Page 5 of Chandelier Enthralled
“I have to put this right.” I walked out without waiting for an answer. The night air hit me in the face, cold and unforgiving.
I climbed into the BMW and started the engine, pulling away from the house.
At last, the ornate iron gate creaked open. I let the engine idle for a moment, clinging to the foreign sense of peace I’d felt when I’d first laid eyes on his sister.
A surge of adrenaline made me hit the gas. I tore off into the night towards a place that didn’t exist.
My brother’s mansion was so vast, it felt like it would take an eternity to stumble upon any sign of life while I searched for him in the sprawling labyrinth of hallways and rooms.
One of his many paintings caught my attention. It reminded me of Scarlet Winters, one of his close friends. A younger version of her sat with a handsome man on the balcony of a Parisian hotel. But their expressions were tormented, so it wasn’t a happy portrait.
We were dressed nearly the same—me in an Oscar de la Renta robe not dissimilar to Scarlet’s. The two were having breakfast on the balcony with the Eiffel Tower behind them.
In the soft expressions of their sadness, I saw a reflection of myself, as if their melancholy mirrored my own.
It came in waves, this unbearable heartache, making me question whether leaving New York had been the right decision.
If I went back to the place I loved and returned to Hugo, all this pain and agony would go away. Maybe, just maybe, my relationship with him would improve after this break.
For some reason, my brain kept making me forget all the bad stuff—perhaps to protect my sanity. I longed to know why he’d hurt me, and I was desperate to stop feeling like this—like my heart had been ripped out of my chest.
I found Cameron in his office, leaning against his desk, deep in thought. He seemed troubled by something. He’d always seen himself as a person who could take away other people’s pain. Maybe he could help me, too.
He blinked at me, as though only now realizing I was in the doorway. “Hey, come in.”
“Everything okay?” I entered his space.
“Yes.”
Cameron was the kind of man who lived with boldness, unashamed of the paradox that defined him. I knew his secret, too. Aunt Rose had told me he had a kinky side, and I’d found it sohim.
I blushed thinking about my brother’s antics, which made me feel self-conscious.
“Is that painting outside of Scarlet?”
He nodded, giving me a smile. “She’s with Ethan now. She gave the painting to us to keep safe. That’s her lover from when she was young.”
“It’s a sad looking painting.”
“It’s a sad story.”
I raised my hand, shaking my head to let him know I didn’t want him to explain. I couldn’t handle more sorrow. Seeing his mood, I couldn’t help but think that neither could Cameron.
I changed the subject. “Who was that guy in the tuxedo?”
“A friend. He’s staying here for a few days.”
“I didn’t know you’d have guests.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” He frowned. “Sorry if I was abrupt when you arrived.”
“I should have called before turning up.”
But I had left in a hurry. Didn’t want to share that.
“Come sit, Willow.”
“Willa.”
