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When I noticed Valentin, I launched myself in his direction. “Brother of mine.”
“Oh, you look beautiful.” He lifted me off my feet, swinging me around. “I might have a very special gift for you later, but you have to pretend like you like the party.”
“Who says I’m pretending?”
“Um, I know you. Remember?” He put me down, the twinkle in his eyes the same as always.
We both noticed Father coming in our direction. For some reason, he looked stressed. “Valentin, why don’t you come into my office?” He finally seemed to notice I was standing right there, giving me a slight smile. What was wrong? Business today? I hated that they always worked. Always.
While Valentin winked, my father glanced around the room nervously. Whatever was going on, I was far too young to be told. They’d tried to shield me from the business, but I’d seen and heard enough to know exactly what they did, all of them. Only my sister seemed oblivious to the power and influence. Or maybe she just didn’t care.
I was left to fend for myself. After grabbing a Coke, I meandered outside, giving the obligatory hellos to various friends of the family. At least the present table was already packed. I grinned, thinking about the crazy gifts I usually received. Last year I’d received two dolls. Two. I turned twelve, not four. Oh, well. Maybe this year I’d get cash, lots of hundred-dollar bills. The people who attended these soirees were all rich. They could afford it.
The strains of music captured my attention, although it made me frown.
My mother had even hired a band this year, no more DJ like I’d requested. I glared at the getup, wanting to run far away. Everything seemed normal, like a big fancy party and nothing more, but there wasn’t a single thing about our life that was normal. There were guards everywhere, always watching, guns strategically placed for easy retrieval. However, it wouldn’t be good to scare the vanilla guests.
At least a half an hour had passed and I hadn’t seen my father. Mama was busy attending to her guests. I was truly all alone. I moved off the deck, heading toward the garden. I called it my happy place, especially in the springtime. Here I could breathe, pretend that I was someone else, a girl with a normal family.
I sat down on one of the wooden stools, staring at the fountain my mother had insisted on. It was pretty enough but it always made me feel melancholy and I wasn’t certain why.
A few seconds later, I sensed I wasn’t alone. I had no reason to be afraid, but I simply didn’t want to be bothered. I’d be in the spotlight soon enough. I decided to give the mysterious person the cold shoulder. Maybe they’d go far away.
I didn’t hear anything, but still refused to look in their direction. Then I heard a sound, a light plopping as something was tossed into the water. That finally drew my attention. I thought I was the only one who threw pennies into the fountain.
The boy standing only a few feet away wasn’t someone I recognized. He was tall, although not nearly as much as my brothers, his blond wavy hair striking in color. While he wasn’t looking in my direction, I gathered he knew I was there. He had a package in his hand, a delightful red foil bag, which meant he was the son of some senator or other rather worthless individual. At least he looked nice, handsome in fact. Then again from this angle I couldn’t see his face.
“What did you wish for?” I asked, unable to stand the silence.
“A wish will not come true if you tell someone.” His voice was deep, the tone slightly dangerous.
“I won’t tell anyone.”
He laughed softly.
“I wished that the world belonged to me.”
“Wow. I just wish for a new pony or an Xbox.”
He obviously caught my sarcasm, shooting me a look. Instantly, I was taken aback by the stern, cold expression on his face.
And his ice blue eyes.
There was something dangerous about him, as if he knew his place in the world and was doing nothing more than waiting to grab it in his hand. He was attractive but I sensed he was the kind of boy I should stay away from, even though he seemed to be the most intriguing boy that I’d seen for a long time.
“You must be Giada.”
He knew my name. I wasn’t certain whether to be thrilled or incensed. “Who wants to know?”
Narrowing his eyes, he walked closer. He exuded power, everything about him stark and haunting. When he was only a few feet away, I gathered a whiff of his aftershave. I bet he made all the college girls swoon. Well, he wasn’t my type, even though I didn’t have a type. Very slowly, he lifted his hand, presenting the bag.
“Sevastian.” He stated his name with as much authority as his body carried. “This is for you.”
“You don’t even know me. I don’t take presents from strangers.”
Chuckling, he moved even closer. “What about all those presents over there? Do you know everyone who gave them to you?”
He had a point. “Maybe. My father is an important man.” As if that mattered in the least. I was itching to grab the bag, but I tried to have some restraint. Finally, I couldn’t resist. “Thank you.”
