Eventually, she’s calm enough to speak. “You shouldn’t.”
Marlowe slips out from underneath me, and the door clicks shut a second later.
I stay folded up on the floor for a moment longer, trying to gather my nerves, heart, and thoughts. Some time passes before I drag myself to my feet. When I lick my bottom lip, I can still taste Marlowe on my skin, and it clears some of the haze.
She doesn’t think there’s a point in fighting.
I think of the last time I heard Vee giggle, trying to throw sweets straight into Beau’s mouth and constantly pelting our—my—crewmate in the face instead. How his teeth had gleamed, his eyes sparkled, and his curls bounced with every giggle. How Beau urged him on, even though the kid has terrible aim in real life. I think of Marlowe, finding out about Thing 1 and Thing 2; laughing with such incredulous joy that I knew she wasn’t mocking me, and I was glad I’d shared just to see her reaction. Such small moments, and yet they take up space inside me and have weight—are a currency I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Of course there’s a point in fighting;she’sthe one who reminded me of that. And now she’s going to let a man bulldoze her life? I’m not going to let Marlowe Rose be subsumed by Dominik fucking Gryphon. I’m not leaving without them.
I smooth my hair into place and head back down. Incidentally, the music has stopped, and I barely pass any people on the stairs. When I slip into the ballroom, the buzz of conversation and rustling clothing permeates the air, now packed from wall to wall with bodies.
Gryphon stands on the stage.
We’ve never communicated face to face; there’s so much about a person that gets lost in translation over video. He has a smarmy tilt to his mouth that I want to slap off his face, and an undeniable resemblance to Vee that makes my stomach clench. It’s all I can do not to launch myself at him as I drift closer to the stage. Watching out for Eduard proves a good distraction.
Gryphon extends an arm clad in dark velvet, and Marlowe—hidden behind the quartet—places her hand in his, allowing him to tug her into the limelight. He towers over her, which explains Vee’s height, and looks almost menacing with those angular features and broad shoulders. I hate that his hands are on her. Even worse, she hates it too. I catch a subtle flinch asGryphon loops his arm around her waist and presses a kiss to her temple.
It’s all so fucking contrived. I stare up at them, wondering where Vee’s been stashed tonight. If I can find out, I can grab him and then Marlowe, and we can be gone before anyone knows.
Gryphon flashes a white smile, and when his voice fills the air, I notice the miniscule mic attached to his lapel. I don’t hear a word he says because I can’t look away from the carefully blank expression on Marlowe’s face.
Marlowe laughs. She crows. She giggles and cries. She jokes. She scowls and snorts and gasps. This emptiness behind her eyes? I have never seen. It sends more than anger through me; it’s heartbreak, too. She’s been fighting Gryphon for so long, and he has finally worn her down.
Did the arrogance come with the privilege, or was it the other way around?
I’ve seen this show before—different circumstances, but the same weariness on the shoulders of a woman with nowhere to go.
Gryphon extends his free arm “Now, for the reason I brought you all here.”.
My eyes are still pinned to Marlowe’s thinly veiled grimace, so it takes me a moment to track movement on the stage. My heart twists as Vee stops in the crook of his father’s arm.
The knowledge that I miss him is sharp but quickly overtaken by the nervous way he gnaws at his lip, the rapid stuttering of his eyes over the crowd. In a suit tailored expensively to his narrow body, he is a perfect, if sweaty, combination of his parents.
“Do you want to tell them, son, or should I?” Gryphon grins.
Eternal Dilemma
“I recently began the process of transferring Gryphon Tech to my son, Harvey. As of tomorrow, it will be official.”
The room is awash with gasps and murmurs. Even my mouth falls open; how is this legal? Marlowe looks like she’s been hit by a truck. I didn’t know it was possible for her rich skin to pale so much, but her face is ashen under the bright lighting. Vee looks confused, eyes drilling holes into the floor as he tries to figure out what this means.
Amused, Gryphon pats the air, gesturing for silence.
“By the terms of the trust I set up, he won’t manage the company for a long time to come, so don’t worry. I have yearsto mentor Harvey, and he’ll get to know every inch of the family business. How does that sound, huh?” Gryphon winks at Vee.
Vee manages a smile. His gaze darts towards Marlowe, but she only has eyes for Gryphon. If looks could kill...
Everyone’s busy discussing the news, but I see how Gryphon’s hand tightens on her waist—how, when he dips his head to whisper in her ear, she forces her body to relax and her expression to soften. More threats, perhaps. My hands curl into fists by my side, and I have to take several deep breaths before I can unfurl them. With everyone around me loose lipped and sloppy, I stand out otherwise.
The happy couple turn back to the crowd and, whilst Gryphon’s beaming, Marlowe looks blank. Vee clearly wants to be anywhere but here.
“Tonight’s a celebration,” Gryphon says, releasing Marlowe to snag two flutes of champagne. He hands one to her and one to Vee. Marlowe opens her mouth, but Gryphon intercepts her. “He can have a little, Lowe, it won’t kill him.”
Fury tightens her facial muscles, but she doesn’t say a word. Vee stares at the champagne with curiosity but when Gryphon raises his own glass, doesn’t so much as sip it. I feel oddly proud.
“To family!”
