Page 32 of Beauty and the Billionaire

Cedric excitedly spoke about the works by the great painter and the tragedy of World War I when many of Tuke’s models, immortalized on his canvas, had gone to fight in the war.

“He’s not such a bad fellow, huh?” Roman pointed out snarkily. “Maybe we’ll let him take Zain after all.”

I hadn’t realized that it was up to debate. And when Vivien scolded Roman lovingly, I understood that it was just his strange sense of humor. Everett Langley, the son of the disgraced billionaire investor I had had the misfortune of meeting on several occasions in the past, exuded the confidence and, if I weren’t mistaken, entitlement of wealth. But that was a judgment I had to take back after a time when the story of the fallout following last month’s standoff came around. Apparently, Everett worked for a startup in client relations rather than living off of his father’s wrongly accumulated wealth.

“We’ve all faced one form of discrimination or the other,” Vivien explained.

“But we’re still here, standing proudly,” Tristan said.

There was an overwhelming sense of optimism in this ragtag group of troublemakers. I struggled against it as best as I could. Optimism was a sure way to lose most fights. Optimism left you unprepared, and I failed to see the point in trusting some higher power to act on my behalf.

Even so, when the conversation died down and the night came to a slow and lazy end, I couldn’t leave without some of the warmth rubbing on me, too.

Zain and I said goodbye to the Neon Nights crowd, and Vivien followed us to the door as if seeing us out of her home. I suspected that was how she felt. “You’re welcome here. Both of you.”

As we slowly walked down the street, hands deep in our pockets and shoulders lifted against the cold air, I realized I couldn’t deny her. We were welcome there. For the first time in so long, I didn’t hear lies in those words.

CHAPTER 9

Mine, Only Mine

Dominic

The apartment wasdead quiet when we walked in. I flicked on the lights on the upper of the two floors, giving the place some desperately needed warmth. It was mostly bare and done in minimal design, lacking all the character of Harringford Manor and matching the way I felt about the city and its people. Normally, it wouldn’t jump out at me like this, but tonight, it felt empty and desolate. It felt like it was lacking so much, and I couldn’t help but consider it my fault.

Zain and I walked over to the lounge that offered a brilliant view of the city’s glimmering lights. I poured myself a drink and then offered Zain a Coke. He took it and sat down while I walked over to the fireplace and turned it on. The heating system worked, but the fire gave the room an extra touch of coziness, especially when paired with the smoky flavors of my drink.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” I asked.

Zain looked at me with a mix of gratitude and fascination. “I thought that was obvious.”

“Just making sure,” I explained.

He sipped his Coke. “It’s so beautiful up here.” His big, brown eyes were wide as he gazed out at the sprawling Central Park and the towering buildings on both sides. “The best view money can buy.”

I smiled to myself, looking at the rim of my glass.

“I’m sure you’d say you prefer the quiet forest,” Zain said.

It dragged a laugh out of me. “I do.”

“Away from the society,” he went on.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Depends on the society.”

He cocked his head. “Really? How did we get there?”

I couldn’t tame the corners of my lips. They kept moving up. “I’m not entirely sure, but it’s possible that not everyone is the same.”

Zain chuckled sweetly. “It’s possible?”

I played into it, shrugging. “I’ll have to commission a study on it, but I suspect not everyone is an asshole.”

“I can’t believe my ears,” Zain said elatedly. “Dominic Blackthorne, the great lover of humanity.”

I snorted and downed my whiskey. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I just think…” I considered what I wanted to say, and Zain waited patiently. “I don’t think your friends are such a bad bunch.”

Zain lit up and looked down; his ears perked, and his smile was contained. He got up and neared the large glass wall to look at the city below. “It was wonderful tonight.”

---