Chapter 99
Tris
I almost expect Selina to shove me into oncoming traffic or something else that’s equally insane, but to my surprise, she smiles. Perhaps a little too widely, but it’s a smile nonetheless.
“Flora! Just the person I wanted to see.”
Before I can protest, Selina wraps her arm around my shoulders, whisking me away. “I’ve been hoping to have a chat with you,” she says, guiding me toward a nearby park bench as if we’re old friends meeting up to enjoy the afternoon sunshine. “I hope you have a moment.”
I furrow my brow. “Actually-“I start to tell her that I need to get home to Miles, but she cuts me off, clearly not caring that I have other places to be.
“It’s important,” she says, turning to me. It’s then that I see her eyes glimmer with that usual predatory gleam. Her smile is still firmly in place, but her voice is like a snake’s hiss as she says in a slightly lower voice, “We need to talk. Now.”
$
I hesitate, but finally relent, folding my arms. I don’t bother sitting on the bench. “Okay. What do you want?”
Selina flips a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder and adjusts her silk scarf.
“I heard you’re applying for that artist’s residency at Abbott,” she says, nodding her head toward the gallery right across the street.
“How do you know that?” I ask, frowning. “I only just filled out my preliminary forms.”
Selina shrugs, her grin widening. “It’s all about who you know here in Ordan, isn’t it?”
I can’t say she’s wrong, so I remain silent. Selina goes on, “Anyway, I’d like to offer you my help. I actually happen to know the owner of Abbott Gallery. I could put in a good word for you, if you’d like.”
Without meaning to, my arms drop to my side. I quickly recall Bella’s social media account, and how I don’t stand a fucking chance against her when it comes to the residency. But I’m also not an idiot. Taking help from Selina is akin to accepting a deal with a devil.
“No thanks,” I say, abruptly turning on my heel to leave.
“Wait!” Selina jumps to her feet, getting in my way. Her smile is still fake as ever as she says, “I can make Arthur leave you alone, too.”
My frown deepens. “What?”
“I know he’s trying to get you back, and I can make him stop,” she says. “In addition to helping you get into the residency–a level of independence that I know you crave right now–of course. All I ask is that you do your part and stop leading him on.”
“Leading him on?” I scoff. “I haven’t done any such thing. Furthermore, you have no idea what I want. Or who I want, for that matter.”
Selina’s eyes flash. “You’re distracting him,” she says, flicking an invisible piece of lint off her shirt.
“I’m not,” I laugh. “And even if I were, what do you care? I know about your arrangement. You don’t care about him, do you?“.
Selina doesn’t answer right away, but something beneath the depths of those stormy gray eyes gives me pause. I blink, leaning back slightly. “Wait,” I say slowly, furrowing my brow, “are you…”
Chapter 99
+25 BONUS
Before I can finish, she snaps her grin back into place. “I just worry that your presence in his life, whether you mean for it to happen or not, is detrimental to our image,” she says, waving her hand. “I mean, you’ve been back in Ordan for how long now? A month? Two? And already, the President and I have had to put out multiple fires thanks to a few public… stunts you’ve pulled.”
“What sort of stunts are you referring to?”
She lifts her shoulders, then drops them again. “Oh, losing your child, for starters. Going out in public without a proper disguise on, so people can recognize you. Kissing him in an alley…”
My heart stops. I didn’t think anyone knew about that, not even Selina.
Selina’s grin turns feline. “Oh, yes, I know all about that,” she says. “It cost a pretty penny to pay off the paparazzi that snapped that picture. Not that I blame you, of course. I just blame your… lack of media training,”
