Page 29 of Gilded Gods

Ophelia crosses her legs, giving me a sweet but seductive smile. I don’t think she realizes how sexy she is without trying.

“So,” she says softly, “what do you want to show me?”

I flip through my sketchbook to the correct page and put it on the table for her to see.

“You’re talented,” she says as she leans over to review the new logo designs. “These are incredible.”

She only found out about our parents' engagement last week. But my brothers and I have known for a while. Her father had asked me to start working on the marketing materials after he slipped a giant rock onto Mom’s hand.

Belen has been going out of his way to make us like him. He’s so desperate for our affection that he’s too blind to see what’s right in front of him.

We’re going tocrushhim.

Reclaim our birthright.

Bleed him dry.

“Which one do you prefer?” I ask Ophelia.

She points at the logo for Olympus with the dark clouds and custom Greek lettering. “This one is my favorite.”

Then she turns the page, and before I can stop her, she’s staring at herself. The pinup girl with the high-waisted panties and corset, her big tits spilling out of the top. She spreads her legs wide, hands on her knees. A seductive look tugs at her beautiful face, a look that says,Come fuck me.

But there’s more to the story.

Her head is tilted to the side, trying to look away from the viewer. She’s uncomfortable with herself and moves one arm back to conceal part of her stomach, even though the panties mostly hide it.

I seeher.

All of her strengths.

Weaknesses.

Ophelia doesn’t breathe or move, keeping her eyes on the page. If I were Ares, I would shake it off and use the awkward situation to get into her panties. Apollo would give her the diplomatic answer and try to charm her.

Not me.

“This is how I wish you saw yourself. Powerful. Sexy. But also vulnerable.” I rip the page from the book and hand it to her. “You should keep it as a reminder.”

She clutches the paper to her chest, mouth hanging open in shock. Her eyes close for a moment, fingers tightening on the page. I can’t tell if she’s going to cry or punch me. And then, she gets up from the chair and rushes out of the room.

ChapterSeventeen

OPHELIA

I’m still tryingto catch my breath when I enter my bedroom. The stack of pancakes I loaded with sugar sits heavy on my stomach. But I have more important things to worry about than my waistline.

Like Atlas Demetriou.

This is how I wish you saw yourself. Powerful. Sexy. But also vulnerable.

I can’t get his words out of my head.

Powerful.

Sure.

But sexy?

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