She bends around my father to hiss at me, “Are these things always like this?”
Next to her, Lottie snorts, eyes creased with amusement before she informs Julie, “Almost never, which is such a shame. These evenings can be enough to put someone to sleep.”
I can’t stop my amused smile, reminding her, “Still your event, Lottie.”
“Exactly,” she says primly. “So, I can say what I want.”
Dad clears his throat, and we fall quiet as he pins Silvia with his most disapproving stare. “Do you really think this is the time and place, young lady? This is a charity event for children, not some society circus.”
Silvia ignores him, her eyes sliding right over him to land on Julie, her lip curling. “Imagine bringing a housekeeper to a gala like this. It’s obvious the Foster family has no class. It does make a sick kind of sense, Lily, considering who your moth?—”
Before she can finish, Julie is stepping forward, arm flashing out, champagne flying and hitting Silvia straight in the face. We all stand there in shock, watching as the pale liquid drips down Silvia’s horrified face, sliding down and soaking the fabric of her couture gown. I glance at Julie as she steps back against my father, her expression just as shocked as everyone else’s.
“Oh,” she mumbles. “I didn’t mean to do that, but—” She straightens her shoulders, settling her expressionfirmly. “But you deserved it, running your mouth about matters you don’t understand. And about people who aren’t here to defend themselves.”
“Jules,” Dad murmurs, smoothing a hand over her shoulder, but she shakes her head.
“No. I only knew her briefly, but Gloria…she was damaged and abused for years, and she didn’t deserve the hand that life dealt her. She was a lovely lady, God rest her soul, and she doesn’t deserve to have her name run through the mud by the likes of…of…” Unable to finish, she just points her glass in Silvia’s direction, her arm shaking.
The crowd parts as Darius Huntington shoves forward, towing his wife, Elena, behind him. He comes to stand at Silvia’s side, his portly cheeks quivering with anger.
“What the hell is the meaning of this?” he thunders loudly, gesturing at his daughter. He pins a dark glare on Lottie when she steps forward with a serene smile. “What kind of event are you running, Charlotte? This”—he flaps a hand at his drenched daughter—“is some kind of assault and I will not stand for it.”
Lottie’s eyebrows lift high on her head. “Interesting perspective, Darius, considering your daughter started these shenanigans.”
He opens his mouth to yell some more, but Declan talks over him, “Assault,” he echoes thoughtfully. “That’s interesting. What would you call it when someone spreads lies and gossip that is harmful to a person’s character, especially knowing that what they’re saying is a lie?” He sounds calm, but there’s an underlying edge to his tone that has me shooting him a wary look.
Across from us Elena looks confused, but there’s a flash of understanding in Darius’ eyes that tells me he knows more about his daughter’s antics than he’d like to admit.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Declan,” he says, voice shaking with barely contained fury. “Now, don’t you think all this bad business with your father should mean that you need to keep your nose clean.” He slides a disgusted look my way. “You did well getting yourself untangled from the marriage, even if you didn’t come away with the company, but that doesn’t mean you need to sink back down into the muck.” A condescending smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Remember your place, Declan.”
Declan goes still beside me. “Remember my place,” he says so softly, eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. “Do you mean my place as the heir to a corrupt legacy? The son of an embezzler? A fraudster?” A bark of laughter. “Well, I guess that one rings true.” He eyes Darius. “But maybe you mean my place as the son of a murderer.” There are several dramatic gasps from the people circling us, and I roll my eyes, becausecome on. Everyone knows what Donald was arrested for, that’s not news.
Declan’s on a roll, still laser-focused on Darius. “And what about your place? Silvia was right about one thing. Our families have always been close. Shit, we even took holidays abroad together, didn’t we?”
“What’re you getting at, boy?”
If he wants to ruffle Declan’s feathers, he’ll have to try harder, because Declan’s expression doesn’t slip an inch at the patronizing tone. “How long have you and Donald been friends, Darius?”
“I don’t see why that matters.”
“I just find it so interesting that you can be that close to someone, and never know what they were doing behind closed doors.” He lets that settle for a moment, before adding, “You often did business together, after all.”
If I hadn’t been watching so closely, I might’ve missed it, but Darius’ cheeks lose a smidge of color, even as his eyes widen almost imperceptibly.
“Now, your father was good at hiding his wrongdoings,” he says, his tone defensive, “and it has nothing to do with me.”
“So interesting that after so many years of friendship, you would distance yourself from us so thoroughly now,” Declan muses, like Darius hadn’t spoken at all. He casually pulls his phone out, checking something on the screen as a slow smile tugs at his lips. He looks over at Lottie. “I really appreciate your help in organizing tonight, Lot. It would’ve been awkward if security hadn’t let my guests in.”
Darius looks between the two of them, unease crawling through his eyes. Silvia runs out of patience, stamping her foot furiously. “Who cares?! Someone get me a towel!” she shrieks loudly, her mascara streaking down her cheeks.
“I've got a great waterproof mascara,” Julie murmurs. “Do you think she wants the recommendation?”
I send her a grin, noticing she’s cuddled herself back under my father’s arm. “Never knew you had it in you, Julie.”
She frowns, deep creases in her brow as she stares mutinously over at the Huntingtons. “No one messes with my family.” Almost like she just realized what she said, she looks askance at me, unsure. I reach over, grabbing her hand tightly.
“You’re right,” I agree. “No one messes with us.”
