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‘This thing happens only on my terms, Madeleine,’ he stated ruthlessly.
She knew the truth behind that statement. She wasn’t from his circle so he didn’t trust her. What better way to keep her in check than to keep her close? Exercise his perceived right to treat her with contempt the way Greg had treated her when he’d learned the full circumstances of her fall from privilege?
But she couldn’t leave her father to his own devices for long stretches. That would most certainly see him relapse before she could get him the help he needed. Unfortunately, that outcome depended on acceding to this man’s wishes.
Still...
‘I... I can’t just pack my bags and go to Montegova with you,’ she said a little desperately.
His shrug said her dilemma wasn’t his concern. ‘Take the next few hours to consider my offer. My driver and one of my bodyguards will take you home. You’ll be brought back here at seven and you’ll give me your answer then.’
Maddie took a deep breath that went nowhere near dispersing the apprehension rolling through her.
From the bodyguards and the limo to the ultra-VIP entrance to the suite she suspected was reserved for royalty, to the luxurious decadence of these rooms, everything about Remi Montegova screamed privilege and undiluted entitlement. Maddie knew that even if she walked out of here this second, she wouldn’t be free of him unless he wished it.
He had determined that she was a threat to his family. One that could be neutralised by opening his wallet and keeping her prisoner for however long he pleased.
As shameful as that ultimate slur was, when it came right down to it his offer was staggeringly life-changing. All she had to do was negotiate shrewdly.
She ignored the little voice in her head that told her this performance wouldn’t be straightforward—not when she couldn’t look into those eyes without wild heat invading her belly. Not when she didn’t even need to close her eyes to recall how it had felt to be pressed up against his hard, hot body.
But, unlike Jules’s mercurial behaviour, she knew where she stood with the Crown Prince. His disdain for her was evident in every word he spoke.
Why not use that disdain as a barrier? Insulate herself in it until she got what she wanted?
With another deep breath, she forced herself to meet his gaze, even though it felt as if he was trying to strip off a layer of her skin, burrow underneath and root all her secrets.
‘Okay.’
‘No, Miss Myers. I want to hear the words.’
‘Yes, I’ll come back tonight and give you my answer.’
He stared down at her for a taut spell, an indecipherable gleam in his eyes. Then he veered away, striding over to an antique desk to pick up the phone. He relayed instructions in that curious mix of languages before replacing the handset. Minutes later, a knock came on the door.
A rake-thin man whose uniform announced his butler status appeared out of nowhere, gave a stiff bow and opened the door. The same bodyguard who’d escorted her from the nightclub last night entered the room.
‘This is Antonio. He’ll make sure you get where you need to go.’
In other words he’d be her shadow for the foreseeable future. It was pointless to protest.
She walked to where she’d dropped her bag earlier and picked it up. When she turned, Remi stood behind her. Antonio and the butler stood at a discreet distance.
‘Um...is there something else?’
Remi’s gaze flicked to her hair and then slowly dragged down her body again. Dear God, the man could strip the thoughts from her head with just the look in his eyes.
‘I’ll have my stylist deliver appropriate clothes to you.’
She nearly choked on her tongue. ‘Excuse me?’
‘You expect to attend a charity gala dressed as a waitress?’
Maddie looked down at her uniform, at her threadbare tights, the worn flats.
‘Of course not. But I have a perfectly adequate wardrobe.’ It was a white lie. She had one classic black gown. The rest of the designer labels her mother had pushed upon her over the years had been sold off long ago to pay the bills.
His face grew taut. ‘If you intend to wear the clothes my brother furnished you with, think again.’
