I didn’t think that was a good comparison, but I let it go and looked back at my sister. I didn’t want to fight with her, but I also didn’t want to close my eyes and pretend I didn’t see her lying to my face. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered what else she was lying to me about.
I had forgotten that marriage wasn’t about love in our world anyway. It was about fortune. Keeping it and growing it. People got married and divorced around here like it was a sport. Augusta must have made that choice as well.
I wanted to be better than that.
But I also didn’t want to be poor, either...or in my sister’s shadow.
Does that make me a bad person?
I wasn’t sure.
“I’m leaving,” I stated, standing up and taking one of the wine bottles from the center of the table with me.
“Where are you going?” my mom asked me.
“Home,” I said to her, and I looked her over. “What are you supposed to be, anyway?”
“Your fairy godmother, of course,” she stated, lifting her arms to show me how long her sleeves were.
I had to hand it to her. She really knew how to stick to her narrative.
“Goodnight, Mom.” I bent down and kissed the side of her cheek. “Don’t stay here too long. God knows what Yvonne will do or say next.”
“Who’s the mom here again?”
I smirked but didn’t say anything, taking the bottle with me and moving toward the double door. In the corner of my eye, I saw Augusta trying to get my attention. I kept walking, ignoring her and stepping out to the coat check, waiting for my jacket from the woman behind the corner.
“Odette.” Augusta dashed out of the double doors, holding on to the bottom of her skirt. “Are you leaving? You just got here.”
“I’m no longer in the mood for this. Thank you,” I said to the woman reaching for my jacket.
“If it’s about your mom—”
“She’s fine. Don’t worry,” I replied. “You should get back. I’m sure your mom wants to introduce you to more people. Bye.”
“Wait.” She grabbed my arm and came closer to me. “You pledged to donate a million dollars. Where are you going to get that money?”
I stared at her. She was truly unbelievable. She wasn’t asking to be concerned. She was asking to snoop.
“I’ll get the money from the same place you did.”
“What?”
I tilted my head to her. “Quick question. Are you going to keep Wyntor as your last name, or are you going to take your husband’s?”
Her eyes widened, her grip loosening. Her lips opened and closed like a damn goldfish.
“You know,” she finally confessed. “I’m sorry. My mom told me not to tell you—”
“Did she really?” I questioned. “Did she also tell you to call me and pretend like getting married for the money was a bad idea?”
“Let’s talk about this—”
“No.” I pulled back my arm. “Whatever game you and your mom are playing, I don’t want any part of it. I’m going to get what belongs to me, and we will all do our best not to cross paths with each other.”
“So, you’re going to do it?” She crossed her arms. “You are going to get married. Despite the fact that you always said you didn’t want to?”
“What? You can, but I can’t?” I stepped away from her. “Things change. I’m allowed to change my mind with them. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a husband to find.”
“Odette!”
I didn’t bother turning back. I was done with this crappy ball.
Chapter 9
“Sir... Sir.”
I groaned in protest, turning over.
“Your Highness, pardon me, but—”
“I do not want to pardon you. I want to go to sleep,” I muttered.
“So, I should tell that to Ms. Wyntor?”
My eyes snapped open, and I peeked under my arm at him. He stood there, stone-faced and disinterested.
“She came back?”
“She is waiting in—”
“I’m right here.”
At her voice, I flipped over on the bed to see her—still in that damn dress—in my doorway, holding a bottle of wine and two glasses.
“Miss! I told you to wait.” Iskandar panicked for the first time that I had ever seen.
“It’s my home, so why would I wait downstairs?” she stated, coming to the side of the bed, kicking off her shoes, and making herself perfectly at home on the mattress. It was her bed, but still, I could only stare at her in utter disbelief.
I have to be dreaming.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked, placing her feet under herself. “You can fly two thousand miles here, wanting me to marry you, but I can’t sit on a bed next to you. Scoot over!”
I looked to Iskandar, who only stared back in utter confusion as well. When she smacked my leg, I did what she asked and shifted, giving her more space.
Nodding, satisfied I had listened to her the first time, she uncorked the bottle of red. “Are you drinking with me, or am I drinking alone?”
“Are you drunk now?” I asked, sitting up. And when I did, Iskandar immediately threw me a T-shirt. I had to admit, seeing him so flustered was hilarious.
“Nope. Wine or no?” she asked, holding out the glass.
I put on my shirt before taking the glass. “Iskandar, you can go.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m not going to attack him or anything,” she shot back.
“You sort of already did,” I muttered, and her eyes narrowed on me dangerously, clearly telling me to shut up, before she looked back to Iskandar.
“Don’t worry. He’ll still be alive in the morning.”
“He’s not worried you’ll hurt me. He’s trained to adhere to palace etiquette—a.k.a. he is a prude,” I teased. “This is a bit scandalous for him.”
“This isn’t a palace. The only rules of etiquette here are the ones I make up. So, no scandal,” she stated. “If he doesn’t leave, he has to join us on the bed and drink.”
I bit back a laugh. “You heard her, Iskandar, which will it be?”
He frowned and nodded, leaving the room. However, he only closed the door slightly—something she also noticed and chuckled over.
“You would think we were preteens the way he is worried. I’m sure you’ve had scandalous moments with women in the palace before.”
“Never in the palace.”
“So, other places?”
“Definitely other places,” I admitted behind my glass.
“Of course.” She snickered before drinking as well. “You look like the type.”
“What does that mean? The type?”
“The stereotypical prince playboy. I can see it all over your face.”
“It is wrong to judge people before knowing them. I will have you know that I am a kindhearted gentleman—”
“When you’re not seducing women?”
This woman!
“Was the ball so bad without Prince Charming you had to run back here to pick a fight with me, Cinderella?” I teased, though I really wasn’t sure of what was happening. I was out of my depth here.