Page 122 of King of Envy

He whistled. “It must do pretty well. Your car is sick.”

Either he was the world’s best actor, or he really didn’t know who I was. It wasn’t that far-fetched. Few people outside New York and the business world paid close attention to CEOs.

It does okay.

“He’s being modest,” Ayana interjected. She sat next to me, so close I caught a whiff of her perfume every time she moved. “His company is the largest in its industry. He started it when he was twenty-three and built it from there.” A note of pride rang through her voice.

The tips of my ears grew warm again.

I wasn’t used to people praising me without angling for something in return. It was…unsettling, but not unpleasant.

Everyone at the table looked at me, even the children.

“Damn,” Aaron said. Liya glared at him, and he winced. “Don’t say that word,” he told the kids before facing me again. “Any chance I can take a look at your car after dinner?”

Be my guest.

“Don’t let him behind the wheel though,” Abel said. “I remember when he drove my car straight over a curb two days after getting his license.”

“Dad.” Aaron crossed his arms while the rest of the table laughed. “When are you going to let that go?”

“When I grow old, and my memory fails me.”

More laughter and lighthearted ribbing. Aaron rolled his eyes, but a smile lurked at the corners of his mouth.

“My brother had to do all the household chores formonthsafter as punishment,” Ayana whispered to me. “Liya and I were secretly hoping he’d nick the car again so we wouldn’t have to do any more dishes before college.”

I smirked at the image of her and her sister conspiring against their older sibling.

Dinner continued in the same vein, with Ayana’s family teasing each other and asking me genuine questions about my life and work. Nobody brought up the ruined wedding or its aftermath.

We’d spent the past week dwelling on it, and I suspected everyone needed a mental health break. No one wanted to ruin the relaxed atmosphere with a heavy topic.

No one stared at my scars or asked me about them either, not even the children. By the time we finished the main course, I’d relaxed enough to lower my guard a bit.

“So. Did Ayana tell you about our game night?” her father asked over coffee and tiramisu.

I shook my head.

“It slipped my mind,” Ayana admitted. “We have a board or card game night the last Friday of every month. It’s been a family tradition since I was a kid. Obviously, I haven’t been able to participate since I moved, but it’s a lot of fun. Don’t feel like you need to join though,” she added hastily. “You can if you want, but it’s been a long day. I totally understand if you’d rather get some rest instead.”

The tiniest bit of amusement rose at her flustered ramble.I’d love to join.

She gave me a small smile, which I almost returned until I caught her mother staring at us with a speculative gleam in her eyes.

I flattened my mouth into a straight line and finished my water.

A lively debate ensued over which game to play.

“I vote for Monopoly,” Ayana said.

“Boring. We always play Monopoly,” Aaron said. “How about Exploding Kittens?”

Shadow’s ears pricked up. He raised his head and pinned Ayana’s brother with a death glare. His tail swished against the floor.

“Maybe not.” Aaron moved his foot a little farther from the plotting cat.

“If only we had bingo cards,” Ayana said mischievously. “Vuk is the bingo king.”

---