Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 141385 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141385 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
“You say it like she’s a martial arts master.”
“She might well be. I’ve seen her take down a grown man. Between that and your proclivity for hidden knives, you’ll be just fine.”
I laugh, put down the curling wand, and get up. I push him towards the door while saying, “Just go, Finn. I’ll be fine, I promise. If anyone recognises me and I get extra attention then, well, I just have to get used to it.”
I reach around him for the door handle, grab it, and tug it open. The first thing I see is Oscar standing there with his fist raised as if he’s about to knock, and he opens his mouth, staring at us both.
“Oh, good. Excellent timing. Here, it’s your turn now.” I give Finn a light push out of the door, and he looks back at me, eyes wounded as if I’ve just kicked a baby otter in front of him. “Don’t look at me like that. You need to leave, or you’ll be late.”
Oscar clears his throat. “She’s right, you know.”
Finn shoots him a half-hearted glare, then kisses me quickly. “I’ll see you later. If anything—”
“I’ll be fine,” I say at the exact same time Oscar says, “She’ll be fine.”
“See?” I raise my eyebrows. “Even Oscar knows. Now, go. If anything happens, someone will tell you right away anyway.”
Finn hovers for a moment, uncertainly practically dripping from his pores, and Oscar rubs his hand down his face.
“All right. That’s enough. Let the woman go shopping.” He grabs Finn by the shoulders, turns him around, and practically manhandles him down the hallway. “Be careful!” he calls over his shoulder.
I shake my head and close the door, then head back to the vanity to finish getting ready.
Honestly. I’m going shopping. I have a security team.
Absolutely nothing will go wrong.
I grab my phone and open my conversation with Valentina. Finn made sure her number got to me, and we’ve been in contact ever since. Today’s shopping trip is a way to escape the noise surrounding everything and get me out of the palace for a little bit.
More than that, it’s an opportunity to join my darling half-sister in setting a narrative.
ME: Did you do it?
Her response is speedy, as always. I barely have time to curl one lock of my hair before my phone flashes with her reply.
VALENTINA: Yep. Jasmine definitely knows our plans. And Victoria will keep her distance, don’t worry.
ME: Are you sure we can trust her?
VALENTINA: Yes. With my life.
ME: All right. I’ll see you soon.
I put down my phone and meet my gaze in the reflection in the mirror.
Well, when I say nothing will go wrong, I mean nothing I don’t want to go wrong.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE – HATTIE
Valentina is, weirdly enough, exactly how I remember her.
She was only with us in Sayana’s house for three months before she was tracked and found by—as I know now—the team her father hired to locate her.
Long enough to leave a mark, but short enough that she’s kept the spark that made me smile back then.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” She runs her nail across the stitching on the handle of a leather bag with a price that would have made my eyes bug an hour ago. “I trust Victoria, but that doesn’t mean Jasmine won’t run with her own narrative.”
“Of course, she will. That’s how I know she’ll be here. She’ll try to corner me in a public place to ensure as many witnesses as possible.”
“And you aren’t at all worried about what she’ll do to you?” She drops her hand and fixes her bright blue gaze on me. “Hattie, if this backfires…”
“It won’t,” I say firmly. “She thinks she knows me, but she doesn’t. The only version of me she knows is the one that’s subservient and pushed around by her. Even when I’ve argued with her and deliberately pissed her off, I’ve ultimately always backed down. She won’t be expecting me to bite back like this.”
Valentina presses her lips together. “That’s what you’re counting on.”
I nod, slowly moving over to a rack of coats. “I know where to provoke her, and I know how to do it subtly. Trust me. Even if I am wrong and she’s able to get a little something out of it, I doubt she’ll want to do much.”
“I suppose she is known for her hot temper. If you can use that to your advantage…” Valentina pulls a houndstooth coat from the rack and holds it against herself. “What do you think?”
I tilt my head to the side. “I’m not sure. It might be a bit busy for you. What about the blue one over there?”
“Hmm.” She returns the coat and grabs the blue one instead. “Oh, I do like the colour. You have a good eye.”
Hardly.
I just hate houndstooth.