Page 59 of Corrupted By You

Benjamin De la Croix was a bit more reserved. No less kind than the rest of the family, he placed an impersonal kiss on my knuckles without hugging me. Probably because he was under Zeno’s watchful gaze.

Right away, I noticed the stark differences between the brothers. Ben’s fair-haired and blue-eyed looks were akin to a Disney prince. Zeno’s dark hair and dark eyes put him on a pedestal closer to the charismatic villain in every storybook.

They were day and night.

Unfortunately for me, I harboured a propensity for the after hours.

I had this image of the De la Croixes. Mobsters and manipulators. So far they weren’t matching those descriptions at all and I didn’t know if that should worry me or put me at ease.

“I never thought I’d see the day a woman tied down my brother.” Ben tsked. “How did you do it?”

“I met her at a sex club. She called me her master. I decided she was the love of my life,” Zeno informed casually as if he was discussing the weather. “Naturally, I put a ring on it.”

Céline choked on her champagne. Dacia and Ben froze over. Yves dropped a warning, ‘Zeno,’ and my mother looked seconds away from having a heart attack.

“Ha-ha-ha. He’s just kidding!” I thumped Zeno’s shoulder and said through clenched teeth, “Isn’t that right,chérie?”

He snagged an arm around my waist and pulled me into his rock-solid chest. “Of course I’m kidding. We actually met the first day I dropped off Éva at her new school. I knew it was forbidden to fall in love with my sister’s principal, but I was helpless, completely lovestruck by Darla. I fell to my knees like the town’s fool and begged her to marry me.”

It would be funny if Zeno hadn’t blackmailed me into this union. There was no point beguiling anybody—this was a façade and our families’ awkward smiles emphasized the truth.

We were all on the same page.

I sighed. “Right. It was so romantic. I couldn’t resist him. Plus, I’ve always had a thing for older men, the kind with silvering hair and—”

“I have a full head of hair and none of it is white.” Zeno pushed me away.

A small giggle drew my attention towards a teenage girl hidden behind Zeno. She had pale blond hair and stood with the grace of a ballerina as she regarded me.

Ben threw an arm around her shoulders. “Ah, Darla. Meet our little sister Éva.”

“Hi, Principal Hill,” she said shyly, shifting on her feet. “I told Zeno I saw a white hair near his temple last week. He doesn’t believe me.”

I smiled, wide and genuine. “You go to St. Victoria?” Zeno’s fake proposal story made sense now. “You must forgive me. I’m still trying to get acquainted with all the new faces at the high school. And please, call me Darla.”

Her grin exploded and she hesitated before threading closer for a hug. I gave her one, inexplicably drawn to her affectionate nature. She laid her head on my shoulder for a moment.

Her blush intensified when we pulled away. “Um, you really are beautiful. The girls from dance class and I are always talking about what a boss you are and how we appreciate all you’ve done for the female population at St. Victoria. Especially with the new Girls in Leadership project—”

“I’d go easy on the compliments, Éva. You don’t want to inflate Principal Hill’s ego,” my mother sneered with a saccharine smile. “Lord knows she doesn’t need it.”

My stomach dropped.

Éva paled, stuttering.

Ben shot daggers at my mother. Céline frowned and moved closer to her husband, a pouty expression that magnified how much she didn’t like Diane Hill.

Dacia’s chest rose and I knew she was about to break composure and give Mother the ass-chewing of her life.

Zeno cut her to it. With a nonchalant swirl of his champagne glass, he gave my mother a pointed look. “There’s nothing to inflate. Your daughter is beautiful, smart, and runs that school better than you could. Jealousy is normal, Diane, but seeing your daughter as competition is not.”

The engagement party was in full swing and so far I’d met most of De la Croixes’ associates and friends. They greeted Zeno and me like we were a seasoned couple and not two strangers partaking in a false display of love because we had our own motives.

His diabolical and mine self-preserving.

It was when we were doing rounds that I realized how popular Zeno was amongst the ladies. His looks, money, and status were the show’s frontrunners. Some women congratulated me on bagging one of the city’s finest bachelors, while others looked at me with a hint of envy.

We were finally seated for dinner when my fiancé decided to toy with me under the table. His large hand came to rest on my thigh and he leaned down to whisper in my ear, “You’re wearing the dress.”