Page 64 of Poison Vows

“Um, isn’t he too young?” I murmur like a fool.

The look in Vaughn’s eyes grows colder.

“That’s what makes him even more of a mystery,” Vaughn says. “If there’s someone with more power than him, they don’t have as much influence as him. Those who have more influence than him don’t have the ability to execute the most insane, shameless strategies that topple them over. And he doesn’t care at all about these things. Having a reputation? It’s nothing. Having money or power, they’re just tools to him. He’s different.”

The boy I grew up with flashes in my head.

I see the frozen impassive look on his face, as if everything is meaningless.

Has he always been this… empty?

Vaughn turns to look at him. “Someone like him will never love you.”

And just like that, he gets to the point of what he wanted to say all along.

“Love is a ludicrous, idiotic fantasy to my cousin. He doesn’t do romance. He doesn’t do feelings. He chews little girls like you for breakfast without batting an eye, so if you think him dropping millions last night to woo you was romantic, think again. He just wants to manipulate you. If you choose him, you’ll just be ignored, abandoned, and a burden.”

I stare at Vaughn’s inquisitive face, noticing how he’s studying me, obviously trying to drive a point across.

Evidently, Vaughnstronglydislikes Emmett.

He’s clearly taking this competition seriously and wants to win at all costs. Why would Vaughn waste his time playing at my heartstrings if not because of that?

“I seem to recall you also dropping millions last night,” I say instead, then walk forward, feeling bitter. “Aren’t you also trying to buy me?”

“Would you believe me if I said last night I was testing my cousin to see how far he’d go?”

“Yes, that seems more fitting, but how do you explain this?” I gesture between the two of us. “You? Here? With your father who’s clearly close to Senator Hughes? What do we call that?”

“A handicap?” He says with a smile and a shrug.

He looks cute in this moment, but if it wasn’t for the fact that I feel a certain apprehension toward him, I’d like him a bit more.

“A handicap? Really?” I deadpan.

“Well, you have history with him. If push comes to shove, I also have to play all my cards, pull all my resources to sway you to my side.”

Sway me through Senator Hughes? Seriously?

Meanwhile, Emmett has already made me sign an unbreakable contract and the first thing I have to do is tell his family that I’m choosing Vaughn.

What does that mean?

Should I tell Vaughn about what Emmett wants me to do?

“I’ll take your silence as agreement,” Vaughn says, now looking more serious than before. “My cousin is going all out for you, so I intend to do the same.”

I tilt my head slightly as I look up at him. “What do you intend to do?”

“Win your heart.”

Everything in me screeches to a halt.

With wide eyes and shock moving through me, I stare at Vaughn.

“You want to win my heart?” I laugh awkwardly, walking away as fast as I can.

“Yes,” he says seriously, catching up to me.

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