” She hummed a few bars of the wedding march. “You need to let me do a story about the two of you. I’ll cover the wedding and everything.”
“No, thank you,” I said, glaring at her and wishing she’d take the hint. I wanted to tell her that there wouldn’t be any wedding, but to be honest, that was exactly what I intended to talk to Lucien about as soon as the Fire and Ice ball was over.
“Oh, come on,” Jennifer said, playfully slapping my arm again. “It’ll be fun. Everyone out there wants to know the end of Lucien Monteverdi’s tragic story. They want the happy ending,” she told Lucien.
“They’ll get the happy ending,” Lucien said, the confidence I’d felt growing in him over the last few weeks bubbling up to the surface. “They’ll get that happy ending when I return to competitive skating.”
“Really?” Oliver asked, taking a slight step forward, like he wanted to speak over Jennifer before she could stick her foot even farther in her mouth. “You’re coming back?”
“That’s awesome,” Mike added. “This will be so amazing.
“But Pietro said—” Jennifer started, looking strained and confused.
“My father doesn’t have any say in my life,” Lucien cut her off. “My father is a self-seeking, desperate man who sees even his own family members as props in a drama designed to make him look good. I’ve cut ties with him. Any information you get from him about me and my life is going to be wrong.”
“It’s about time,” Oliver said, sending Lucien a look of pride.
“But it makes such a great story,” Jennifer said with awkward disappointment.
Lucien opened his mouth to reply, but his mouth froze open as he saw something across the room. I dragged my attention away from Jennifer to see the only person who could have ignited my anger even more than her striding into the room as if he owned the place.
“I don’t believe it,” Lucien said, narrowing his eyes at his father as he paused in the doorway to smile and shake hands with someone who I gathered was another figure skating coach. “I specifically didn’t invite him.”
“I’ll deal with him,” Bea said, looking like she wanted to tear her soon-to-be-ex-husband to shreds.
“No,” Lucien said, touching her hand. “This is my battle. I’ll deal with him.”
He started across the room with his back straight and his head held high, and I followed him.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Lucien
I’d had it. I’d endured more than seven months of the worst pain I’d ever felt in my life and the crippling uncertainty of who I was and what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I’d watched the man who should have been close to me, someone I could rely on and turn to in my darkest hour, use my pain and my celebrity for his own gain. I’d had one life fold under me and a new, amazing one grow up in its place. I’d be damned if I’d let my father continue to drag me down.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded once I reached my father.
He stood near the ballroom door, still chatting with Oliver’s coach, Etienne duBois. Father wore his usual, self-satisfied look, as if he’d planned the entire ball all by himself. Fortunately, Etienne didn’t seem all that happy to be trapped there, listening to whatever my father had to say.
