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Cade and Ilya are already there, waiting against the wall behind the podium in full view of everyone, and I join them as a show of support and solidarity for our Omega. Once I line up with them, hands clasped in front of me, Giovanni emerges from the door we’d just walked through, joining the three of us against the wall.
Sin’s hands are surprisingly steady as she places her note cards on the podium and adjusts the microphone.
“Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Sindella Vittorio. As some of you are already aware, I am the daughter of Giovanni Vittorio.” More camera flashing. “My father and I were unaware of one another until recently, and it’s been my great joy to get to know him over the past few months.” Her voice quivers, she turns back to look at Giovanni who gives her a supportive nod.
“Before I came here, I was part of a completely different world. A world where Omegas had no freedoms and had to make choices to survive. Like, the choice to work at a BDSM club you couldn’t leave for fear of your life.”
A bit of a murmur rises now.
“Since moving here to New York, I’ve spent my time learning about Helix Biosciences, so that when the time comes for me to step up, I’m more than ready to fulfill my role and duty as the fourth heir to the corporation. And to do so alongside my three mates. My pack.”
The murmurs are loud now, a few people attempting to jump in with questions.
“Now, now. You all know the rules.” My voice booms through the room, and they quiet down.
Rules are, we don’t need the press and will cut them all off eagerly if they don’t behave.
Sin shoots me a thankful glance before continuing. “For now, my mates and I are finding our way in business and in life, and we ask for you to respect our privacy—”
Good luck with that.
“—while we figure everything out so we can have more answers for you at a later time. For now, I wanted to clear up some misinformation with my statement. We thank you all for coming.”
Sin gathers her note cards and walks off through the exit door, and the rest of us in tow.
As soon as the door shuts behind us, her body folds over with a loud sigh, like her back just can’t hold her up any longer.
“You did very well, Sin,” Ilya tell her as he puts his hand on her shoulder.
She takes a breath and then stands upright. “You think so? It was so short. I just know they’re all still buzzing in there.”
“Don’t worry about them,” Cade soothes.
“That’s right, love. Paps are the scum of the earth.”
“But they also run the airwaves and most of the internet.”
“Try not to worry. You did an excellent job. I’m very proud of you.”
Sin and Giovanni hug briefly, before he excuses himself to handle some business upstairs.
“Ilya and I have a meeting in half an hour,” Cade explains. “But why don’t you and Garen take the rest of the day off? We’ll meet up again at home for dinner.”
I grin mischievously at Sin. “I know exactly how we can pass the time.”
“You know, this wasn’t what I thought you had in mind, but I’m not complaining.”
When we’d arrived home to the penthouse, I’d told Sin to get changed into her comfiest of clothes while I tossed a bag of popcorn into the microwave, got out a couple of glasses, and cued-up a stand-up comic special that just released. By the time Sin emerged, I was in only sweatpants, on the couch with a fluffy blanket, a giant bowl of popcorn on my lap, and two glasses of cola on the coffee table.
We spent most of the special cuddled together under the blanket and laughing, which was my plan.
Sin had been stressed for days, maybe more, about her brief talk today, and whatever I could do to alleviate some of that stress, I damned well would.
When the credits begin to roll, Sin snuggles in closer to me, wrapping her arms around my bare chest and nuzzling my sternum, breathing in my scent and making my body buzz with life.
She hums, satisfied. “This is nice. Even better than the laughs.”
“Oh?”
