Chapter 4
Adrian returned to his seat, his movements still carrying that fluid grace despite the ice in his demeanor moments before. I kept my expression neutral, though my mind raced at the casual brutality of his threat.
“What exactly did you say to them?”
His face softened into an easy smile. “Oh, just told them to mind their manners. Nothing special.”
“I could have handled that myself, you know.” I crossed my arms, meeting his gaze directly.
Something flickered in those gray eyes, surprise, followed by what looked like
approval. “Could you now?” He took a measured sip of his drink. “That’s… good to
know.”
I turned my attention back to the dance floor, scanning the crowd. Primo and Yesha were no longer among the dancers. My
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eyes narrowed as I caught a glimpse of her red dress disappearing down the hallway that led to the private bathrooms, Primo’s hand on her lower back.
“If you’ll excuse me.” I set my glass down. with careful precision. “I need to step away for a moment. I’ll be right back.”
I moved down the dimly lit hallway. The private bathroom doors lined the wall. A muffled sound caught my attention, third door from the end.
The moans grew louder as I approached. Yesha’s breathless voice carried through the door, followed by Primo’s deeper growl. I pressed my back against the cool wall, arms crossed.
“God, you’re incredible,” Primo’s voice rasped.
“Better than her?” Yesha purred.
“So much better than Asteria. You know exactly what I like.”
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I rolled my eyes. The words should have stung, but they fell flat. Empty, just like everything else about him. I pushed off the wall and walked to the main women’s restroom, positioning myself at the marble counter. The bright lights highlighted every detail of my reflection as I pulled out my lipstick.
The door creaked open behind me. In the mirror, I watched Yesha saunter in, her red dress wrinkled, lipstick smeared. She froze for a split second when she saw me, then recovered with a practiced smile.
I kept my attention on reapplying my lipstick, as she moved to the sink beside
- me.
I watched in the mirror as Yesha dabbed at her smeared lipstick with practiced precision.
“Asteria, darling. How’s your evening going?” Her voice dripped honey.
“Wonderful, actually.” I turned to face her
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directly. “And yours? How was your quick fuck with Primo in the bathroom just now?”
The lipstick slipped from her fingers, clattering into the sink. Her face went slack for a moment before she caught herself.
“I- I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh please.” I leaned against the counter. “Third door down. You weren’t exactly quiet. ‘Better than Asteria‘ – really? That’s what gets you both off?”
Her fingers curled around the edge of the marble. “You were listening?”
–
“Didn’t need to try very hard. But don’t worry I’m not here to cause a scene.” I reapplied my own lipstick with steady hands. “Just thought you should know those walls are thinner than you think.”
“Look, I can explain-”
“No need.” I capped my lipstick. “Though next time, you might want to fix your dress
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Chapter 41
before coming out. The zipper’s still down.”
Her hand flew to her back as she twisted to check. The zipper was perfectly fine.
“Made you look.” I winked at her frozen expression in the mirror.
Yesha’s mask slipped, her practiced vulnerability morphing into something harder, colder. A sneer twisted her perfectly painted lips.
“You know what? Yeah, I fucked him. And I enjoyed every second of it.” She turned to face me, hip cocked against the counter. “What are you going to do about it?”
The words hit like a physical blow. This woman in front of me, this stranger wearing my best friend’s face, I barely recognized her. Years of shared secrets, late–night conversations, shoulders cried on… all of it felt hollow now. My chest ached, but I kept my expression neutral, refusing to give her the satisfaction.
“Primo’s mine now. Always has been,
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always will be.” Yesha’s eyes glittered with malice. “You were just a convenient tool, darling. A pretty little puppet to parade around while the merger got sorted. And now that it’s halfway done?” She laughed, the sound sharp as broken glass. “You can’t even call off the wedding without bringing both families crashing down.”
I maintained eye contact, refusing to flinch. “You’re right about the merger.”
“Of course I am.” She preened, adjusting her dress. “Face it, Asteria. You’ve lost. Might as well accept your role as the perfect little trophy wife while Primo and I-”
“I said you’re right about the merger,” I cut her off. “But I have my own plans for it.”
Her smug expression faltered for a moment. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
