Page 209 of The Villain We Tempt

But I’m already up and staggering toward the door clutching the shredded remains of my pride in my hands.

“By the way, hi to your daddy!” Julia calls after me as I slam through the front door and out into the night.

34

LOCHLAN

Olivia_ann02:QUEEN SHIT

KelseyLuvsReading:PREACH, girl <3

My jaw tightensas I play the video again, absently scrolling the comments. On my phone in front of me, Velvet Villainess is wearing her mask, her blonde hair up in messy bun, and is sipping a venti Starbucks pink drink while sporting a big white hoodie with the words “You May Call Me Mrs. Grey” across the front.

A cover of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” is playing over the video, but the words have been changed from “I got ninety-nine problems but a bitch ain’t one” to “I got ninety-nine problems but a fuckboy ain’t one”.

Call me an egomaniac, but I have sneaking suspicion this one’s aimed at me.

Galina was gone when I walked out of the ladies' room yesterday evening. She blocked or ignored my calls all night. She alsospent the night at Morvaine Manor, hanging out with Lucia and fucking Damiano until it was light outside.

And then there was the single text message I got earlier today from her.

Galina

Lose my number, fuckboy.

Hmm. Seems like that might be a solid clue.

I scowl at my phone as I play the video again. In it, Galina is rocking to beat of the cover song, sipping her drink and looking like she’s living her best Eras Tour, girls-night-out, no boys allowed life.

Unsurprisingly, her video today is about a book where a gallant, charming hero saves the FMC from a “fuckboy”.

Yeah. Message received.

I zip up my hoodie, my eyes narrowing as I skim more of the comments. A few, like from Olivia_ann02 or KelseyLuvsReading, are standard “you go girl” stuff.

The other ninety-five percent range from calling me a fuckboy to asking for my balls to be cut off with rusty gardening shears.

InMySmutEra:@TheGhostPrince go play in traffic, MF

CarmensBookRecs:@TheGhostPrince more like ghostED prince lmao #cancelled

MarisolBingesBooks:Bet he calls women 'females.' #GHOSTED

laurenm12:Straight into the trash with him.

Mommaof4boys:@TheGhostPrince but have you considered launching yourself into the sun tho?

UtahReader85:@TheGhostPrince HOLY AIRBALL LMAO

Smutismyhappyplace:@TheGhostPrince I think I speak for all of us when I say I hope your D rots and falls off #F*CKBOY.

Ilana-rama:Villainess Nation, sharpen your pitchforks.

Keisha_bookaholic:LMAO this man is about to realize we all woke up and chose violence.

DanisReading:Someone revoke his breathing privileges pls?

So, you know, about as normal, reasonable, and rational as you’d expect.