Page 49 of The Forbidden Villain
He brushes his thumb over my lips, and whispers, “Remember that.” Then he pushes back and drives off so swiftly before I can even blink, leaving me standing while thousands of emotions flash through me, each one more confusing than the other.
However, the most prominent one is the loudest.
If I set foot in this club tonight, my life will never be the same.
Levi
Ah,moy cvetochek.
What a mistake you’ve just made.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Virtue is a powerful weapon.
If one knows how to use it right.”
Lavender
Lavender
The loud honking, followed by screeching tires, snaps me out of my thoughts, and I have a second to blink as a black car stops right in front of me.
I see shiny silver high heels step onto the asphalt, and Scarlett emerges from the car, looking gorgeous as ever in a red dress. “Lavender, you have to stop living in the clouds and pay attention to your surroundings.” She wiggles her finger sternly at me and then dips her head, addressing her driver. “I should be here a while. I’ll give you a call once we’re done.” She closes the door and taps on the roof, waiting for him to drive off before coming to me and kissing me on the cheek. “Hi. I hope you didn’t wait too long.”
“No, around twenty minutes.” During which I’ve seen various people straight from magazine covers being rejected and leaving in tears after begging almost on their knees to enter.
At some point, I started thinking that joining the club meant setting yourself up for life. That’s how ridiculous it got.
“By the way, when I said we could be friends, I didn’t mean go around clubbing. It’s not exactly my scene.”
I cross my arms and lift a brow. “You could have said no.”
She chuckles, adjusting her long diamond earrings, and her hair is in some kind of fancy braid. “Right, and pass on the chance to explore this place? Some of my clients are members.”
“Oh, so that’s good.”
She clicks her tongue. “No. What’s good is that a lot of their enemies are members too, and information is always leverage you can use to your advantage if you play your cards right.”
“Is there a time you are not working?” While I’m impressed by her brain and career success, I wonder how lonely it must be to form connections only with the intention of using them later.
I think the only person she considers a friend is Rafael. Probably because he never made a move on her. To him, she’s like another sister. They even bicker like siblings.
“Not since the time your brother found me crying on the streets at twenty after being kicked out from my latest job for refusing to sleep with my boss and having no money to pay rent.” I want to ask more questions, but she grabs my elbow and starts pushing us toward the entrance. “It’s all in the past, so let’s change the subject. Tonight is about you finally spreading your wings.”
“I just wanted to check out this mysterious club since I got the invitation.”
“However you want to word it, pretty girl.”
“I really hate lawyers sometimes.”
She laughs, patting me on the elbow, still keeping her tight grip on me, and I realize my nervousness vanished in her presence. Compared to Emmaline and Aileen, Scarlett doesn’ttry to shower me with attention and love because she probably lacks those herself.
At least we have something in common.
The bouncer assesses us once we come over, and the beefier one barks, “End of the line.” I should have brought a scarf or a jacket because at least thirty more people are lined up.
“Gentlemen,” Scarlett greets them, cutting through the crowd and snatching the invitation from my hands. “We have a golden envelope.”
