Page 12 of Villainous Soul

No one answered. Evie stood there, her cheeks flushed and her full lips plump and bruised. She was every inch the ruined rose I wanted her to be. Shameful desire was written across her face in haunted disgrace. "Try not to look so guilty. It was just a kiss," I warned, opening the door.

Brendan and an elegant woman with a long black ponytail stood on the other side. "Demi, come in." I motioned with my arm for her to enter. "Brendan, I want you to stand guard. No one is to enter or leave the room except for myself. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," the young man said.

I shut the door. "Evie, this is Demi, your stylist. Demi, this is my fiancée Evie Young."

"She doesn't look like the girl in the photos you sent me," the woman said in a heavy French accent.

"No, I suppose not."

"The clothes I picked won't work," she said, setting down a leather bag and case. "She won't be able to pull them off. She doesn't have the right figure."

"Well, you'll have to make them work. We don't have any other choice."

I walked over to Evie taking her chin between my thumb and fingers. "Be a good girl, darling," I said. "Or else."

I gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead and then left.

* * *

I setthe file down on my desk and finished my whiskey. Currently, there are one hundred and seventy-seven billionaires in the United Kingdom. This weekend the top five richest would be here (actually six, but the Patels were twins, and their trust was considered one unit.) By requirement, all four of the constituent countries were represented in the Circle of Kings –England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. I had been a part of the secret society for the past five years. However, this was my first year hosting the event, as now, my fortune outnumbered any of the other members by at least ten billion. The position of Grand Master was mine by right, and now that I had secured myself a fiancée, nothing would prevent me from achieving my goal.

The other members had arrived throughout the afternoon and would be gathering in the Great Hall soon. Sir Leonard Payne, the oldest member, and current Grand Master, and his girlfriend, Lily Harlow, arrived from Edinburgh. The twins Akshay and Kavish Patel and their wives Meera and Sita were from London. Rhys Hughes was our only current Welshman, and newcomer Aidan O'Donnell was from Northern Ireland. A diverse and somewhat motley crew, we were the most influential men in Britain and the most notorious.

"The cocktail party will be starting soon," Alan said. "I'll go greet the guests while you get Evie."

I looked at my watch and adjusted the cufflinks on my dress shirt. Somehow the lass had gotten under my skin. I had managed up to this point in my life to keep business before anything else. I had no other choice. Now on one of the most important weekends of my life, I found myself thinking of a girl. And a rude, unhelpful one at that. Maybe it was because I had never had a woman who was not only unimpressed but downright judgmental of my wealth and my power.

Bloody hell, myself, for that matter.

Or maybe I just needed to fuck her and get her out of my system. Either way, I had to remain focused on the purpose of tonight.

Bilderberg.

And I wouldn't let some lass get in the way. Plus, there were other worries.

Other things that needed to be controlled.

Darker ones.

ChapterSeven

EVIE

Demi finished the last stitch on the hem of the gray satin dress and stood back, admiring her work in the mirror. She had curled my hair and applied some makeup, emphasizing my green eyes. Even I had to admit that I felt quite lovely in the dress.

“I didn’t think it would work, but it actually suits you better than-” Demi stopped herself. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I said, feeling the heat in my cheeks. The dress had a plunging neckline. “I know I’m not as well-endowed as Margot.”

“It looks better on you,” Demi said. “It suits your classic looks. She would have cheapened the dress.”

The door opened, and Keir walked in, startling the both of us. He stood there staring with his mouth slightly agape.

“Is everything alright,” Demi asked.

“Aye, of course,” he answered, regaining his composure. “I wasn’t sure you would be ready, that’s all. The guests are downstairs.”

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