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"No, you didn't forget. You read the newspapers daily and have a sharp mind. Why didn't you tell me, JeAnne?"
"I assumed your new guardian had done so. As you never mentioned the subject, I thought you didn't care."
That hurt more than the previous lie. Is that what she thinks of me, that I wouldn't even send Mr. Van Lith a wreath? Does she believe I'm an insensitive, selfish person?
"I have to go," I say. "Take care."
"Serenity?"
"Yes."
"I love you, child."
"Thanks."
I turn off my phone, furious, and put on shorts and a t-shirt, determined to go after the arrogant man who thinks he can hide something so important from me.
I need Ares to understand once and for all that I'm not a baby.
I go up to his apartment and ring the doorbell, but no one answers. Of course he wouldn't be home—at this time, he's probably at SIN.That should be my cue to go to sleep, but I'm too upset to ignore everything that’s happened, so I decide that, at least for today, I won't be the good girl everyone expects.
I go back to the apartment, grab my phone, and call Madison to share my plan with her.
Her response would make me laugh if I weren't so angry.
"He's going to kill us both."
"So you're not going to help me?"
"Of course I'm going to. Give me half an hour to ask my mother to come and stay with the children. I don't like leaving them with just the nannies. Then I'll come by and pick you up."
Ares
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
"Sir, did you hire a new dancer?"Elmer asks, walking into my office at SINwithout knocking, which, given his formal manner, is very unusual.
"New dancer?"I ask, confused.
I'm not the one who interviews them personally. I have a whole team to do it. They go through several screenings. The only time I was involved in hiring an employee was when I needed one who was bilingual, to ensnare Rey Cardona de la Vega and convince him to sell his companies to us.
"From your surprise, I guess not. May I speak openly, Mr. Kostanidis?"
"What is wrong?"
"Your sister-in-law arrived . . . actually, your two sisters-in-law, Mrs. Madison and Cecily Kostanidis, saying there was a special performance tonight with a new dancer. I apologize in advance for what I'm about to say, sir, but I think they're . . . um . . .up to something? I think it's the only expression that fits in this case," he says, as if the words scratch his throat.
I get up and walk to the door. "Where are they?"
"In the audience."
"Did my brothers come too?"
"No, sir, but I already took the liberty of calling them both to let them know that their wives are here."
"Fuck!"
"Sir . . . did I do wrong?"