Chapter 10: Beauty with a shelf life
TWO YEARS AGO
Claudette Deveraux
When he doesn't come out of the shadows I move further into the room, closer to the desk. Suddenly, he's behind me. My pulse rises and I feel myself smile.
"I should call security on you." I don't turn to him but the heat of his body makes me feel something Alastair wasn't able to earlier. Anticipation? Excitement?
"Why haven't you?" he asks. His voice is low, deadly. I want to know what he'll do next. He makes me curious. He doesn't look or act like us, but he looks damn good faking it. That suit makes him looker better than tonight's desert and I'm sure many of the women here are sporting a sweet tooth. He wouldn't have trouble finding company here. Not with those looks coupled with that aura. Yet, here he was, snooping around where no one else was. It made him interesting.
"Earlier this evening my mother told me that people would kill to be in that ballroom because it's hosting some of the most powerful figures in the world. Yet, here you are, away form all the action, missing what could very well be a once in a lifetime chance to pitch a business idea, fuck a supermodel, get an interview for a position you've been vying for or just bask in the glory of greatness and take an Instagram story doing it. I want to know why. What it is you think trumps all of the opportunities that lie in that ballroom."
He moves in closer and I feel his warm breath on my neck. I find myself hoping he likes the smell of my perfume.
"You're too shallow to understand." I feel like I've been doused in cold water.
Turning around I shove him back. I'd forgotten what a bastard he is. He thought he was better than me.
"Maybe security will do a better job than I did." I snap and take out my phone from the hidden pocket in my dress. He knocks it out of my hand, and it hits the floor with a clank.
"You call security and I call the press." He's threatening me now?
"Excuse me?" I don't make a move to pick up my phone, not wanting to kneel in front of him.
"The press would have a field day if they found out that Claudette Deveraux, daughter of humanitarian Celeste Deveraux is fucking her cousin, don't you think? Your mother would look like a literal joke." He sports a sadistic smile on his face as he spews his bullshit.
"We're both adopted, you sick sadist!" I whisper shout, careful not to let anyone possibly walking by hear me.
"Doesn't mean your mother's charity won't lose donors." He brushes a strand of hair over my shoulder and traces my neck with his finger, ignoring my glare.
He's right. It's why I never told anyone but my brother about me and Alastair. This is a secret I've kept from my closest friends and it scares me that Kai now knows. I feel naked, vulnerable, and that finger might only be tracing my neck, but it feels like he's touching so much more than I ever permitted him to. He has me and he fucking knows it. Now, we're on the same playing field. I can't leverage catching him snooping through my mother's papers because he's holding my dirtiest secret hostage. I snap out of it and swat his hand away. Who the hell does he think he's threatening? Kai chuckles and takes a step back.
"What's in the safe?" he asks.
"How the hell would I know?" Even if I did, I wouldn't tell him.
He stares at me for a moment and then shakes his head in disbelief. What the hell was he expecting?
"Add useless to the growing list of unlikable traits you have." He raises his hand and starts counting off with his fingers, "Clueless, suppressed, fake and let's not forget the shelf life beauty."
I grab a paperweight from the desk and swing it at his head. He catches my wrist in the last second and spins me around so my arm is twisted behind me.
"Weak", he whispers into my ear. Is this guy's mission in life to get murdered by me?
I elbow him with my free arm and he lets me go, stumbling back. I waste no time dropping down as I turn back around and swipe his legs out from under him. He lands on the ground with a painful thud and I jump on him. I pull my fist back to punch him, but stop just inches from his face.
"What the hell am I doing?" I whisper to no one in particular. I'm shocked by my own actions. I'm not a violent person normally. Why am I acting like this? It's not the first time someone has said something horrible to me. I scramble away from him like he's a disease ridden rodent and he sits up, something shining in his eyes.
Kai stands and offers me a hand, but I just stare at it making no move to take it. He drops his hand, heading to the exit and doesn't turn back until he's almost out.
"Irrational."
***
Ten minutes later I'm back in the ballroom, socialising like nothing out of the ordinary has happened. I stood in a circle with Alastair, his date, my brother, Marcus and his date. Marcus's date was blatantly hitting on Alastair and he chanced looks at me, likely trying to decipher if I'd care if he took her home. I couldn't be bothered in the least with how I was feeling right now. He'd fucked enough things up for me tonight and I'd set myself on fire before letting him touch me.
Across the floor, Kai danced with an older woman and when I say older, I mean ancient. Their heads were close as they had a private conversation and I wondered if she was his connect. He may have gotten in as her plus one. Squinting I realised I wasn't familiar with her.
"Do you know that woman?" I ask Marcus.
"Miaka Hyuga, she's a Japanese diplomat. Why do you ask?" He looks at me curiously. I swallow.
"I've never seen her before, and I tend to know most people who attend my mother's charity events." I explain like it's obvious. "Do you know who the boy toy is?" I take slight pleasure in reducing Kai to nothing more than arm candy. It's only fair, he's being demeaning me every chance he gets since he laid eyes on me.
"I believe that's her grandson. I've only met him and his sister once before. They're a very private family." It's obvious Marcus doesn't know much more about them, so I grab my brother and usher him towards the stairs.
"Excuse us." I toss over my shoulder, not caring how rude it looks.
"Where have your manners gone and died?" Xavier questions, more amused than annoyed.
"I need to talk to you." I walk us until we reach the indoor balcony.
"What is it?" His happy go lucky demeanour is gone and he looks at me with concern.
"What do you know about those two?" I point at the Hyugas who are now talking to Adnan Fayed and Jacob Finnigan.
"Nothing. Never seen them before. What's going on?"
So, I tell him everything.
When I finish, instead of being just as confused as I was, my brother simply says, "Keep your distance from him, C. Nothing good will come from digging" and walks away.
He's never done that before.
My brother is an asshole who doesn't care about much but I'm one of the few people who makes the cut into his very short list of priorities. He has always had my back, we're partners in crime and he's my greatest confidant. So, I couldn't fathom why he just shut this down. What am I missing?
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone