Game of lies

Follow the plan

Another exaggerated smile for me. "Of course. Will your parents be there too?"

"Yes, they're scheduled to return from their trip in the morning and will join us immediately."

"Perfect."

I lower my voice. "I want Samantha to be there too."

Ronney frowns slightly at me, but quickly corrects her expression.

Before I can ask any questions, I add, "But let's keep it between us. It's meant to be a surprise, one I'm sure you'll really like."

She nods briefly, and the excited sparkle returns to her dark eyes. "Yes, of course."

"Enjoy your evening." I look at them all, ready to back away from them before I lose control, but then I catch their gaze, and the blood rushes through me too strongly. My mask disappears, and for an instant, I allow her a glimpse of the darkness and pain to come.

With my fists clenched in my pockets, I manage to wink at her. "Goodbye, Sam."

This time, she doesn't even flinch. This time, I expected it because she glimpsed the monster I've become. The monster she created.

Unable to look at her for another second, I turn and quickly disappear into the crowd. Everything is too loud, too crowded. A drop of sweat trickles down my back, and I hate every second of it.

I don't get far when a hand grabs my bicep and I freeze.

Bad move.

People should know better than to touch others, especially a man like me.

I turn around—too quickly—and swat at Alexander's hand.

He holds it up in front of him. "Sorry, buddy. I wasn't thinking."

"Don't worry." I stare at him, waiting for him to make the first move and say what he came here to say.

"Listen. My father thought it would be best if I didn't visit you. Surely you understand. You know our parents care about appearances." He rubs his jaw. "So, are we... are we okay?"

Alexander could have found other ways to contact me, but he didn't. And I got over it. Eventually. The question is: does he know about his sister's involvement in my downfall? Like he said, public image is a top priority for most people in our circle, and most would do anything to keep their family's reputation in good standing, no matter the cost.

My old friend is still waiting for a reply, and I'm grateful he didn't run off with his tail between his legs.

I extend a fist. "Yeah, we're okay."

With a sigh of undeniable relief, he bumps his crumpled hand against mine. "Thanks, bro. Glad you're back."

None of this means s**t to me, but even if he really has no idea about the little snitch in his family, I doubt he'll want to be my friend once he realizes what I have in mind for his sister.

You win some, you lose some.

Robin, my partner in crime, so to speak, and best friend, walks up to Alexander and pats him on the back. "What a nice welcome!" he insists on "nice," like the troublemaker he is. "Nice party, man. Your family sure knows how to be hospitable."

Alexander lurches forward from the impact of Robin's paw and glares at the newcomer.

I wave my hand between the two. "Alexander, meet Robin Donell. Robin, this is Alexander Osborn."

The two size each other up for a moment, Robin never losing his carefree smile. I don't know if it's because he knows he could easily defeat Alexander if necessary, given his tank-like physique, or if he simply wants to provoke him. Nothing is ever certain with Robin. But he's one of the best guys I've ever met and has been my constant companion over the past few years until his release two months ago. He's proven his loyalty time and time again when people wanted to take advantage of the billionaire prisoner, and he earned his place by my side.

Perhaps I wouldn't have survived my time in prison unscathed if it weren't for him. Well, almost unscathed. There were times when I wanted to shed blood, both my own and others'. Especially at the beginning of my sentence, when I was still dealing with what had happened outside my new home.

Not just Samantha's complete betrayal, but also the death of her sister.

The death of my fiancée.

Alexander takes a step back from Robin and nods at me. "See you soon, okay?"

I nod. "Sure."

We watch Alexander's figure walk away until he disappears from sight.

Robin chuckles. "Look at him running with his tail between his legs. I thought the Osborns were bastards."

I raise an eyebrow. "Have you looked in the mirror lately? It's called survival instinct."

He puts a hand to his chest. "Oh, thanks."

I shake my head at his antics.

Robin rubs his hands together. "What's wrong? Are we leaving or staying? I saw some girls watching me." He flexes his biceps as if no one in the room had seen the seams of his jacket straining.

I grimace. "I'm not sure."

Cole Sullivan, a former investor in my dad's company, walks past me, and our eyes meet. He squints at me, but to my surprise, he stops.

After scanning the crowd around us, he takes a step closer. "I'm only doing this because your grandfather was a great friend of mine. Your father is a cunning man, and he's ruining the company your grandfather spent most of his life building. He's made a lot of enemies, and if you stick with him, he'll drag you straight to hell with him."

I stare at him. "I'm afraid I'm already there. In fact, I've been there for a few years."

He nods. "Very well. Take care then. A lot of people are out for blood.

Robin and I watch the old man as he heads for the exit.

He asks, "What was that all about?"

I shrug. "No idea. I'm sure he lost a lot of money, like so many others, when the stock price plummeted after my arrest. That made for a lot of unhappy investors."

Robin hums, knowing my father's business isn't my priority right now.

My gaze scans the room to take in the pretentious crowd chatting away into the night. Watching. Searching.

It doesn't take me long to find her.

Samantha moves away from her parents, her eyes fixed on her phone. Her friends join her, talking to her as she points across the hall to the other side of the room. Jake rubs her lower back in small circular motions, and she leans into him. Beside her, Selena takes Samanta's hand, and the three of them make their way through the crowd.

Something hard presses against my chest.

I look down at Robin's arm holding me in place.

He says in my ear. "Calm down, tiger. It won't do you any good to make a fuss right now. You'll have her in your hands soon enough. Stick to the plan."

A feeling of nervousness and tension washes over my body, but I force myself not to react.

Robin puts his arm around my shoulder, holding me tightly. "Let's get out of here before we need a body bag."

His earlier words are playing in my head over and over again, and it's the only reason I let him drag me out of here.

You'll be able to hold her in your hands soon enough.