‘Haven’t you heard? I told you, the old man left Skyline the day after Frank came to see him. Mum and Daniel went with him. They’re on a cruise, supposedly a world tour, no idea when they’ll be back.’
‘They didn’t think to take you with them?’
Rhys shrugged. ‘What would be the point? Frank knows I don’t have that kind of money. He wouldn’t bother coming after me. Besides, he’s got nothing on me.’
In other words, if I wanted information about Frank, Rhys was the only person I could work with.
Either him, or my mother, Caroline.
I picked the lesser of two evils.
‘What’s the favour?’ I asked.
‘Come with me,’ Rhys said.
‘Where to?’ I was suspicious.
‘You’ll see soon enough.’
When I didn’t move, he added, ‘What, you don’t trust me enough to get in the car?’
I sent a quick text to Yvaine, apologising for cancelling dinner, and then got in.
Rhys took me to a styling salon. First, they did my hair, then applied meticulous make-up, and finally helped me into an exquisite evening gown.
Rhys gazed at me, spellbound. ‘You look stunning.’
I headed for the door. ‘Let’s go.’
I knew getting me all dressed up could only mean one thing: he was taking me to a function. I just hadn’t expected it to be a private viewing party.
The display cases glittered under brilliant chandeliers, though not as dazzlingly as the precious jewels held within them.
My attention was immediately captured by the central display, and for a moment, I forgot all about Rhys and the party.
Suspended within a delicate framework of platinum was a flawless, star-cut ruby. Not the usual deep scarlet, but a rare pigeon’s blood red, so vivid it seemed to glow with its own inner fire. A note attached to the display case said it was a two-hundred-and-fifty-carat stone, sold at a private auction for a world-record sum.
The platinum setting was shaped like a coiled serpent, its body encrusted with hundreds of tiny, colour-shifting sapphires that shimmered from deep blue to violet, creating the illusion of moving scales with every shift of light. The serpent’s head was a single, immense pear-cut emerald.
‘I knew you’d like it.’
I pulled myself away from my near-reverent study of the incredible piece and looked at Rhys. I stopped myself from thanking him for bringing me; after all, I’d only come because he’d made me, and I didn’t want him to think I was softening.
But deep down, I was genuinely grateful he’d brought me here. Before Ashton, jewellery had been my one true passion in life.
‘Who owns this?’ I asked.
Rhys told me a name that meant nothing to me.
He said, ‘He’s a wealthy old man with a serious collecting habit. Loves all sorts of rare things, and loves showing them off even more. He hosts these viewing parties pretty regularly.’
I looked back at the ruby choker. If I owned something like that, I’d want to show it off every single day.
I turned, surprised to see Ashton there.
Just last night, I’d refused to accompany him to a function. And now, here I was, showing up with another man—my ex-boyfriend, no less. The situation was... well, to say it was awkward would be putting it mildly.
‘I didn’t know this was the function you had in mind,’ I groped for anything to say.
Ashton said nothing, his eyes boring straight into mine.
Just then, someone else arrived. ‘Mirabelle!’
‘Naomi,’ I breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Good to see you.’
‘A friend of yours?’ Rhys asked, half-smiling as he gazed at me with what looked like affectionate warmth.
‘Yes, a good friend. Naomi Fenty, Ryan Fenty’s better half,’ I introduced.
Rhys extended his hand amiably. ‘Lovely to meet you. I’m a friend of Mirabelle’s.’
‘Ex-friend,’ I clarified.
Rhys looked at me, his expression genuinely wounded. ‘I’d hoped we could still be good friends, even after everything.’
‘What ever gave you that idea?’ I said. ‘We aren’t even casual friends.’
At best, we were temporary allies.
‘Not even casual friends? Then why are you here as his date?’
The sharp, mocking voice could only belong to Genevieve.
I should’ve expected her here. The woman was like a bad penny, always turning up.
I glanced at Ashton, wondering if Genevieve was his date for the evening.
‘So you turned Ash down just so you could be some other man’s plus-one? I wonder how your husband feels about that.’ Genevieve’s smile was all poisoned honey.
‘Genevieve, will you just shut up?’ Naomi hissed.
Ashton just watched me coldly. He didn’t tell Genevieve to stop. He didn’t say a word in my defence. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveI(F)ire.net
Some things never changed. He was still protecting her.
‘Rhys, let’s go. I’m hungry.’
Rhys shot a triumphant glance at Ashton before turning to follow me.
Behind us, I could still hear Genevieve pressing on. ‘Ash, are you really going to just take that from your wife?’
‘Genevieve, will you please just shut the hell up?’ Naomi sounded exasperated.
‘I’m only stating facts,’ Genevieve retorted, completely unapologetic.
I didn’t catch the rest.
I found a quiet spot to sit down, and Rhys went to fetch me some food.
But before he could return, Ashton was suddenly beside me, pulling me to my feet. ‘You’re coming with me.’
‘What are you doing?’ I glared at him. ‘I don’t want to leave. If you have something to say, say it right here.’
Ashton’s brows were drawn tight, his expression dark. ‘Don’t you owe me an explanation for why you’re here with him?’ His voice was low and strained, thick with barely contained anger.
‘And what about you? Care to explain why you were with Genevieve here? And why you keep protecting her, over and over?’
Ashton looked at me as though I was being unreasonable. ‘Do we have to do this now?’
‘Have this conversation.’
‘Fine. I don’t like you spending time with Rhys.’
‘Well, I don’t like you spending time with Genevieve,’ I shot back, just as seriously.
‘I’ll do my best not to see her from now on,’ Ashton said without hesitation.