The CEO's Forbidden Desire

Chapter 5

|Serena's POV|

I am on my sixth glass of champagne as the snobbish rehearsal dinner continues on with calculated precision in the most predictable place in all of New York— at The Plaza hotel. Yes. My darling mother, Beatrice Van der Bilt, decided to host her wedding festivities in the same place as almost all pretentious socialites of the Upper East Side and here I am, dressed in an amber dress made out of crystals and diamonds, all decked up like the rest of my surroundings as I pose at the Bride and Groom's table like just another one of Beatrice and Eduardo Vance's show pieces.

Beside me, sits my mother along with her husband to be and beside him sits his evil spawn of a son who has chosen to find ways to infuriate me at every chance possible since we made our bet yesterday at the disaster that was the Nicholas Farrera show.

I catch Donovan's gaze from across the room as he sits on a table with Cassian Hart, his cousin sister, Casmira Young and Draven Russo. It is evident that the rest of the table is abhorred by Donovan's presence but they are all pretending to be alright with it like everyone else in this party.

Misty Lau— my manager— raises a toast in my direction— subtly reminding me to keep my infamous b***h heiress smile intact on my face to ensure that I remain in my public persona and to be honest, with everything that is going on around me in this golden decked rehearsal dinner, I am certainly feeling drastically bitchy so I don't really have to pretend much.

"You look at Christie Sanders over there?" My mother's whisper as she leans towards me catches my attention as I turn my gaze smoothly towards the Spanish Marchioness— by marriage, of course— and give her a subtle nod as I let another pretentious grin appear on my lips when I look at my mother, ensuring that the world would only see a loving and caring mother-daughter duo, "she's had her eyes on Eduardo since her husband died three months ago," Beatrice whispers conspiratorially while I watch the tight smile on Christie's face from the first row table that gives her the perfect view of the bride and groom.

My mother is tragically known for her notorious table arrangements at events like these. The woman practically thrives on chaos and the high society scene of Manhattan is her f*****g playground.

"It's a good thing you were there at the right place and time, mother," I say in a breathy voice, passing a smile to my newest step-father when mother and I catch him looking at us with a raised brow and he returns my grin with a narrowed gaze following it up with a picture perfect smile when the cameraman comes up.

Great.

Another pretentious bastard added to my long list of offenders.

Thanks again, mom.

"Yes, honey, this is what you have to do in order to survive. This is what I have always taught you, darling." Beatrice grins at me smoothening down the front of her dress as she giggles at something Eduardo whispers in her ear and I try to gulp down the bitterness of the moment with another sip of the champagne.

Yes, I am not going to let my emotions show up on my bloody face in front of all these people.

As I glance down at a notification on my phone, I place my champagne glass on the adorned table in front of me but I find a notification from Misty about my upcoming shoot once the wedding is done with and just before I am about to respond, a hand slips into mine and I immediately look up, startled.

It's Donovan.

"A dance?" He asks with that charming smile of his that graces many magazine covers and toothpaste commercials but I see what he is trying to do.

He is trying to get me to go with him somewhere, alone, where he will express just how displeased he was about the whole debacle of the previous night.

I place my hand in his, not bothering to look at my mother for her approval— not that she is expecting me to— we have both gotten pretty comfortable with my b***h girl persona in front of the media.

"Of course," I state as I walk around the edge of the table and allow Donovan to lead me to the dance floor while dozens of eyes watch our interaction with silent expressions, observing. Testing.

I breathe in a small sigh of relief. Donovan would be a fool if he decides to do something in the middle of this crowd.

We take our place amongst the dancing couples as Donovan pulls me close to his body and places his palm just on top of the curve of my ass while his other hand holds one of mine and my free hand rests on his shoulder.

The asshole knows how to mark his territory like a bloody dog at events like these.

"Serena," Donovan addresses, his eyes focused on our surroundings as I stare straight at the way his jaw is clenched but the tight smile on his face would not allow an outsider to see what is actually going on in his mind.

But I see it all.

I keep my voice as steady as possible, "Donovan."

"Did you really think that there would be no consequences for what Gryphon did yesterday?" He asks tilting his head to the side in that maniacal manner of his as he looks down at me.

I simply blink, "shouldn't Gryphon be the one facing said consequences?" I ask in a soft and composed voice.

I have grown to learn how to truly protect myself from men like Donovan. It didn't all happen through happy methods but, oh well, at least I know what to do.

Donovan's gaze turns into a heated glare as he looks down at me even though his lips are smiling gently— which, to be honest, is making him look creepier than usual— "do not try to act smart in front of me, Serena. Gryphon made a fool out of me yesterday and I need you to do something for me if you don't want the world to know how pathetic you are, got it?" He asks in a smooth manner and I sigh, shaking my head at how common this game of ours is.

"What do you need?" I ask softly.

Donovan's smirk widens, loving the fact that I complied so quickly. Well, it's not like I have a choice. After everything that he has on me, he may as well make me wear a collar with his name on it and walk me around on a bloody leash and I still wouldn't be able to say a word.

"After the wedding, you need to go on a night club date with Dereck Hamilton. He is getting something done for me to gain control over the Young empire and he wants a date with you as payment. You have to do everything he asks."

My blood runs cold as I gape at him openly, for a moment forgetting all about what expression is slipping onto my face— and I am certain that it is nothing less than absolute horror— "excuse me? You're whoring me out to men now like a bloody pimp?" I whisper-yell at him, unable to control myself after the preposterousness of his request.

Donovan pulls me closer and this time, I feel his grip tightening around my waist to a point of pain, "be careful of who you're talking to, Serena. You might have become a Vance today but do not forget what you are." He whispers in my ear as he places his cheek against mine and then plans a kiss on my shoulder as we sway to the live music.

"I will not sleep with men for your perverse wishes, Donovan. And certainly not men like Dereck Hamilton. He's fifty years old and extremely hurtful in bed if his recent mistresses are to be believed. And even if that weren't the case, I will not be sleeping with him!" I snap at him in a serious voice, keeping my tone low enough to only be heard by him.

He gives my ass a tight squeeze, almost painful and I see a camera flash go off across one of the tables nearby.

I mentally roll my eyes. Great. Now this will be on the f*****g tabloids tomorrow.

"I am not asking you to sleep with him, Serena. This is a date that I am talking about and believe me if you don't want the world to see a video of you begging on your knees, do you?"

My heart shudders in my chest and I stare into his eyes and reluctantly nod earning myself a pleased smile from him as he finally steps back, "thank you for the dance, Miss Van der Bilt," he kisses my knuckles with flourish just as I try my best not to snatch my hand out of his grasp as I give him a pleased nod and turn on my heel and walk over to my place beside my mother as I notice that Gryphon is not in his seat.

I roll my eyes, knowing well enough that I have bigger things to worry about than this.

"Mother, is it okay if I return to my room? I think the festivities are all over and as your maid of honour, I need to get up early for your pre wedding brunch tomorrow." I tell her while feigning a pleading smile and his eyes widen and she looks to her side towards her husband to be and I clench my jaw to refrain from saying anything inappropriate.

Eduardo nods his head dismissively and only when my mother believes that her new husband has no problem with me retiring to my bed before the two of them, does my mother finally look at me and nod her head with a small smile, "have a good night, sweetheart, we'll see you tomorrow."

Thank the Heavens.

At least someone in this universe is helping me today, even if it is only in letting me get out of this damned s**t show of a rehearsal dinner.

Grabbing my clutch and phone, I walk out of the extravagant hall but not before swiping a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray.

I cannot wait to get back to my room.

Thankfully, I am given a mini suite of my own and do not have to share with my darling mother in her bridal suite while Eduardo and Gryphon have taken accommodation in the largest Presidential suite of the hotel. Since the next two days all the festivities are to be hosted here, Beatrice thought that it was only logical that we stay here.

I press my key card for my floor once inside the elevator and my body is thrumming with a sense of doom as the elevator starts making its ascent.

A date with Dereck Hamilton.

One that I cannot back out of because Gryphon Vance had to f*****g poke his nose into matters that did not concern him.

Cracking my neck side to side, I catch my own gaze in the mirror inside the elevator as I gulp down the remaining champagne in my flute and dump the entire glass in the trash can placed in one corner just as the bell indicates that I have reached my floor.

However, just before I can step off, I see a message from Misty popping up on my phone—

Come to the rooftop bar. Have something to discuss.

"Oh, f**k me!" I grunt as I type away my response—

On my way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Turns out, the conversation Misty wanted to have with me was about how I had almost walked in the Nicholas Farrera show and boy she had some loud opinions to give about that.

"I am telling you, Serena, you cannot be going rogue like this. This is your first strike and I am not going to tolerate your bitchitude after this. I will drop you if you do something like this again." She had said.

"You should know better than to go traipsing around for trashy designers." She had said.

"And have care on what you eat, I have no intention of watching you exercise and waste my time when you gain all that weight after the wedding." She had said.

"And speaking of the wedding, get closer to Gryphon Vance. Ask him to make you the face of the fashion label that he bought off of Nicholas. With a Vance in the picture, the label is certainly going to thrive." She had said.

And with all those absurd reprimands, she had left me alone on the bar, nursing a glass of vodka cranberry and making me yearn for something harder.

"Bourbon please," I tell the bartender as the crisp air caresses at my backless dress once I knew that I would not be getting any sleep tonight either.

My own thoughts are too loud for sleep at the moment.

"Rough night?" A gruff voice asks from beside me and I am about to turn around and give a snappy response per my reputation but then my words never come out of my lips because sitting next to me on the bar counter, in his perfectly set hair and shirt sleeves folded up to reveal his forearms is no one other than—

Gryphon Asshole Vance.