Page 14 of The Devil's Deceit

“I’ll have to be. I’ve got four days to let it simmer and settle.” Despite who I’m going to the concert with, a tremor of excitement rushes through me. “He’s taking me to see Destiny Winslow play at the Royal Albert Hall.”

“Wow. Your idol.”

“I know, right?”

“Maybe you’ll get to meet her.”

A girlish giggle erupts from me. “Yeah, sure. And our lottery numbers are bound to come up this week. Besides, I’d make a horrible fool of myself. Don’t they say never to meet your idols?”

Arron shrugs. “No idea.”

“It’ll be great to see her, though. Tickets for her concerts sell out in minutes. Plus they cost an arm, leg, and at least half a liver.”

“Must be nice to have money to throw about like that.”

“Yeah.” I drink my tea, my mind spinning. The rules of the game have changed. Before, we only suspected, albeit with evidence stacking up high. Now I know Christian hassomehow blackmailed a public official into hiding the truth of Nexus’s collapse.

It’s down to me to find out why and make him pay.

He doesn’t know it yet, but the reckoning has already begun, and I’m the one who will bring it to his door.

Chapter Six

CHRISTIAN

The Royal Albert Hall is one of my favorite venues to listen to music. It’s steeped in history, some of the best artists have performed here, and the acoustics are second-to-none. But tonight, the music is secondary. The woman standing outside the front entrance in a mid-calf, navy blue dress that accentuates her stunning curves is a far more exciting prospect.

I’d had a concern that when I saw her again, the lightning bolt of attraction would have been something that struck only once. But as my car slows to a stop, and I exit onto the pavement, I’m living proof that lightning does indeed strike in the same place twice.

God, she is beautiful.

With her, though, it’s more than looks. She has a… a… quality about her. She’s different, and I can’t articulate why. Some women just ooze class without trying, and Grace is one of those women.

My bodyguard Marshall opens the door, and I get out of the car. He shadows me a step behind as I approach Grace. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long?” Taking a risk, I lean in and kiss her on the cheek.

Her skin pinks, and she ducks her head. That’s something else I find attractive. She’s shy, whereas a lot of women in the circles I move in have more confidence than a boxer turning up for their pre-match press conference. Grace’s skittish nature is part of her charm.

“Not long at all. Five minutes, maybe.”

I take her elbow and steer her through the entrance. “How was your meeting?”

It takes her a beat too long to answer. There was no meeting. She didn’t want me to pick her up at her home, I’m guessing due to her living circumstances.

She grimaces. “Would you think badly of me if I said there wasn’t a meeting?”

“As long as you tell me why you lied.” It’s one thing to think I know the reason, another to have her confirm it.

“I mean…” She motions to me. “There’s you, and there’s me. I may have a title, but it’s meaningless. We’re from different sides of the tracks.”

“You think I care what’s in your bank account?”

She rubs her lips together. “Most rich people stick to their own kind.”

“I’m not most people.” It’s a bit of a cliché, but in this instance, it’s true. It’s also true that rich people flock together, mainly because they’re worried about being taken for a ride. For not being loved for them, but instead for the size of their bank balance. I don’t care about that. The woman I end up marrying won’t be a love match, so what does it truly matter if she’s in it for the money. Although my father will likely choose someone wealthy. Not our level of wealthy—few have our fortune—but rich enough.

Besides, I don’t intend to marry Grace. I just want to date her. And fuck her.Especiallyfuck her.

Marshall takes up his post outside the box, and I usher Grace inside. The bottle of champagne I ordered ahead of our arrival is chilling in an ice bucket, and I dismiss the member of staff who offers to uncork it. Once we’re alone, Grace floats to the edge, peering over the balcony at a perfect view of the stage. Beneath us, the stalls are filling up, the buzz of enthusiastic concertgoers drifting up to our box.