Page 34 of The Ring
I’m not as amazed as she is—I’ve been coming here since I was little—but if I hadn’t, I’d probably be a bit taken aback too. Odette’s place is over the top, even by my usual standards.
We enter the ballroom, already packed and buzzing with laughter and conversation. There must be around two hundred people here. Still, like I always do when she’s in the room, I find her instantly. It’s like there’s an invisible rope tying us together—or maybe my eyes are just magnetically drawn to her. Cornelia stands in a corner, talking to an older couple, wearing a stunning silver dress with delicate transparencies that make her look like a goddess. Her hair cascades down in soft waves, framing her face with effortless elegance.
She looks perfect.
Sheisperfect.
Cornelia catches my eye, and I offer Amelie my arm. She links hers with mine, making it obvious we arrived together. Cornelia’s expression shifts to one of displeasure. I take some pleasure in this, as it means she still cares enough to be bothered. Or maybe she just thinks I’m an arsehole for bringing Amelie here with me.
I take Amelie and make a turn around the room, scanning for Nate. After all, the main point of this is to make Nate jealous—not Cornelia—that’s just a bonus. Along the way, we greet a few acquaintances.
Once I spot Nate, I lead Amelie to the bar. It’s close enough to where he is that he’ll notice us, but not so close that it looks like I’m deliberately putting myself in his line of sight.
Amelie is still marvelling at everything, asking questions about the art and the place.
She looks up at the ceiling and asks, “When was this built?”
“I don’t know, around the 1700s.” I shrug. I know exactly when it was built and all the architectural details of this place, but I’m not in the mood to talk about my love for architecture right now. My focus is on the task at hand: making Nate jealous.
As she keeps talking, I seriously consider taking her to Cornelia’s grandmother and dropping her off with her. Odette loves talking about her house—maybe they’d make great company for each other. I vaguely recall Nate mentioning once that Amelie studied art history, though I’m not sure. That would explain why she’s so fascinated by everything here.
I glance back at Nate. What’s been taking him so long to notice us? I always assume that, like me, everyone can immediately spot the person they love the moment they walk into a room. But apparently, that’s not the case for him. He hasn’t even looked up from whatever he’s been staring at since I spotted him. It’s like he’s completely mesmerised by it.
I follow his gaze and realise he’s been staring at Cornelia this whole time, who is now talking to Anthony.
He looks at Cornelia with tenderness, fascination, and adoration, like she’s the fucking centre of the universe—just like I look at her. And it hits me: he’s in love with her.
I thought what happened between Nate and Cornelia was just physical for him. I assumed she was just a way for Nate to fill the void Amelie left, the way I do with the girls I sleep with. But… I was wrong. What I’m looking at is clearly love.
I’ve never seen him look at Amelie that way.
I’ve never seen him look atanyonethat way.
And as if she could read my mind, Amelie follows my gaze, then turns to me and says, “I once hoped he’d look at me the way he looks at her. But he never did.”
Chapter 18
TJ
Ifeel a sharp smack on the back of my head. “Ow,” I mutter, rubbing the sore spot.
“Arsehole,” Laurie says as I turn around. “Bringing Amelie as your date? Seriously? What were you thinking?”
Amelie isn’t around at the moment; I left her with a group of people Anthony was about to take on a tour of the estate. If she was impressed by what she’d seen so far, just wait until she gets to the rooms. That’s where Cornelia’s grandmother keeps the real treasures. As for me, I stayed at the bar, stunned. That’s what happens when you realise your cousin is in love with your girl.
“That she is nice,” I lie.
He points a finger at me. “No, what you were really thinking was that you wanted to screw with Nate.”
I take a sip of my drink. I’m not a fan of my little brother outsmarting me. “Maybe, but it’s not like he doesn’t deserve it.”
Laurie sighs, shaking his head. “Why can’t you just talk to him instead of pulling stunts like this?”
“First Mum, and now you. Why aren’t you two over him instead of me? I’m not the one who began all this,” I complain.
“I was, but he’s as stubborn as you are.”
“Well, like I said, it’s not my fault. If he wants to talk, he’s the one who has to take the first step,” I declare.
