Page 78 of Summoned
And then Gaetano strides in. Elegant frame. Dark aura. Approaching the table with a prowl that hints at danger. Just the image of his face is enough to set off a twitch deep in places I don’t want to name. I squeeze my thighs together. It doesn’t help.
I head inside. The AC hums through the house, offering a brief sense of relief. I find the bathroom downstairs, desperate to splash some water on my face. Until I catch my reflection and the sight of my perfectly made-up face. With a sigh, I settle for plunging only my hands under the icy stream.
The door opens behind me, and the mirror shows Boyana. She clicks her heels across the tiles, holding a drink. She scans me—from the outfit to my face— and for a moment, her smile flickers… but it quickly snaps back into place. “I’m collapsing! This party is everything!”
“Mm-hmm.”
She tosses her clutch onto the counter and fans herself with one hand. “You okay, Niki? You’ve got this… weird look on your face. Did you eat a toxin or what?”
I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I’m the same as always, but there’s a difference in my eyes. A spark that makes the warm brown hues of my irises glow like fire.
Maybe I’ve had a bit too much to drink.
Or maybe I’m just done pretending everything’s fine.
I turn toward Boyana. “What was that with the twins?”
Her lips part, reminding me of a lifebuoy thrown too late. “What do you mean?”
“Since when do they think they can joke at my expense?”
“I…” Boyana frowns. “I need to tell you something. You didn’t hear it from me, right?”
I swallow the growing discomfort in my throat. “What is it?”
She glances at the door. “The twins are saying your dad’s in serious trouble. That things are going to get so much worse now that Deliberov’s dead. But… you know how the twins are. They feed on gossip…”
“And?”
“And… their mother supposedly said Deliberov was a key partner to your father. Like, your dad depended on him. That without him, his projects would collapse. Her exact words: ‘collapse.’”
A chill runs down my spine, followed by the slow burn of anger building beneath my skin. “The twins’ mother is an ex-mistress of you-know-who, and she barely knows anything beyond how to keep her legs open!”
Boyana gives me a look meant to be part concern, part curiosity. It only makes me want to wipe it right off her face. “I don’t know if it’s true. I wanted to tell you myself, so you don’t hear it from someone else.”
I clutch the edge of the sink. “My father’s a businessman, fully aware of what he’s doing. Every bit of that is a lie.”
“Yeah, of course.” Her tone lacks conviction. “It’s just… the twins seem sure. And I heard them say something else. Something you’re really not going to like…”
I whip my head at her. “What?”
“Nothing specific…” She lifts both hands in a defensive gesture. “It’s just… they’re always gossiping, but last night Misha said…”—Boyana shrugs—“that the Little Baroness was done for.”
My pulse pounds in my ears, and I tighten my grip on the sink.
Boyana remains silent, but she doesn’t seem sorry for what she said.
I offer her a strained smile, my lips pressed together. “Thanks for telling me, sweetheart. But it’s all nonsense. Actually, I’ve got a surprise for all of you… But I’ll share it in a few days. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to make a quick call.”
I spin on my heels and storm out of the bathroom, chin held high. Sothat’swhy those bitches low-key attacked metonight. They think my social standing is slipping.
How the hell did they find out? Didn’t my father say no one knew about his troubles?
The smell of sugar and champagne drifts from the open kitchen as I walk by. I glance inside for just a second—
And the scene imprints itself on my mind. The twins’ cake. Three layers, covered in gold glitter and sugar flowers. Two crowns on top. One gold. One silver.
My steps slow down. Then stop altogether.
