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“Not that it’s my business, but it could have been any girl here, yet you caught his eye first. You must be smart if you have him falling all over you already. I mean, clearly you’re book smart, but that doesn’t always equate to street smarts, you know?”

I opened my mouth to correct her embarrassing assumptions about why I was with Mason, but she continued on just like her mother.

Little Dragon gnawed at the edges of my patience, causing me to scan the room for Mason. I couldn’t spot him through the crowded dance floor.

“Mason hasn’t been telling you things about me, has he?” Her face fell.

“What? Oh, no! No. We’ve barely had a chance to talk—”

“I know he thinks I’m a bitch. But that’s normal sibling rivalry. He’s just jealous that I’m winning the bet.”

“The bet?” At least I finally managed to get out a full sentence, even if it was just a two-word echo.

“He didn’t tell you? Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s just that he hasn’t had a chance yet. I mean, like you said, you haven’t had much time to talk. Based on your little show on the dance floor, you’ve been too busy in bed.”

I was sure I was as red as the carpet, but I pushed her comments aside and focused on this bet she brought up. “Well, why don’t you fill me in?” I asked, feeling like perhaps I had a chance to get back on top of this conversation.

Nicole leaned in, and I got a whiff of designer perfume. “It’s Mother’s brainchild really. She wants us to be at the top of our games, you understand. So she made us an offer we can’t refuse. She’s giving us the next month to prove ourselves to you all—a test audience. The prize is Paradise Atlantis. The winner gets full run of all of this, a guaranteed ride to the top. She wants to see who has the best handle on politics, see?”

No. I didn’t see. Nicole barely paused, though, before continuing on.

“It’s really all about handling people. She knows we’re both smart. We’re both top of our class. Mason’s her eldest son, but she’s always been about women’s rights, so I have an equal shot at it. In fact, until tonight, I think we all assumed I was the winner by default. Serves me right. I should have known better. Never underestimate the enemy. That’s rule number one. Always be on guard.” She stopped talking and took a bite of salad. Apparently, she was determined to enjoy a full dinner no matter how late she showed up to the party.

I glanced over at Graham. He was deep in conversation with Stacy, who sat on his other side. His body language had changed from creeper to businessman. The people at this table were at best bizarre and at worst insane. Again I scanned the crowd for Mason and again couldn’t locate him.

“So,” I said, turning back to Nicole and taking a swallow of wine. “How exactly do you win this bet?”

Her big eyes filled with pity, and I shifted in my seat, suddenly wishing I hadn’t asked.

“By becoming the most popular, the most loved by the masses. Which admittedly in this case is only about sixty people, but still.” Nicole shrugged and sipped her own drink, never taking her eyes off me. It was like she was waiting for me to understand something.

“I don’t think Mason’s interested in a popularity contest,” I said and downed the rest of the glass. If only I felt as confident as I sounded.

“Well I hope not for your sake then,” she said, and her gaze traveled to the far end of the room. Automatically, I followed along.

Mason and Candice were having a heated discussion in the corner. Her usual polite plastic mask had cracked, and she appeared to be scolding him. She visibly replaced her mental wall and gestured over to someone else. Jackson and Tasha joined them. Tasha shook hands with Mason, who shot her the same intense look he hooked me with. She fluttered her lashes and swayed a little in response, and my brother appeared less than happy.

The world tilted as I pushed away from the table.

“Really clever of him to find a girl right away,” Nicole said, driving in the stake. “Don’t feel bad. You can use him too. I hear my mother already offered you a job. And really, what’s a relationship other than mutual exploitation?”