Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86322 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86322 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
“I would never assume a…” She returned the favor of looking Brian up and down with a saccharine smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “A man like you would know anybody who’s aware of The Berkshire’s reputation.”
Brian pressed a hand to his chest with a falsely bashful smile, missing the negative connotation of Rose’s words and assuming she meant he was too much of a gentleman to go to a kink club.
Yeah, right.
“I may appear like a…vanilla type of guy, but I assure you, your club would be a place I’d love to visit. Maybe we could chat later about an invitation.”
Lucian’s fingers flexed against my back, as if restraining himself from stepping in on Corbin’s behalf to forcefully remove Brian’s lewd gaze from Rose. I kind of hoped he would, but Rose handled Brian like a professional, and the more occupied he was with others, the less likely I’d have to suffer his attention on me. I was content to never have him notice me at all.
“Maybe. Although our vetting process is extensive. Thanks to my fiancé’s assistance, we’re able to perform more in-depth background checks on our clientele, which can lead to long waits,” Rose explained, successfully avoiding any promises while directing the conversation to Corbin.
“Of course, of course,” Brian agreed with a wink.
A part of me wanted to feel bad for how oblivious he was to being brushed off, but then I remembered how that certain personality flaw haunted me throughout my senior year of high school, and any desire to care vanished.
“And Mr. Daire,” Brian greeted, his hand outstretched and charm dialed all the way up.
His closeness hit me hard. My armor cracked, and my face betrayed my disgust. I slammed my shields back in place and held my breath, knowing it was only a matter of moments before he realized who I was.
I eyed Lucian, taking in his aggressive handshake, sharp smile, and the dark aura I’d noticed from day one, making him the businessman others dreaded facing.
“Nice to meet you, Ryan.”
“Brian.”
Lucian huffed an insincere laugh. “Of course.”
“It’s an honor to meet another shrewd businessman like myself. Especially one with a company that continues to grow exponentially. I remember studying yours and Mr. Black’s companies in my college business classes.”
“A shrewd businessman…” Lucian repeated slowly. He glanced at Corbin with a raised brow, eyes glinting with barely hidden mockery. “And what business are you in?”
“It’s a marketing firm. Ads R’ Us. I know it’s kind of small, but we’ve got big things going on. And, you have to admit, the name is pretty catchy,” he said with a laugh.
Lucian hummed politely in lieu of saying what the fuck, like we were all thinking.
Not for the first time, I wondered how he’d received an invite to this event. While I didn’t keep up with anyone from high school, I remembered their names and vetted the guest lists before the invitations went out. Brian Kerr had not appeared on that list. And neither had Ads R’ Us.
“But I’m here on behalf of Mr. Carew, who owns Serene, Inc. I work with his son, Ken Vick. Mr. Carew is sick. So, I figured, why not offer my services? It’s a great chance for free booze and to rub elbows with other bigwigs like me.”
I didn’t know Dan Carew was Ken Vick’s father, another asshole from high school, but the connection explained Brian’s attendance. I made a mental note to remove Serene, Inc. from any other events.
“Anyways, Ken and I have a little side business we’re working on building. Like in your field of buying and selling companies. In fact,” Brian lowered his voice as if he was about to share the deal of the century and didn’t want anyone else to overhear. “I know of a few companies that are ripe for plucking and could make a great profit. Maybe if you have time later, we can talk about a joint deal. One where we both reap the benefits.”
I think the fuck not.
I would rather devote my life to burning Lucian’s entire business—including QMG—to the ground before ever seeing him work with Brian fucking Kerr.
Lucian hummed and nodded, pretending to ponder, but the tension around his eyes told me he was merely humoring Brian without taking him seriously.
Thank God.
Brian schmoozed Corbin and Lucian with more praise and idiocy, while I focused on repeating my earlier mantra and breathing, holding my armor in place.
He doesn’t affect me. He has no control over me. I am in control.
Each second ticked by like a countdown to disaster. Whether Brian sparked my anger, dredged up my past, or humiliated me, I knew whatever came next wouldn’t end well.
Still, watching Lucian fire sly, cutting remarks at the weasel of a man made it hard to dread the encounter completely.
That is, until the moment arrived—and all I wanted was to rewind time, uninvite him, and end this before it even began.