Page 22 of Shattered Throne
Sebastian was watching me with an expression I couldn't read. "The reports you sent this morning. They were good."
I nodded. Didn't trust myself to speak. Walked out before he could see whatever was happening on my face.
I was halfway back to my office when I heard muffled laughter. I knew that laugh, had heard it echoing through society events and family dinners for my entire life.
What was my grandmother doing here?
I rounded the corner and found her standing by Kim's desk, gesturing animatedly with hands that sparkled with rings. She was telling a story, I could tell from the way they were smiling at each other.
Must be quite a story,I thought.Shame I can’t hear what they were talking about.
They looked like they'd known each other for years. Like they were old friends sharing secrets. Nope. I wouldn’t allow my grandmother to turn my new secretary against me before I even got the chance to convince her I wasn’t the devil everyone believed me to be.
I cleared my throat.
Both women turned. Kim's smile faded immediately, replaced by that careful neutrality I was beginning to recognize as her default. My grandmother's smile, on the other hand, widened into something mischievous.
"Xavier, darling." She reached out to pat my cheek. "You look tired. Are you sleeping?"
"Grandmother, I didn't know you were stopping by."
"Oh, I was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd see how you're settling in." Her eyes glittered with amusement. "And I wanted to meet your new secretary. Kim and I were just having the most delightful chat."
I glanced at Kim. Her expression gave nothing away, but there was a wariness in her posture that hadn't been there before.
"It was lovely speaking with you, Mrs. Dubois." Kim's voice was perfectly polite. "You have some wonderful memories."
"Please, call me Eleanor." My grandmother reached out and squeezed Kim's hand. "And you, my dear, are quite refreshing. Don't let my grandson work you too hard."
My grandmother swept past me toward my office, leaving a trail of expensive perfume in her wake. I followed, closing the door behind us.
She was already settling into the chair across from my desk, arranging her skirt. I stayed standing, arms crossed, trying to figure out what game she was playing.
"Have you found anyone?"
Right to the point, then. "It's a work in progress."
"A work in progress." She repeated the words slowly, tasting them. "It's been three months, Xavier. You have three months left." She tilted her head. "Surely among all those women you frolic with, one would be suitable."
"They're not right."
"Not right?" Her eyebrow arched. "That's interesting. A few months ago, any warm body would do. Why not just pick one of them and be done with it?"
"They're not right for this," I repeated.
My grandmother was quiet for a moment. Her eyes drifted toward the glass wall, toward the outer office where Kim was visible at her desk, phone pressed to her ear, taking notes.
"Now someone like your secretary," she said slowly. "That's the kind of woman who would impress me."
My mind went blank. I glanced out the window and watched as my secretary pushed a strand of dark hair away from her face. My grandmother was definitely ambitious, I’ll give her that. Kim would never go for me, not in a million years.
“That’s random. What makes you say that, Grandmother?”
“I just have a good feeling about her. You should consider it.”
I shot another quick glance in her direction. She was attractive, definitely my type, but the thought was absurd.
But… what if… what if… if I couldn’t get Kim or any woman to marry me of her own will, could I get someone to pretend?I mean, a lot of people had done it in the past. I didn’t know anyone personally, but surely it wouldn’t be so unorthodox.
