Chapter 7 The Rattlesnake
Throughout the night, I felt eyes on me, but it was not the ordinary kind that came with being the heiress everyone had gathered to welcome home..These felt different and intentional.
Every time I tried to mingle with the invited guests, that prickling sensation returned along my skin, making me glance over my shoulder. I eventually spotted the source of another familiar discomfort.
Thomas.
Of course he had to be here. My ex-nemesis stood across the room wearing a polished suit that did little to hide the bitterness etched across his face. The accusation he threw at me was even more ridiculous than the sight of him.
“Why didn’t you tell me you’re an heiress?”
I wiggled my slender wrists away from his stifling grip as his eyes burned with something akin to craze. “You left me.” His poor attempt at playing the victim made me boil from inside that I swung my palm across his face. “You still have the nerve to play the victim card?”
Then he caught my wrist again. “What are you talking about?” There was caution and slight fear in his voice. Kane interrupted and he pulled me away from Thomas’s grasp, and I found myself standing far too close to the man who had somehow become more dangerous-looking with age.
Being around Thomas was unnerving and utterly repulsive.
Being around Kane was something else entirely. It was head-spinning, tempting and that was far more annoying.
I was still squirming beneath the weight of Kane’s last statement.
I never stopped being yours. Excuse me? Mine? When?
I never got the memo! I pushed against his chest, but he barely moved, but of course he didn’t move. The man was practically built like a wall now.
His broad shoulders and muscular frame filled out his dark suit perfectly, hard planes and ridges visible beneath the expensive fabric. His calloused fingers brushed my arm as he steadied me, and I immediately wanted to bite my own hand off for noticing.
That jaw…Honestly, it looked sharp enough to slice through air. I dragged my gaze away. “You two are here.” Ally’s voice broke through the haze in my head and Kane immediately withdrew from me.
His hands remained respectfully away from my waist, although one of them brushed lightly against the exposed skin of my back as he stepped away. My skin tingled and i hated that it did.
Ally looked between us with an expression that told me she had noticed far more than I wanted her to, but i ignored her.
Eventually, I went to meet my grandparents and the moment I saw them, every other thought disappeared.
“Grandpa.” I rushed into Maxwell Hawthorn’s arms.
“I missed you, my dear girl.” His voice cracked slightly.
I hugged him tighter, burying my face against his shoulder as the familiar scent of his cologne brought back memories of childhood. “I missed you too.”
He pulled away and studied my face as though checking whether four years had changed too much. Then, with a smile, he took my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor.
We danced briefly, laughing when he deliberately stepped on my foot. “Grandpa!”
“What?” His innocent expression made me laugh harder. For those few minutes, I wasn’t the heiress. I wasn’t the girl who had been betrayed. I was simply his granddaughter again. Thunderous applause filled the hall as the event finally came to an end.
As I glanced across the room, I caught Thomas watching me. There was something in his expression that looked suspiciously like regret. I almost rolled my eyes. Regret Now? After everything? I lifted my chin. Pfft. He called me a nobody. Well, look at me now. In your face, bitch.
Later, I rode in Kane’s car with him and Ally. I leaned back against the seat and glanced between them. “What’s his deal?” Ally immediately understood who I meant.
“Thomas?”
I nodded. “He’s divorced and broke. His ex-wife took him to the cleaners.” A snort escaped me, because i imagined Thomas standing outside his mansion with nothing but his briefs and stockings while his ex-wife threw his belongings after him.
The mental image was so ridiculous that I started giggling.
“Karma looks good on him,” Ally added mischievously.
I laughed again. Then, almost accidentally, my eyes landed on Kane through the rearview mirror.
I froze realising his ears were pierced. My gaze lingered on the small dangling cross earring before I quickly looked away. Why had I never noticed that before? My face warmed and unfortunately, my brain chose that exact moment to supply me with several thoughts I had absolutely no business entertaining. I shifted in my seat.
Nope.
Absolutely not.
The next few days passed in a blur as I acquainted myself with the company’s operations. There was more to H&G than I had expected. “Sean, get me the financial audit records from ten years ago.” Staring at the lanky tall man looking to be in his early forties, I figured I could trust the experienced accountant.
My observations continued with seeing the buried mess such as how departments overlapped, executives had their own agendas, and every decision seemed to affect another part of the company.
Now that I had officially taken over as head of operations, everyone seemed determined to watch whether I would sink or swim. My office reflected exactly how I liked things. There were splashes of deep blue at the bottom half of the wall behind me and a well coordinated contrast of grey and white before me.
The shelf held my most beloved researches and books. I placed my awards on the lower part as it reflected the light from the day. My office had clean lines and wide windows that allowed enough light into the room without making the space feel sterile.
I was reviewing a proposal when my assistant walked in.
“There’s a meeting with an investor scheduled for this evening.” I looked up to see my assistant was a small, petite woman with an unusually tense expression.
Lisa was a newly college graduate like me too. “Is everything all right?” My voice softened, but her face had gone pale. “It’s just that…”
She hesitated. “He has a sketchy reputation.” I nodded slowly.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I glanced down at the proposal again.
Business was business. Money had to be made.
Clients needed to be satisfied. Investors needed to be handled and if I wanted to prove that I deserved my position, I couldn’t run every time someone made me uncomfortable.
