Vanquished (The Encounter #3)(26)
“You should be on your way home, Beno?t. I dismissed you an hour ago.” I delivered the words as calmly as a man who was teetering on his thinly veiled patience possibly could.
He took a hefty breath, seeming to choose his words wisely. “I would’ve left like I normally do, but I couldn’t help staying a while after seeing how mad you’ve been ever since I informed you. You can count that I know that I’m crossing boundaries by even addressing you in such a way, but I’m taking my chances because I care for you like I care for my family, Monsieur Xavier. I just want to say, try to be merciful. Miss Callas loved you, and we shouldn’t judge how she chooses to cope with her pain.”
Miss Callas, the bloody miserable bitch.
“Miss Callas loves no one but herself!” I bellowed. “How dare you throw the word love around! No respectable woman would whore herself out for money, and no woman in love would betray that love by using the man’s closest friend to cope with her blasted pain!”
Before Beno?t could even say another word, I cut him off, stating that I was in a rush before bidding him a safe journey home and then sliding into the blasted vehicle.
After inserting the key into the ignition, the beast roared to life. The very potent sound of the engine vibrated around me, matching the kind of mood I was in, pumping the already high-strung adrenaline that was running through me.
Pulling out of the driveway, I swerved into traffic, heading towards the marina since the party was being held on a mega yacht. Hopefully, I would get her alone before the boat anchored away, because it would be much more difficult to pull her away if we were stuck on the damn thing for the next five hours or so. No, I needed to get her away before that happened. And once I did, I would get her somewhere where we could talk without interference, because I intended to get the truth out of her. She needed to see—to understand—that her betrayal would cost her dearly, and I couldn’t wait to witness the horror that would inevitably cross her beautiful face. Yes, she deserved everything coming her way. I felt nothing for her but hatred, a feeling that fueled the fire within the blackened confines of my darkened soul.
I knew I was getting too consumed with the ache that hadn’t seemed to ebb since I had seen her last. And after finding out what she had been up to since she and I had parted ways, I felt like more of a fool. It was a laugh, but this time, the joke was on me.
Of course, I wasn’t expecting her to mop about and knew she would resume her life just as she had done before, but after realizing she couldn’t care less about what I felt, well, there wasn’t much to be said about women like her. Her actions spoke for themselves. Even knowing what she truly was now, I still felt the urge to confront her. It was nonsensical, but I couldn’t push it away. I had to find out the truth and the madness behind her actions.
It was a vile thing, this oddness lingering inside of me, chipping at my sanity until I couldn’t take it any longer … until I would lose my mind and control altogether.
True to its highly marketed promised ability, the car was a beast, indeed. As troubled as I was, driving it gave me an adrenaline rush. There was something about driving a fast vehicle at night with the windows down, letting the breeze endow you with some sort of serenity. In that one fragile moment, you truly felt alive … before you resorted back to reality.
Before long, I was slowing down as the private entrance to the marina came into view. What little serenity I had experienced immediately evaporated as I envisioned her draped all over him. This night would be one of the worst nights of my life; I could already predict it.
It took me a few minutes to hand over my keys to the valet attendant before joining the throng of invited guests that were handing over their exclusive invitations. I couldn’t be bothered to bring mine. Besides, I was already known in these circles. Just as predicted, I was ushered in with priority the second I was seen by security.
Instantly handed a flute of magnum champagne, I decided to stay out of direct sight before someone invited me for a quick chat and asked about whatever new business endeavors I had been partaking. The last thing I needed when I was in the middle of a bloody turmoil was for someone to ask for new stock picks and business advice. The market could crash right now and I wouldn’t give a flying f*ck because all that mattered to me in this instant was spotting the witch of a woman who had caused my world to go askew.
I stayed behind a spot that was shaded and not in direct view, but it gave me a full advantage to see who was coming in and out of the party. I was a few steps away from the entrance to the kitchen, and the wait staff had been giving me quite the questioning looks, but one raise of my brow made them shut down whatever it was forming in their mind. They knew who I was. Restaurant business and hospitality go hand in hand, and in these parts of the world, whoever wanted to achieve longevity in the business knew what it working for a company like mine entailed…
Wondering over other people’s opinions of me came to a screeching end when her presence was felt. I wasn’t sure why, but my senses perked up, as if a sensor, a detector of some sort, indicated to me she was in the vicinity. A full minute passed before she came into view.
My breathing became haggard. My pulse soared as my body immediately felt hot from reacting to the very sight of her. In the blink of an eye, a dark cloud shrouded my reaction as Julien appeared right next to her with his hand planted on the base of her spine.
Social impropriety. However, an opportunity would come, and I would be ready once its doors opened. In the meantime, I had to rein in my emotions, or this wouldn’t succeed.