BOUND BY BLOOD AND BILLIONS

The Gala- Part 2

As we reach the bottom of the staircase I feel like I am suffocating. The music is playing loudly, but not loud enough to drown out the silence that falls over the room when everyone sees us.

They are all staring at my dress at the fabric and the slit that shows my thigh. They think I am a scandal.

Alistairs hand is still on my waist his fingers tight on my skin. He does not let me hide, but instead he makes me walk beside him like I am his equal. His big frame blocks out the light.

Then Serena steps out of the crowd blocking our way. She is holding a glass of champagne and her knuckles are white. A few days ago she would not talk to me because my family was going bankrupt, but now she is looking at the diamond on my finger with wide eyes.

"Vivienne " Serena says, her voice sounding strained and fake. "I was so worried about you. And I did not know about Mr. Sterling."

She looks up at Alistair trying to smile a flirtatious smile. It looks wrong. "Mr. Sterling it is nice to meet you. I am Serena, Vivienne and I have been friends since we were kids."

Alistair does not stop walking, he does not bother to even look at her. He keeps his eyes on the room, his posture is stiff. He moves like a man who expects everyone to get out of his way.

I pull on his arm and I make him stop. He looks down at me his eyes are cold, like they are issuing me a warning, but ignore him and I turn to Serena, with my face blank.

"Inseparable?" I say, my voice is quiet and sarcastic. "That is not true Serena you told me my name was bad a few days ago, so tell me what changed?"

Serena's smile falls apart and she looks humiliated. She glances around the room, like she is scared.

"Vivienne please " Serena says, her voice is low and sounds very desperate. "I told you my father said that there was....there....there were rumors—"

I cut her off and I turn to face Alistair smiling at him with a fake sarcastic smile. "Alistair do you remember what you said about my friends. Do we keep the people who only like me when my family has money?"

I am trying to make him angry and I am using Serena as bait.

Alistair looks down at me with his ever cold eyes, but he smiles, it is slow and almost handsome. He puts his hand on my face, his thumb stroking my cheek, making my breath catch. But his grip is tight and reminds me that he is in control.

" Of course not, my love." Alistair says, his voice is smooth and rich. "You can choose your friends. I thought we agreed you would not talk to people like her at our party."

The people around us gasp and they are shocked.

Alistair does not give Serena a chance to talk he pulls me away his hand is tight on my hip. Serena is left alone, looking visibly crushed.

"You are pushing your luck, Vivienne " Alistair says, his voice very low as he gives me a warning. "You made your point now stop playing games."

"I was not playing a game, Alistair " I say, my voice is quiet and I smile, a smile that doesn't reach my eyes. "I was setting the rules if I have to live with you you have to watch me fight."

The music changes it is a waltz and the people around us start to dance. Alistair pulls me into the dance floor, with his body against mine. I can feel his heart beating, slow and steady.

We move together but it is not a dance, it is a fight.

"You are stiff Vivienne " Alistair says, his voice low. "Relax a little, a woman in love does not look like she wants to kill someone."

"I am not in love with you Alistair " I say, my voice is quiet and angry. "I am thinking about killing you. It is the thing that keeps me from throwing up."

Alistair smiles a slow dangerous smile, that makes my heart skip a beat with his handsome home room. His eyes are cold. He spins us around, with his hand tight on my hip.

"Let go of my hip " I say, my voice is quiet and angry.

"No " Alistair says, his voice is soft and threatening. "If I let go everyone will see that you are not in control I am the thing that keeps you from falling apart."

"I am going to destroy you " I say

"I do not care about your money, damn I do not care about our contract. I am going to find out what you did. I am going to make you pay."

Alistair does not flinch, he does not try to pull away. He just holds me tighter, his heart beating slow and steady against my palms laid flat on his chest.

"You are a little thing are you not?" His breath is warm on my skin. "But you forgot, bird you are already trapped.. I will not think twice about hurting you if you try to escape."

The music slows down and then gets heavier. Alistair dances with me, perfectly moving to the rhythm. I get angry because he makes it look so easy.

"You think you did something tonight with your press conference do you not?" He sounds like we are just talking about the weather. He nods to a man who's important in real estate as we dance by. "You think pretending to love me gives you power over me."

"It takes away your power actually." I say looking him in the eye. "You wanted a wife who would do what you say and make you look good.. Instead you got a woman who told the world she is with you even though she does not like you. Now everyone will watch your every move. If anything happens to me or my family everyone will blame you."

He laughs, an unfunny dry laugh. One that is a little scary.

"You really do not know how things work do you Vivienne?" He moves us to the edge of the dance floor where it's darker and whispers, "Let me tell you what is really going on with the papers you signed this morning."

My fingers get tight on his shoulder. "The contract is signed. My father does not owe anyone money anymore."

"Your father does not owe money for now.. He still has problems with the law.. Those problems belong to me now." He says

"I did not just buy your family's company. I also have control over the person who's in charge of your fathers case."

I feel like I got punched in the stomach. "What did you do?" I whisper angrily.

"I stopped the case against your father for now." He starts touching my hip slowly. "The papers that could hurt your father are not at the office anymore. They are in a place in my building."

He stops dancing while the music is still going with other couples still dancing, but Alistair is not moving.

He whispers, "If you do not do what I say if you make another mistake your father will go to jail. Do you understand me, Vivienne?"

I realize what he has done. He did not just trap me, he is also hurting my father. If I fight him my father will get in trouble. If I give up Alistair wins.

My heart is beating so fast, almost threatening to burst as I look at his face. I hate him more than ever.

"You are a horrible person."

"I am a businessman." He lets me go and bows, to me. "Our time here is over. The car is waiting for you, Vivienne. It is time to go home."