Page 127 of Scorned Beauty

The woman, who was probably in her forties, blushed. “I can see that.”

“What? I don’t look like him.” Nico pointed at me.

“There’s a resemblance.”

I didn’t know whether that was a compliment or an insult. “What do you need?”

“Miss Scott is asking for you.”

“Is she all right?”

The woman appeared pensive. “I’m not sure.”

Chapter

Thirty-Two

Sloane

The reflectionof the girl in the mirror was the image of the woman I’d always dreamed of becoming. Before Dad disappeared. Before Mom told me never to depend on a man. Before Vivienne Tomlin mocked me to dumpster-dive and find her necklace.

When I’d learned pretty and poor had dire consequences. When my mother and I were blacklisted by the rich and we ended up working for mobsters. But since Mom worried that I’d be exploited for my looks instead of valued for my work ethic? That was the demon that drove me to twist my hair into a braid or knot. To cover my head in the ugliest cap and wear the ugliest shapeless clothes. But in the deepest crevices of my heart, there was still that girl who aspired to be the princess. I built walls around her to keep that girl safe. And I cut loose once in a while when the pressure became unbearable, but I never imagined anything like this.

I had regular haircuts.

But I’d never had haircuts and cocktails.

I’d never been the center of attention in an upscale salon.

I’d never had my hair layered in such a way it framed my face and I couldn’t believe that the drop-dead-gorgeous woman in the mirror was me.

A fractured sob escaped my throat. Rob, my stylist, stopped fluffing my hair.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

I shook my head vigorously. Uncontrollable emotions roaring up inside me had nowhere to go, and tears spilled down my cheeks.

“I’m sorry.” A breath caught raggedly. “I ruined the makeup.”

“Don’t you like it?” he asked gently. “We can make your eyes more dramatic, but their emerald color is so remarkable, I’d hate to?—”

“No. No,” I cried harder. “It’s perfect. It’s just that…I never thought…I deserved this…” I broke off.

Sera and Bianca rushed to my side, with Divina, Lucy, and Ivy hovering.

Sera knelt in front of me. “Hey, what did we say? You deserve this. We love you, Sloane. You’re one of us.”

“You helped me without thought of retribution, because it was the right thing to do,” Bianca said. “You fit right in.”

I emitted a watery laugh. “An insurrectionist?”

“Yes, we need you to keep Dom in line, too,” Bianca said.

“You overestimate my power over him.”

“Don’t doubt it,” Lucy said. “I’ve never seen my brother behave this way.”

“So he’s really outside?” I swiped the tears from my eyes.