Louise paused what she was doing, her hands pressing flat on the pile of linens stacked up in front of her. “He’s not a normal two-year-old.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. I didn’t know why but suddenly I felt defensive. “What does that mean? Is there something wrong with him?”
“No, nothing like that.” Louise shook her head. She was his wet nurse. She would know him better than anyone else. “He’s just quicker than the ones before him. Much smarter thanhis half-brother. Always figuring things out months before he should be able.”
I smirked. I couldn’t help myself. My mama always said my ego would get the best of me, and she was right. Sometimes it did. But I didn’t see the problem with knowing that you were good at something and admitting it to everyone else. “That’s 'cause he’s got my DNA in him too.”
“He looks just like you.” Louise nodded again. Slower this time. “You wanna see him?”
“No. It’s better if I don’t,” I was quick to tell her. “He needs to think I’m dead. Everyone does.”
I didn’t wait for her to say anything else before I was turning on my heels and heading out the front door. No need for tunnels when you were a ghost of your former self. No need for pleasantries either.
I tugged the collar of my jacket higher up around my face, tilted my hat to one side, and strolled down the steps. Leaving Prescott Estates where it belonged. Behind me.
I didn’t have to go back there now that Louise had the bottle and instructions on how to administer the pills inside it. I just had to keep refills coming. Taking away what Tate Edward Prescott II had taken away from all of us for years. Autonomy over his body.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
BELLATRIX
“This is some Cinderella shit,” I mumbled under my breath as I tilted my head back and peered up at the gold-plated ceiling. A low-hanging crystal chandelier swaying each time one of the servers walked by it a little too fast.
I might have grown up here but I was never allowed to attend any of the parties, and the ballroom had always been strictly off-limits to anyone who wasn’t in charge of cleaning it.
“Only if you’re the ugly stepsister,” Gabby said out of the corner of her mouth, the gray mask covering the top half of her face and her orange hair cascading behind her in long, natural waves. She was wearing a form-fitted matching gray cocktail dress and blood-red nails.
I slapped her on the shoulder, and she bit down on her lip to keep from laughing. We were trying our best not to attract attention. That was hard to do when Gabby attracted attention wherever she went and I was stomping around in heels like a show horse on steroids. I wanted to wear my sneakers, but she insisted it would take away from the pantsuit she’d squeezed me inside. The deep slits giving everyone in the room a glimpse ofmy tone thighs while I had easy access to the weapons I kept on me at all times.
This was as fancy as it was gonna get for me. I didn’t do dresses. I didn’t usually do masquerade balls either but here we were, I guess.
“Where’s Vee?” I whispered as I swiped a glass of champagne off one of the servers’ trays. I wasn’t going to drink it, but it would help us blend in until I spotted him. And then I wouldn’t care so much about causing a scene.
Gabby pointed behind me, and I craned my neck to see Vee mingling with a group of older women. Their necks strangled by fur pelts and rings on every finger. They probably had enough diamonds on each of their hands to buy a small country.
I made a mental note of which one looked the most likely to fall asleep in her soup later and reminded myself to sit next to her. In case a ring or two happened to accidentally fall into my pocket.
I felt a hand brush against my waist, and I turned back around, expecting to find Gabby standing there. I found someone else in her place. “What do you want?”
“Let’s take a walk.” Adrian pulled his plague doctor mask high on his head and gestured for me to go in front of him.
I cocked my neck to the side and shot him a glare. “You first.”
“As you wish.” He folded his arms at his back, his tux flaps fluttering behind him as he led the way.
I stepped up to his right, glancing around the room every few seconds to see who else was watching us.
“It’s been a long time, Trixie.”
“Not that long,” I reminded him.
“Since you’ve been back here,” he clarified.
“Notthatlong.” I grinned, and he nodded.
“Right. I’d almost forgotten about the field trip you two took while I was away.”
“You knew about that?” I wasn’t surprised. The Prescotts were always big on security. They didn’t want any of their dirty little secrets getting out.
