Page 86 of Wicked Prince

"Sure," I say uncomfortably, reluctantly reaching for the wineglass. I'll just have to pretend to take a sip and hope no one notices.

Fortunately, everyone goes back to what they were doing—except for Lorenzo. I don't really know how, but I can always tell when he's studying me. It makes me nervous, for one thing, at least usually. Tonight, it's just pissing me off. Especially when I notice the suspicious gleam in his eyes as he watches me.

No. I'm just being paranoid. There is absolutely no way he would suspect anything just because I'm not drinking. For all he knows, I don't drink at all. And that's usually true.

"To new beginnings, and new alliances," Dad says, raising his glass.

"I'll drink to that," Stefan says with a pleasant smile, raising his glass before he takes a sip.

I bring mine to my lips and pretend to take a sip with my head turned so Lorenzo can't see, in case he's still watching. I don't know why he would be, but I rarely understand anything he does or doesn't do and I have given up trying. He isn't my problem. Not anymore.

No matter how many times I tell myself that, I just can't make it sink in.

A moment later, everyone gets seated, and I'm not really surprised when Stefan goes to pull out my chair. He’s always a gentleman. Otherwise, I’d think he’s just being chivalrous to get under Lorenzo's skin.

When I look over and see the expression on the other man's face, I realize it served that purpose as well.

Dinner is going better than I would've expected, especially considering there are representatives from three different Mafia families seated at the table. Prominent families, at that.

I can see why Dad is so thrilled. He’s practically a kid in a candy store. He has already managed to more or less marry one daughter off to the most powerful potential ally in the region, and as far as he knows, he has a decent shot at a similar arrangement with his second daughter.

For all I know, if I stay, he wouldn't be wrong. That's all the more reason I have to get the hell out. As nice as Stefan seems, he's still a guy—and I'm sure that his interest, however genuine, would dissolve the second he realizes I’m carrying his rival's baby.

It occurs to me about halfway through dinner that it's the first time I’ve been at this table and haven’t been completely ignored. Even Natalie has asked me a question or two, so I guess in her mind, I've also gained some semblance of worth.

Something tells me finding out that I got knocked up by a Rossi wouldn't have quite the same effect.

It doesn't take long for the conversation to turn back to the party Kayleigh has been planning, even though I'm pretty sure she’s the only one who's interested. Even Natalie looks like she's about to fall asleep, considering it's not one of her high society parties. She's so obsessed with Stefan, though, she probably would try to crash if she thought she could get away with it. Every time I look her way, she's giving him a lustful gaze and toying with the expensive sapphire necklace resting against her clavicle.

Either Dad is completely oblivious, or he just doesn't give a shit that his trophy wife is lusting after a younger man. Then again, he's just as infatuated in his own way. It's just the family's connections and armamentshe'slusting after.

Kayleigh is still talking when a great peal of thunder outside jars us all. Even the water in my glass is trembling.

"Oh, my," Natalie says, glancing warily at the ceiling as if she thinks someone up there has come to collect on her sins. The thought is more amusing than it probably should be to me. "It's really coming down out there, isn't it?"

Stefan takes out his phone and glances down at the screen. "I’m getting storm and flood alerts."

"Really?" Kayleigh asks nervously.

"Well, you all don't have class tomorrow, do you?" Natalie asks, glancing over at Dad. "You might as well just stay the night."

"I agree," Dad says. "There's no point in you being out on the road in these conditions."

My heart skips a beat. Shit.Now they want us to stay overnight?

I'm already doing my best to fight off another wave of morning sickness, telling myself I only have to get through another hour or so. It's probably wishful thinking anyway, but still.

The idea of living under the same roof as Kayleigh and Lorenzo, even if it is only for a night, is definitely my personal idea of hell.

ChapterThirty-Three

AMELIA

Ispend the next few minutes trying to come up with a sufficient reason why I can't stay the night, even though there's no class in the morning, but in the meantime, everyone else has gotten on the same page about what a great idea it is.

Even Lorenzo, who is never enthusiastic about… well, anything. Anything but pussy and stalking, that is.

I have a bad feeling he's planning on using this as an opportunity to do just that, because what else is new?

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