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Jayden paced furiously through the gardens that surrounded the manor. He had needed to cool down after his altercation with his father and he was in no mood to speak to anyone. He took a deep breath and stared up into the cloudless sky. The milky way was strewn brightly against the velvet tapestry of the night and the stars twinkled playfully from the heavens.
It was a moonlit night and across the still air, the faint sounds of laughter and music could be heard from the manor as the ball continued.
He took another deep breath and calming himself, he let his features settle into an impassive expression. A fierce light of determination, however, remained in his eyes. He turned around and made his way back to the manor; he had already been outside for more than an hour.
He stopped at the entrance and glanced down at his soaked trousers and mud-caked shoes. He changed his direction and entered the manor from the side entrance that was used by the staff.
He made his way to his room, deciding to change his clothes before rejoining the party. The hallways were empty as he moved steadily through, everyone occupied with the activities downstairs.
He reached the door to his room and twisting the handle, made his way inside. His entire body froze in place at the sight that greeted him.
‘Why hello, Jayden. You’ve kept us waiting for quite a while.’
Azrael sat languidly on his bed and beside him lay an unconscious Samuel. Azrael smiled reassuringly as he caught the look on Jayden’s face.
‘Don’t worry, he’s not dead. At least not yet. It’s all dependent on your good behaviour you see.’
Jayden’s eyes flashed with malevolence. ‘Get away from him.’
Azrael grinned. ‘Come, now. Let’s not get worked up so easily.’
Jayden moved towards the bed but a glint of light froze him in his steps. Azrael traced the dagger lazily down Samuel’s neck.
‘I would behave myself if I were you,’ he said as he caressed Samuel’s face lovingly with the blade of the knife. ‘This dagger is so sharp and he has such tender skin as I’m sure you could attest.’
Jayden’s jaw clenched but he kept his rage in check. ‘What do you want?’
Azrael let out a desolate sigh. ‘You know Jayden, I am disappointed in you. You had such great promise and yet look what you’ve been reduced to.’ He shook his head morosely. ‘So disappointed.’
Jayden’s gaze was cold. ‘Forgive me, but I had no idea that I was the object of your pride.’
‘Not pride exactly. Hope. You see I had such high hopes for you. You were my equal in every way. We were supposed to be great archnemesis, the Sherlock to my Moriarty.’
‘How quaint.’
Azrael’s expression turned wistful. ‘I remember the first time we met. All my life no one has ever been able to see the part of me that I do not willingly show, not even your formidable mother. I have a hunch that Headmistress Fontaine had an idea -she never fully trusted me you see, but even she could not fully grasp the depths of my depravity.’ He chuckled fondly. ‘You, on the other hand, you were different. You took one look at me with that penetrating gaze of yours and you immediately cut through all the glamours and charms that I had painstakingly cultivated around myself. You took one look and saw me for who I truly am. You saw me as me.‘
A faraway look came into his eyes. ‘My first instinct was to kill you of course. However, despite myself, I had to admit I was intrigued. Only one other person has known me for who I truly am -she is dead now so it’s of no consequence, but when she saw me she knew fear. I looked into your eyes and instead of fear, I saw a challenge. You were a danger to me but I decided to let you live. It’s one of my worst flaws really, completely disregarding personal safety for a moment of exhilaration.’
Jayden rolled his eyes impatiently. ‘As interesting as this monologue is, can we hurry it along? I’m getting tired.’
Azrael laughed good-naturedly. ‘Yes, going off into long spiels is another flaw we villains have. I suppose after all our careful planning we need someone to appreciate our methodical labours.’ He cocked his head curiously. ‘The funny thing is I don’t consider myself a villain. A lot of people see me as one and I suppose I am one to them but to me, I’m just trying to have fun. Though, now that I think about it, I suppose that’s what true villainy is; doing what you want irregardless of people’s rights or safety not just doing bad for its own sake.’ He shook himself. ‘I am digressing again, I’m afraid you’ve caught me in a reflective mood.’
He caught Jayden’s impatient look and smiled indulgently. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get to the crux of the matter soon enough. Patience, while often overstated, is the most underrated virtue of all.’
Jayden gave him a derisive snort. ‘And I suppose you are the authority on virtues.’
‘Touché,’ Azrael replied absently, his mind starting to wander again.
‘Why don’t you tell me why you’re here?’ Jayden said in an attempt to draw him back. ‘Does this,’ he gestured to his bed. ‘Does it have anything to do with why you returned to Lumière?’
‘Hmm?’ Azrael blinked at him in confusion before returning back to himself. ‘Oh, yes it is. It’s an odd story really. After I had decided to keep you alive, I kept a close eye on you for years. I thought I knew everything about what you’ve been getting up to, so imagine my surprise when Valentina came to me with the most outlandish piece of information you can think of.’
Jayden’s eyes narrowed. ‘Valentina?’
‘Yes, our old friend. She told me a peculiar story about you. I could hardly believe it, so of course, I had to come personally and verify things for myself. You can’t fathom how disappointed I was when I found out she was right. You had allowed yourself to succumb to one of the greatest weaknesses of mankind. Love.’
Jayden gaze turned icy. ‘Love isn’t a weakness.’
‘Isn’t it?’ Azrael looked thoughtful. He pressed the tip of the dagger to Samuel’s cheek drawing out a thin rivulet of blood. ‘Ah you see,’ he said as Jayden flinched horribly. ‘You’ve just proven my point.’
He drew the knife away and stood, walking away from the bed. Jayden rushed to Samuel’s side. He cradled Samuel’s head carefully as he gently wiped the blood from his cheek. Samuel’s eyes remained closed and his chest rose softly with each breath.
Azrael watched him with a contemplative expression on his face. ‘I can’t understand it, maybe you can explain it to me. What is love if not a weakness? Just now, I held your very heart in my hands and with just a flick of my finger I could have brought you to your knees. With him in my hands, I can bind you to my will. How could he possibly be worth it?’
‘You don’t know anything about him.’
Azrael chuckled. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure he has many fine qualities. He is quite the looker as well. But no one is worth the debasement of love. What is the worth of a man who is not master of himself?’
‘You have no idea what love is, Azrael.’
‘On the contrary, it is something I’m quite familiar with. I find it a very useful tool and have even employed it on occasion. However, to let yourself fall under its spell,’ he shook his head.
Jayden’s fists clenched and a murderous glint appeared in his eyes. Azrael caught his expression and smiled.
‘Don’t look so glum. All is not lost, there’s hope yet. Valentina thinks she can fix you.’
A light of understanding appeared on Jayden’s face. ‘She told my father.’
Azrael clapped his hands happily. ‘Yes. You’re finally catching on. In exchange for fixing you, your beloved father is going to betroth you to her.’
‘So this was her plan all along.’
Azrael nodded, gazing off into the distance. ‘She is a very enterprising woman that one. You’ve got to hand it to her. Her family is far below the ranks in the 52 so she cast her net around your old friend, Charles. Then there was that unfortunate affair so she was left without a beau. Instead of being discouraged, however, she picked herself up and this time cast her net far higher than before, devising this cunning plan to snare you in her web.’
Jayden’s eyes were hard as stone. ‘And where do you fall into all this?’
Azrael laughed jovially. ‘Me? Why I’m the persuasion of course! How else was she going to get you to agree with everything? I’m here to make you as malleable as possible.’
Jayden shot up from the bed and tackled him to the floor. The dagger was knocked out of his hand as Jayden pinned him down.
He looked down into Azrael’s eyes which glowed bright with excitement. ‘That’s not going to happen.’
Azrael’s lips twitched with mirth. ‘Isn’t it?’
Jayden felt a cold pressure at his side. They stared at each other few moments until Jayden backed down. He slowly removed his fingers from Azrael’s neck and got off.
Azrael twirled the gun in amusement as he got to his feet. ‘Effective, aren’t they? Loud cumbersome things and they lack the grace and delicacy of a dagger but they do their job well enough. Personally, they are too impersonal for me. I prefer to feel the skin tear underneath my blade, feel the pressure as it cuts through tendons and muscle, and watch the glint of blood as it stains the steel.’
Jayden features regained their impassivity. ‘There’s one thing I don’t understand.’
Azrael cocked his head to the side in curiosity. ‘Oh?’
‘Why are you helping her? What are you getting out of all this?’
Azrael’s grin widened as his eyes shone playfully. ‘Isn’t it obvious yet? I’m having fun!’
‘This is all a game to you?’
‘Everything is a game to me. That’s why I do anything at all. If it doesn’t entertain me why would I bother with it?’
Jayden gave him a long look. ‘You’re insane.’
Azrael giggled. ‘Stop flattering me. We should get going. Valentina would be furious that I’ve kept so long but frankly, it couldn’t be helped. Life is an art. How could I just do as she asked without setting the scene first and painting our characters to life. How does the saying go? Life is a play, the world is the stage and we are its actors.’
‘If that’s the case, I would like to go back to the beginning, or better yet let’s just skip to the end altogether.’
Azrael gave him a disappointed look. ‘You are an artist how can you speak like that? Imagine if somewhere, somehow there are people reading about us, as we speak. They need to understand our history to fully appreciate where the story is going.’
Jayden tried to hold back his eyeroll. If he didn’t he feared his eyes were going to permanently disappear into the back of his skull.
‘If we leave now, would you leave Samuel alone?’ he asked impatiently, the makings of a plan already beginning to form in his head.
Azrael’s eyes crinkled amusedly as if he could read his thoughts. ‘I would dispel such thoughts if I were you. It’s not going to work. He would be free to go yes, but as an assurance of your good behaviour, I would forever be by his side, just around the corner, hiding in the shadows. If you were to take one step out of line well…’ He chuckled. ‘I’m sure you don’t need me to go into all the grisly details.’
Jayden’s jaw ticked but he said nothing.
Azrael let out a compassionate sigh. ‘I feel for you, I really do, but you brought it on yourself. You allowed yourself this weakness and now look where it’s got you. You tried so hard to keep it from me so you knew what would happen. Honestly, what else did you expect?’ He smiled to himself as a thought occurred to him. ‘It’s funny, isn’t it? Look at us, we are the brightest minds of our generation and yet we are under the whimsical caprices of a scheming harlot.’
He laughed and walked over to the door. ‘Come, we can’t have you missing your own betrothal.’ He held the door open. ‘Shall we?’
Jayden took one last look at the boy sleeping peacefully on the bed. He counted each breath and closed his eyes, trying to keep that picture forever ingrained in his memory.
Azrael was watching him carefully and his lips quirked up in amusement as Jayden opened his eyes and nodded. He waited until Jayden had walked past him before following, letting the door fall close behind him with a soft click.
~
Samuel’s eyes fluttered open to meet an unfamiliar darkness. He sat up slowly, rubbing his head as his eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light.
He recognized those grey walls. How did he end up in Jayden’s bedroom?
He frowned and closed his eyes struggling to recall the memories. He remembered arriving in the manor with his family, talking with his friends from school, then… He winced as a powerful migraine shot through his head.
He stood groggily and fumbled into the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He must have had more than a few drinks he concluded as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Jayden must have probably brought him here to sleep it off, or one of the others.
He decided to go and find them and ask them himself. He walked out of the bedroom and made his way through several winding corridors and down the marble staircase, eyes blinking as they slowly adjusted to the bright light of the ball.
It was close to midnight and the party was almost over. He searched around for a few minutes before his eyes landed on Paul who was supporting a half-drunk Leo on his arm.
‘Where have you been?’ Paul asked as soon as he caught sight of him. ‘I had been looking everywhere for you before I had to stop to take care of this idiot.’
Leo let out a tiny burp. ‘Who are you calling an idiot? And why do you have two heads?’
Paul rolled his eyes in exasperation as Leo leaned back and started counting the space around him.
Samuel glanced around them. ‘Have you seen Jayden?’
Paul shook his head. ‘No, I haven’t seen him for hours. The last I saw of him he asked me to look for you. There are Cam and Noel, maybe they know.’
Leo waved at Cam as he came to stand by him. ‘Hello, Cam. Oh, look there’s another one. Hello, other Cam. There’s another one again. How do you keep cloning yourself? Can you teach me how to do it?’
Cam was amused. ‘I see you enjoyed yourself.’
Leo beamed. ‘It was amazing. We danced all night and we even played a little drinking game before she had to back to her friends. Hey, do you want to play with me? All sixteen of you?’
‘Yeah, I think you’ve had enough,’ Paul commented dryly.
‘Lies! I haven’t touched a single drop!’
Paul ignored him. ‘Have you guys seen Jayden?’
Cam shook his head. ‘I thought he was with you,’ he said to Samuel. ‘I hadn’t seen you both all night.’
Noel frowned. ‘I think I just saw him with his parents at the-‘
He was interrupted as the music suddenly cut off and a soft tinkling filled the air.
‘If we could please gather at the great hall, the Mills family has an important announcement to make.’
They stared at one another before joining the streams of people going out of the ballroom and towards the great hall.
They gathered at the foot of the marble staircase as curious chattering enveloped them.
‘What is going on?’ Noel whispered.
‘I don’t know but I think we are about to find out,’ Paul muttered back.
Roger and Victoria appeared at the bannisters and the conversation immediately ceased. An expected hush fell around the room as they waited curiously.
Roger stepped up. He was wearing a huge smile on his face as he looked down at the assemblage.
‘Honoured guests,’ he began in a ringing baritone that filled the room. ‘Christmas is not only a season of hope and joy but a time to cherish our families. It, therefore, brings me unbounded joy to announce a new addition to my family. My beloved son and heir, Jayden is officially betrothed to Valentina Wilson. The Wilsons are one of our most ancient houses and their union would join them to my own noble house, therefore, ensuring the continuation of the strength and legacy of the 52 for another generation.’
Loud applause broke out as the guests nodded to themselves in approval. Roger basked in this for a moment before raising a hand to call for silence.
‘Majesties, Lords and Ladies, I am deeply honoured to share such a momentous occasion with you and in just a few months, when they come of age, I hope you will join me again in wishing them the best of luck as they utter their vows of holy matrimony.’
Samuel stood thunderstruck. Roger’s mouth kept moving but the words were only a faint buzzing in his ears.
Paul gave him a worried look as he nudged him gently. ‘Hey, are you ok?’
Samuel nodded dumbly as he tuned back into the speech.
‘Now, for the couple of the hour,’ Roger was saying. He gestured to his side. ‘My beloved son and my future daughter-in-law.’
Jayden and Valentina stepped up beside him to even louder applause. Jayden’s face was impassive as he took it all in and Valentina wore a brilliant smile as she stood proudly beside him. She inclined her head humbly as the applause grew in volume.
‘My son and his future bride would now mark their betrothal with a waltz. Let’s congratulate them as they make their way down.’
Jayden and Valentina moved from the bannisters and made their way down the marble staircase. The crowd parted to let them through and a few men gave Jayden congratulatory pats on his shoulder as he passed them by.
They stood in the middle of the ballroom as a circle formed around them. Roger nodded and the orchestra picked up a tune.
Jayden placed a hand on Valentina’s waist and took her left hand with his right, leading them in a slow waltz down the centre of the dancefloor.
‘It’s our betrothal, Jayden,’ Valentina cooed. ‘At least try to look happy about it.’
Jayden said nothing. He spun her around as his grip tightened on her waist.
Valentina winced slightly. ‘Not too hard. Remember, you have to behave.’
Jayden looked down at her. ‘You are naïve if you think you are in control of Azrael.’
Valentina’s smile remained in place. ‘I do not need you to tell me who he is. Trust me, I know exactly the kind of person I’m dealing with.’
‘Then you are a fool. Do you have any idea of the kind of trouble you’ve placed us in?’
‘I am no fool. I know what he is capable of, I have seen him commit unspeakable deeds. Do not think for a second that I am unaware of the danger. It is, however, a risk I am willing to take.’
Jayden looked into her eyes and saw the fierce determination that burned within. ‘All this for me?’
‘Don’t flatter yourself. You’re merely a stepping stone in my path. With your name and your wealth think of all I can achieve.’
He spun her around before placing his hand back on the small of her back. ‘You seek to control the 52?’
Valentina scoffed. ‘The 52 are a bunch of fools with an inflated sense of importance. Who are they in the grand scheme of things? Why go after them if I can have the world.’
Jayden was intrigued despite himself. ‘So you seek power.’
‘Only a fool doesn’t seek power, cowards run away from it and weaklings fear to wield it.’
He finally understood what Azrael saw in her and more than anything he despised the grudging respect he felt. ‘You may have my name but you will not get my help.’
She shrugged. ‘You can stand by me or not. It’s of no consequence. Either way, I will get what I want. You would be a fool not to, however. Think about it, together who would be able to stand against us? We would even be able to take down that pest Rutherford once and for all.’
The song ended and they stepped away.
‘Before I forget, how are you going to deal with Samuel.’
Jayden clenched his fists. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I do not like complications. He has to believe that it’s over between you or he may prove himself a complication. I do not need to tell you how I deal with complications.’
Jayden’s jaw clenched. ‘What are you asking me to do?’
Valentina looked him dead in the eye. ‘Break his heart. We both know it’s for the best. He has to let you go so he can live his life in peace.’
Jayden gave her a look of such venomous hatred she was thrown slightly aback by it.
She pulled herself together. ‘I’ll leave the specifics to you. Put that wonderful mind of yours to work, I’m sure you of all people would know how best to go about it.’
Jayden gave her one last glare before storming off. She fixed the smile on her face and walked up to the side where Jayden’s parents had stood watching them.
Roger beamed at her. ‘Marvellous. You make a lovely couple.’
Valentina blushed. ‘Thank you, sir.’
‘No need to call me sir. We are going to be family after all. Just call me Roger.’
Valentina was pleased. ‘That’s kind of you, Roger.’
‘Don’t mention it. Why don’t you mingle around, I’m sure a lot of people are dying to giving you their congratulations.’
Valentina nodded happily and left, mixing in with the crowd. Other guests had returned to the dance floor and the ball regained its normal flow. A couple walked up to them.
‘Congratulations on such a fortuitous match, Roger. You must be so proud.’
Roger grinned. ‘Thank you, Minister.’
‘Your future daughter-in-law is stunning,’ the Minister’s wife said. ‘Your son is a very lucky young man.’
Roger laughed. ‘The whole family is lucky to have her. Aren’t we, Tori?’
Victoria didn’t smile. ‘If you would kindly excuse us, I would like a word with my husband.’
‘Of course, of course. Congratulations again.’
Victoria dragged her husband into a small alcove. ‘What did you do, Roger?’
‘Me? I didn’t do anything. It was all Valentina’s work. She offered me a deal that if she can get Jayden’s agreement I was to betroth him to her. And what do you know, she did it! I can hardly believe it myself, isn’t it amazing?’
Victoria looked the furthest thing from amazed. ‘And how did she get him to agree?’
Roger shrugged. ‘Who knows? The important thing is, it worked. We have our son back again.’ He frowned. ‘I thought you would be happier about this.’
‘What about this situation could possibly make you think that?’ she demanded.
Roger was confused. ‘Is this about our promise to betroth Jayden to the first family of the 52? Don’t worry, I’m sure we can get them to understand. And even if they don’t who cares. Even as the second family we are more powerful than they are and it’s only a matter of time before we take their place.’
He shook his head. ‘Really, Tori I am disappointed. I would have thought our son’s happiness would the more important to you than pleasing them.’
Victoria looked at him as if he had gone mad. ‘In what world does our son look happy to you?’
He dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. ‘He just needs some time to get used to the idea. After that, he would the happiest boy on earth. What possible reason could he have to be unhappy?’
Victoria didn’t look convinced. ‘I don’t like this, Roger.’
‘Women are all the same. You are worrying too much.’ He placed a kiss on her cheek. ‘Trust me. Smile a little, dance, drink champagne. All our worries are finally over.’
He gave her a reassuring smile before disappearing to receive more congratulations from his guests.
Victoria didn’t remain alone for long. She looked up as Samuel walked up uncertainly to her.
She smiled warmly at him. ‘How are you doing, Samuel? Is there anything I can help you with?’
Samuel bit his lip nervously. ‘I was hoping you could tell me what just happened. Why did Jayden agree to this?’
Victoria smiled sadly. ‘I’m afraid I’m as much in the dark as you are. Why don’t you speak to Jayden? He won’t tell me anything but I’m sure he would be willing to speak to you.’
Samuel was disappointed. ‘Oh, alright. Do you know where I can find him?’
‘I think he went upstairs. He’s probably in his room.’
Samuel nodded gratefully. ‘Thanks.’
‘Samuel,’ Victoria called as he started to walk away.
He turned back to face and she walked up to place an encouraging hand on his shoulder.
‘I’m sure it would be alright.’
Samuel smiled wanly. ‘I hope so. But somehow, I have a feeling it would not be.’
He gave her a grateful smile and walked out of the ballroom. The hallways were dark as he made his way to Jayden’s room.
He was almost there when he stopped. There was laughter coming up the opposite corridor. He recognized the voices.
‘Slow down, what’s the hurry?’ Azrael laughed as he came into sight.
Jayden, who had been dragging him, turned and dropped his arm. He pushed Azrael against the wall, reaching up to cup his face as he pulled him into a languorous kiss.
He pulled away and smiled. ‘You have no idea how much I miss this.’
Azrael’s lips quirked up. ‘We would have been able to do this sooner if you had taken my advice from the beginning,’ he said as he reached down to nip Jayden’s neck. ‘So what do you think? I was right, wasn’t I?’
Jayden moaned as Azrael continued to leave love bites on his neck. ‘Yes, you were. Father stopped bothering me as soon as I told him about the betrothal. And Valentina was the best choice. She wants my name and I want her cover so I can keep doing this.’
He reached over to capture Azrael’s mouth in a passionate kiss, eliciting a soft moan from him.
Azrael broke the kiss and glanced inquisitively up at Jayden. ‘What about Samuel?’
‘I would think up an excuse for now. He’s growing boring but he is tantalizing in bed, have I told you?’
‘You’ve mentioned it.’
Jayden laughed. ‘I can’t believe he thinks I’m in love with him. He’s naïve like that, but I suppose that’s what drew me to him in the first place.’
‘What’s the matter?’ Azrael asked, running a hand up his shirt. ‘Don’t you believe in love?’
Jayden smirked down at him. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love with me.’
Azrael’s smile was playful as he run his hands over Jayden’s body. ‘Who knows, you might fall in love with me first.’
Jayden bit back a moan. ‘But I love our current arrangement so much more.’
Azrael licked his lips. ‘Why don’t you show me just how much?’
Jayden grinned and pulled him off the wall, dragging him the last few feet into his bedroom.
Immediately the door closed behind them, Jayden shoved Azrael off him and wiped his lips furiously with the back of his hand.
Azrael was doubled over in laughter as he leaned against the door. ‘Oh, my god. You can be positively cruel when you want to be. I wish I saw the look on his face.’
Jayden’s stare was spiteful as he watched the still-laughing boy. ‘Get out.’
‘Now, now. Let’s not be hasty,’ Azrael said, wiping the tears from his eyes. ‘We wouldn’t want to give the game away.’
He snickered before dissolving into another fit of laughter. ‘Oh the poor boy, he must have been so crushed. I so wish I had sneaked a peak. Who knew you could act so well? I was almost fooled for a second and thought you actually wanted me.’
Jayden regarded him with icy disdain. ‘You are despicable.’
‘Lot of big words for someone whose tongue was just down my throat.’ He giggled. ‘You can’t deny that the chemistry we have is electric. It’s all done now, so you might as well just give in and finish what you started.’
‘I would sooner sleep with pigs.’
Azrael pouted. ‘Are you sure? I have an amazing reputation in bed as I’m sure you’ve no doubt heard. One of the upsides of understanding people so well is I know exactly what makes them tick. I can unravel and put you back together so accurately and so lovingly you will transcend reality.’
Jayden decided the best way to deal with him was to ignore him and he did just that as Azrael dissolved into another fit of helpless laughter.
Meanwhile, outside Samuel was still frozen in shock. His mind kept replaying what he had just witnessed and each scene time it drove another dagger into his heart. His mind was in a daze as he turned to stumble blindly back.
‘… Samuel… Samuel… Samuel!’
He jolted as the sound pierced through the thick haze causing him to knock over a vase that stood in the corridor.
He looked dumbly down at the broken pieces and he wondered if that was what it looked like inside his chest.
Victoria walked up to him in concern. ‘Are you ok?’
Samuel nodded.
‘Did you see Jayden?’
Samuel nodded.
‘Was he able to explain it to you?’
‘No.’
Victoria frowned. ‘Let’s go together, I would make him-‘
Samuel looked up and quickly shook his head. ‘No. He’s… I think he’s busy now.’
‘Oh. Maybe later then.’
Samuel didn’t answer.
Victoria’s concern grew. ‘Are you sure you’re alright? Do you need me to get you anything?’
‘I’m fine.’ He looked back at the broken shards at his feet. ‘Sorry about the vase.’
‘Don’t be. It was an anniversary present from my horrid sister. I have despised it for a decade.’
Samuel nodded. He took one last look at it and walked away.
A worried look settled over Victoria’s beautiful features as she watched him leave. She turned to stare in the direction of Jayden’s room with a puzzled look, wondering what had happened between them.
The ball was slowly winding to a close as Samuel came down the marble staircase. His friends had been waiting for him at the foot of the stairs and they all crowded around him as soon as he got off the step.
‘What happened?’
‘Are you alright?’
‘What did Jayden say?’
‘One at a time,’ Paul came in. He looked worriedly at his friend. ‘Are you ok buddy?’
‘I’m-‘
‘Yo guys, there’s this sick pool party going on at Stacey’s house,’ Leo said, bounding up to them. His face was flush with excitement. ‘There’s booze and lots of hot girls, we should totally go.’
Paul gave him a look and he shut up. He looked around at his friends in confusion.
‘Did I miss something?’
Samuel looked up at him. ‘I need a drink. I’m in.’
Leo’s mouth opened and closed several times as he looked unsurely at his friends. ‘Erm..’
Samuel grew impatient. ‘You said there was a great party happening right now, didn’t you? Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go.’
‘Are you sure about this? I think it would be better if we stay-‘ Paul started but Samuel cut him off.
‘I said I’m fine.’ He turned to Leo. ‘Are we going to stand here all night, or are we going to have fun?’
Leo snapped out of his hesitation and beamed at Samuel. ‘I like how you think my friend,’ he said, swinging an arm around Samuel’s shoulders. ‘Come on buddy, I’m going to show you the best night of your life.
Author’s Note: Poor Samuel, I felt so bad for him here. Also this story is officially at 200k words, well technically 201k but that’s all semantics.
Ngl, my favourite character is Azrael. He’s such a silly little devil I’m in love with him. He’s also a joy to write as well. His mind works in the oddest ways so it’s always a journey when I have place myself in his shoes.
Valentina being a modern woman and bagging herself a rich man. If only it didn’t have to be through nefarious means smh. What do you think it’s going to happen next?
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