Page 18 of Filthy Elites

“Were you thinking about your little performance last night?”

A blush creeps up from my neck to my cheeks. “No, but thanks for reminding me of that. It’s exactly the kind of memory I need to start the day on a bright note.”

“Confess. You loved playing for me in your birthday suit.”

I roll my eyes. “How much more immature can you get?”

He sits straighter and amusement dances in his eyes. Shit, I don’t like how perked up he just got. I was trying to make him believe hedidn’tget in my head.

“Are you challenging me, darling?”

“Oh my God. It wasn’t a dare!” I add quickly.

“Too late.” He smirks, but his smile vanishes quickly, and his gaze darkens. “Why do you want the world to believe you’re dead, Isabelle?”

The bite I just took drops heavily into my stomach. I knew he wouldn’t let me forget that he knows my secret. Nervous, I look around. There’s no one near enough to have overheard him.

“It’s better if you don’t know,” I say.

“You don’t get to decide that for me, sweetheart.”

I don’t know all the rules of his game, but I’m beginning to learn.

“I don’t want to tell you. How much is that going to cost me?”

His eyebrows shoot up to the heavens, but after his initial surprise ebbs away, a calculating gleam shines in his eyes. “You’re learning. Good for you, Isabelle.”

I narrow my gaze. “If you keep calling me that, you’ll lose your leverage over me quickly.”

He leans back in his chair. “There’s something I want from you. It’s my price to not ask why I’m talking to a ghost. It’ll buy you only one day of reprieve, though.”

My hands curl into fists. Of course he’s going to milk it. “What do you want?”

“You’ll be my plus one at dinner with my mother tonight.”

I was expecting something horrible and depraved, not that. “Your mother is a legend. I’d have said yes without coercion. What’s the catch?”

He watches me through narrowed eyes. “Where would be the fun, if I told you?”

* * *

I can barely thinkabout anything through the rest of the day besides that I’m going to meet Victoria Petrov. I don’t even care that most likely there’s a wicked twist waiting for me. Jason is still out to get me, so there’s a ninety-nine percent chance I’ll be humiliated again tonight.

Jason knocks on my door at six pm sharp. Since I’m standing right in front of it, I know he didn’t try to use his master key.

It’s a miracle that I’m ready. I changed my dress a million times but ended up settling for a navy sleeveless dress with a full skirt, and ballet flats. My hair color is beginning to fade, but I didn’t have time to fix that. I hope she doesn’t recognize me.

I have to suppress a gasp when I open the door. Jason is put together for once. No messy hair or wrinkled clothes. His dark gray jacket fits him like a glove. He looks like a fairy tale prince.

His gaze drops to my shoes and slowly travels back up to my face. “You look nice.”

“Thanks. So do you.”

Shit. Why did I say that? This isn’t a date.

He quirks an eyebrow but doesn’t offer a smartass comment.

“I’m ready. Let me get my purse,” I add quickly, trying to save face.

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