I don’t have time to come up with an excuse, because a few seconds later Lucian’s brother walks through the door, his brows lifting in surprise when he sees me. Alexander. Oh god.
He looks even more handsome in daylight than he did that night at Inferno. Sharp cheekbones, a perfectly chiseled face, and thick, dark hair. Alexander looked good six years ago, but he looks even better now. The way he fills out his suit is unreal, and I can only imagine what kind of perfect body he’s hiding underneath it. For some reason, seeing him here, right now, really drives home what I’m about to do, and it makes me feel sick. Ashamed of myself. It makes me feel like I’m giving up a part of myself I’ll never get back. I’m giving up on the girl I used to be back when Lucian and Alexander were a part of my life.
“Elena?” Lucian says.
Alexander freezes in his tracks when Lucian says my name, his eyes widening. I can see the exact moment the puzzle pieces fall into place.
I look at the door behind Alexander resolutely and walk toward it, keeping my mouth shut, ignoring the fury written all over Alexander’s face. Nothing I do or say now is going to make him feel less betrayed. The one thing Alexander hates most is when people lie to him, and I did just that when I led him to believe we didn’t know each other. When I stole a moment that otherwise never could have belonged to me.
My shoulder brushes against Alexander’s arm, and suddenly I’m stopped in place, his hand on my wrist, his grip tight.
“Elena, is it? That’s right. Elena Diana Rousseau. I guess you didn’t lie, but you weren’t honest either.”
He doesn’t bother hiding the anger in his voice, but it’s too little, too late now anyway. I look down, unable to face him.
“This is no place for you. What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice sending a pang of nostalgia through me.
He sounds concerned, and that feeling, the feeling that someone might actually care about me, breaks my heart. I stare at his perfectly polished shoes, unable to face him. “I have an appointment,” I whisper.
“I’ll come with you. This isn’t a place you should enter alone,” he says, his voice brooking no argument. My eyes shoot up to his, and I know the panic reflected in them gave me away. Alexander tugs at my wrist and pulls me closer to him. “What are you up to?” he whispers.
I bite my lip as hard as I can in an effort to stay in control of my emotions, shaking my head as I yank my wrist loose. I walk past him, ignoring the stab in my heart. Why does it hurt just as much as walking away from the Kennedys six years ago?
I inhale deeply and make my way to the reception desk. I look around the huge room that mostly resembles a hotel lobby, wondering what I’m getting myself into and coming up empty.
“I’m here to see Mr. Vaughn,” I tell the receptionist. She immediately nods, a look of understanding on her face.
“Miss Rousseau, isn’t it?” she says, tapping away at her keyboard.
My eyes widen in surprise. Until an hour ago, I didn’t even think I’d come at all, so why does she know who I am? I have a bad feeling about this, but it’s too late to change my mind now. My mother’s life depends on me seeing this through, so I nod.
“We’ve been told to expect you. Follow me, please.”
Chapter 8
A lexander
I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her. Elena. Those eyes of hers should’ve clued me in. She’s the only girl I know whose eyes are an intriguing combination of light brown and green. I should’ve trusted my instincts when I thought she looked familiar.
The last time I remember seeing her, she was an awkward teenager with braces and glasses that were too big for her face. She was always quite pretty, but the girl I’ve come to know as Diana… She’s downright stunning. The black dress she’s wearing today hugs her figure, and it’s quite obvious that Elena is far from a little girl now.
Why would she even hide her identity that night? Why would she deceive me?
I pause on the steps of Vaughn’s club, unable to shake the feeling that something isn’t quite right with her. I haven’t stopped thinking about Diana since that night, but I can’t shake the anger I’m feeling either. I feel like she toyed with me by hiding who she was, and it doesn’t sit well with me. I grit my teeth at the thought of her brother, Matthew. She seemed so sweet, so innocent, but she’s a Rousseau, after all. Looks like Matthew’s little sister grew up to become quite the woman. Revulsion rolls through me at the thought of him.
I look back at the doors she disappeared through. What is Elena doing here at all? Vaughn’s club is private, and it has been for years. It’s a highly exclusive and prestigious gentlemen ’s club. Member applications from women aren’t even considered, let alone accepted. The only way a woman can walk in here is as a member of staff. What could bring Elena Rousseau here? Her family is too rich for her to need a job, and even if she wanted one, there’s no reason for her to find one here. I think back to the clothes she was wearing when I saw her at Inferno… the Elena I used to know wouldn’t even own clothes that cheap. I’m not a superstitious man, but I can’t shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen.
“You know what that was all about?” I ask Lucian. The contemplative look on his face tells me he’s as clueless as I am.
“I know things have been difficult for her with her mom being in a coma and her dad remarrying, but that’s all I know. I haven’t spoken to her in years. I follow her on social media, but she doesn’t exactly post much, so I have no idea what’s going on with her. Honestly, if I didn’t follow her I wouldn’t even have recognized her.”
Though my baby brother would never admit it, I know the fact that he and Elena grew apart kills him. She was his only real friend in the superficial world that our family operates in. When Elena lost her mother, he lost her.
I frown and eye the doors Elena just walked through. She knew who I was and deceived me. Why? Was it a fun game for her to play? A way to mess with me? Maybe she picked up a thing or two from her brother—she’s a Rousseau, after all. I shake my head and walk toward my car, but halfway there I pause at the same time Lucian does.
“Mom would kill us if we don’t make sure that she’s okay,” he says. I agree with him, perhaps a bit too quickly. Together we turn back around and march toward the club. I grab my phone and text my head of security, Aiden, to request a background check on Elena. Something is definitely up with her, and I want to know what.
By the time Lucian and I reach the front doors, I’ve got my friend Vaughn on the phone. “Where is Elena Rousseau?” I ask, not bothering with pleasantries.
“Lovely to hear from you, buddy. I’m good, thanks, how are you?” he says, sounding amused.
I roll my eyes. “Cut the crap, Vaughn. Where is she? Elena Diana Rousseau. I saw her walk into your club a few minutes ago. What is she doing here?”
Vaughn pauses. “Fuck. It’s her ?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Alexander, someone called me to say Matthew’s sister was going to show up. I thought I was doing you a favor, man. Fuck. I sent her to John. Conference Room eight. You’re not going to like this.”
Chapter 9
E lena
I sip the tea one of the secretaries made me and nearly scald my tongue. I’m restless and nervous. It doesn’t sit well with me that they knew me by name. This has Elise’s name written all over it. I’m certain this is a trap of some sort, but I can’t walk away either. Not when there’s even the slightest chance that I can save my mother’s life this way.
Maybe it was June who let them know I might drop by? It seems unlikely, but I’d rather have that than falling into another one of my stepsister’s traps. The last time I walked into one of her schemes, I was almost charged with possession of drugs. Not just any drugs. One hundred grams of cocaine. Elise takes going hard or going home to a new level, and for some reason, she’s always seen me as the bane of her existence. I’m not sure why, since I’ve never treated her unfairly. She’s one of the reasons I couldn’t wait to leave home. My heart sinks at the thought of my mother’s nurse and Elise colluding. If that’s the case, it means Elise and Jade have access to my mother. If they can get to June, they can get to Mom .