Page 59 of The Forbidden Villain
He can go fuck himself, and I’m done with this conversation!
“I just remembered I have to go somewhere. Excuse me.”
I take a step back, doing my best to avoid the three men who seem to circle me like vultures, and that’s when my heel catches in the train of my dress, making me stumble back. I try to regain my balance, but don’t.
Instead, I tumble farther back and end up falling into the chocolate fountain. I gasp as the sticky substance covers mefrom head to toe, and someone snaps a photo while a few snickers can be heard in the distance.
All the while my brothers rush toward me, and shame unlike anything I’ve felt before fills me to the bone because my first contact with the outside world turned into this.
All thanks to Levi Scott, who couldn’t hide his dislike for me.
“So there,” I finish telling Scarlett my story. She arrived late to the party, so she missed the disaster. “This invitation is probably another way for him to fuck with my head.”
“I mean, he was a dick. The guy probably doesn’t know how to deal with jealousy, but I fail to see how you falling into the fountain was his fault. It’s not like he pushed you into it. Also, wasn’t he the one who broke some cameras and picked you up from the chocolate fountain, not caring about staining his suit?”
I was so mortified that I let him and then ran away from him the minute I could. His one good deed doesn’t wipe out everything else. “If he wasn’t such a dick to me, I wouldn’t have ended up in that situation, so he’s responsible for it indirectly.” Then her words hit me. “Wait. What do you mean byjealousy?”
She rolls her eyes, finishing his champagne and pressing on the button. Instantly, the server is back with two new glasses before disappearing once again. “He saw you with Raven and reacted.”
The idea is so shocking that a strained laugh escapes me. “Please. He’s a handsome young man who has women falling all over him. He is not jealous, and he’s a kid.” Okay, this sounds wrong because between the two of us, he’s seen and experienced more of life. And the guy is twenty! “Either way, he’s not interested in me.”
“Whatever you say. Then we can agree he’s just a dick.” This also angers me as I don’t like her talking about him this way. Why the hell am I so confused? “Still, I don’t see what he’sgaining from bringing you here.” She sips her drink. “Unless he wants to shock you or something. A weak excuse.”
Right.
I decide not to mention that he has a whole lot of unresolved feelings toward Rush. Maybe he hoped for me to be so lost in here that I’d end up doing some shit he can talk about for ages to come?
I dismiss the idea right away.
He might be young, but even he isn’t that immature.
A loud ringing sound echoes through the place, followed by Bellamy speaking into the microphone as the light dims and all focus shifts to the ceiling, where five cages hang. “The action is ready to begin. We will start with number one.” It’s a dark-haired woman wearing a long dress, her wavy hair falling almost to her ass.
Something is so familiar about her despite the front she tries to present. She seems super shy, practically pressing hard against the cage, and my heart pangs.
Poor thing is probably doing this for the money.
Her cage slowly lowers, and people on the dance floor clap and whistle, while the most rich-looking ones go to their booths and rooms, probably to bid.
The cage swivels a little to showcase her from every side, and Bellamy speaks up again, “We will start with one hundredth thousand dollars.” There is a huge screen behind her displaying all the numbers, which is smarter than listening to everyone. Several numbers light up the screen, and she continues. “We are off to a great start. Five hundred thousand.” So they raise the amount this rapidly?
No wonder people want to participate in these auctions.
Scarlett picks up the remote and presses it, her number lighting up on the screen. I ask, “What are you doing?”
“Raising her price. This is nothing. I’ve noticed her body language right away. Everyone else in the cages seems excited and blows kisses to the crowd. She reminds me of a deer caught in the headlines.” She clicks her tongue. “These kinds of people want bold and confident rather than shy.”
How strange. I thought it was the opposite.
Several more numbers light up on the screen, and the hostess says, “One million.”
Do they just raise the bids until only one person remains? Scarlett presses the button again, and three more numbers light up. So there are people interested in shy and innocent, although I wince just imagining what that particular kink may entail.
“How about we go higher? One million and five hundred thousand.”
Scarlett grabs the remote tighter, ready to bid more, when one of the owners comes. I don’t miss the rage emanating from him, so strong it’s a wonder he doesn’t destroy anything around him. He holds up the number seven, and his voice is familiar, one I recognize at once. “Two million, and the auction is closed. Now.”
“Sold!” Bellamy shouts quickly. She snaps her fingers, and the cage is lifted upward, then slides farther back until she disappears from our view. “Let’s move on to our next number.”
