Page 37 of Billionaire Bad Boy Auction

Alexis shot me a sympathetic look. “So, who’s ready for the fireworks?”

I appreciated her attempt to change the subject. I flashed her a grateful look. She winked in response. The group quickly shifted their attention to the upcoming show. I breathed a sigh of relief. But the reprieve didn’t last long.

“Portia,” a familiar voice called. I turned to see Seth Jackson walking toward me, a smirk on his face.

“Seth,” I said, my voice tight.

“Hey,” he said, stopping in front of me. “Didn’t think you would be here.”

“Why not?” I asked nonchalantly. “Am I not allowed?”

Seth chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Didn’t say that. Just figured you’d be holed up somewhere, avoiding the whole town. Saw that article. Thought maybe you would want to avoid Lila.”

I shrugged. “No big deal.”

“Right.” His smirk deepened. I could feel his eyes lingering on me in a way that made my skin crawl. He’d always been like this—charming on the surface, but there was something about the way he looked at me that felt off. “So, you and my brother been catching up?”

The question caught me off guard, and I felt a flicker of panic. “Nope.”

“Go away, Seth,” Alexis said. “Be lame somewhere else.”

Seth laughed but thankfully he walked away.

“Once an asshole, always an asshole,” I said.