Page 12 of Shattered Reign

“Like what?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see.”

But when he didn’t make a move to get to any of the planning, I grew suspicious. “You already had this planned, didn’t you?”

He shrugged. “That’s for me to know and you’ll see later.”

8

BIANCA

Afew hours later, I found myself standing in front of the mirror in my hotel bathroom.I did my best to take my time in doing my hair, but I was still speeding through it as if I was running in a track meet. I was excited and nervous about tonight because I didn’t know what Easton had planned.

I blow-dried my hair, enjoying the vanilla scent of my leave-in conditioner as it drifted through the room. When that was over, I ran my fingers through my strands, enjoying the way my hair felt. Once my hair was done, I made sure to pin most of it back from my face so that small wisps of it framed my face. It also made it easier for me to do my makeup without me having to worry about my hair getting in the way.

I wanted my face to be as flawless as possible, but I didn’t want my makeup to look caked on, so I worked carefully to not apply too much foundation. Thankfully, the number of times I’d been forced to do my makeup for dinners and fundraisers had helped me become more efficient at applying my makeup the way I like. I let out a deep breath after I made sure that my foundation evened out my complexion without making it look heavy. I added a smoky eye that included blending deep grays and mascara that made my lashes look voluminous. To top things off, I put a deep-red lipstick on my lips, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of my favorite red wine when I looked at it.

After looking myself over once more, it was time to figure out what to wear tonight. I had brought a few dresses with me just in case I wanted to dress up while I was here, and I was glad I had.

I looked at my hair once more and decided that pinning my hair up wasn’t the vibe that I wanted to go for.

As I took out the hairpins that I used to pin my hair back, there was a knock on my door. I was so startled that I threw my hand over my chest, and I almost checked to see if I’d literally jumped out of my skin. I grabbed my phone to check what time it was. It was too early for Easton to be here, and as far as I knew, no one else should know I was here.

So, who in the hell was that?

Fuck. Could it be my stalker?

I tightened the belt of my robe as my heart leapt into my throat. I made my way to the door and let out a sigh of relief because of what I saw on the other side. I opened the door and found a hotel staffer standing there with a package.

“Miss Henson?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“This is for you,” he said as he handed me the white, rectangular-shaped box that had some weight to it.

“Thank you,” I replied and when he walked away, I closed the door behind him.

While everything appeared to be normal, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but think that this was the person who had been tracking me for who knew how long, playing some sick trick on me.

I walked over to my bed and placed the box down on it. When I finally opened it, my breath caught in my throat. The first thing I noticed was an envelope on top that was addressed to me. Before I opened it, I pulled out an absolutely gorgeous dark-green dress. I stared at it for a moment, slightly starstruck. The fabric was soft against my fingertips, and I couldn’t wait to put it on.

Accompanying the dress was a pair of black heels.

I unsealed the envelope and removed the note from its resting place.

Bianca,

This is for you to wear tonight. While I’m sure you’ll wear the hell out of it, I can’t wait to see this dropping to the floor later on.

Love,

Easton

Not only did the promise of what tonight would bring send a tremble through me, but rereading the word “love” over and over again made me smile. Tonight was going to be amazing and there was no doubt about that in my mind. There was also the relief that none of this was coming from my stalker.

I could feel the butterflies in my stomach as I changed into the beautiful dress that Easton had sent to me. The soft fabric of the dress draped over my curves, hugging me in all the right places, further proving that the tailoring was executed to perfection. In fact, it fit me so perfectly that it made me wonder if it was actually made for me.

I stepped into my shoes and walked back into the bathroom to check myself over once more. Every strand of hair was in its proper place and my makeup was still flawless. When I grabbed my phone, there was another knock on the door.

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