Chapter 10: Everything Is A Performance
AIDRIEN’S POV
The doors to the hall slam open as if emphasizing Orion’s threat. It’s almost funny how all the guests on the line adopt an air of solemnity...except for Orion.
He’s beaming like a man who’s just won the lottery. Like a fucking loon.
"Stand straight, duckling," he whispers, eyes shining in the excitement, "Aunt Dimitra has a nasty habit of picking out flaws."
"And her nephew has a worse habit of capitalizing on those flaws," I whisper back, keeping my tone as dry as possible.
"You know, I kind of like how sharp your— "
He’s thankfully interrupted by the valet ushering us past the doorway and into the hall. The smile he gives the man is sour enough to curdle milk.
Then he sighs. "I guess it’s showtime then."
Orion, dutifully playing the gentleman, leads me by the elbow to the...long ass table placed at the center of the hall.
Is this birthday party going to be celebrated with some kind of rich people sacrifice thing? Oh God— Please don’t let me be the sacrifice.
"I’m not going to let you— "
"Take a breath, Adrien." Orion sighs tiredly— almost like he can read my thoughts. "Aunt likes it when everyone eats on one table, and the guests aren’t as many as you think, so we’ll all fit."
"So...you’re not sacrificing me?"
"To what?" He raises a brow as he expertly steers me to sit with him at the right-hand side of the table.
"That’s what I’d like to know too..."
"I don’t believe in any gods," he sits beside me calmly, "and even if I did, I wouldn’t insult them by sacrificing you to them. Even I wouldn’t accept you as a sacrifice."
"You must think you’re hilarious." Only Orion would compare himself to a god.
"I am quite a funny man...or so I’ve been told." He shrugs, deliberately shaking me with his shoulders.
"Is lying to yourself all you do— " I barely manage to deliver my insult when I’m interrupted by an agitating, grating, voice.
"Hi, Cousin."
Ah, fuck. It’s that thing.
"Leon." Orion nods back in greeting, eyes sparkling with something that sends chills down my spine.
"It’s been a while," the thing takes a seat opposite us on the left-hand side, "still claiming ownership of Mother’s right, I see."
"So you do manage to see out of those useless, sparkling things you call eyes? How fascinating." Orion hums, amusedly.
"And you still dodge important questions...how fascinating." The thing responds in the same languid tone as Orion.
As interestingly nerve-wracking as all of this is, I would rather crawl under the table and make my escape out of the—
"Tell me," Orion levels him with a smile, "are you actually carrying a gun to Aunt’s birthday party, or have my eyes become as useless as yours?"
He’s carrying a gun?
Was he...was he carrying a gun when we were at the garden too?
"How can you tell?" They have the same insane sparkle in their eyes. It’s terrifying.
"You walked and sat like it’s heavy, but you and I both know that you don’t pack enough down there to make such movements."
That wasn’t even directed at me, but I felt the burn.
Leon’s smile falters for a split second, fast but slow enough for both Orion and me to see it. "Now you’re just being rude, Cousin."
"Give me an instance when I’ve been civil with a monkey?" Orion responds, chuckling mockingly. "Why don’t you explain why you’re carrying a weapon at a family event?"
He leans forward, eyes watching Leon with a predatory gleam. If I were at the end of a look like that, I’d never be able to look him in the eye.
But Leon does. Not easily, but he does. Then his gaze snaps to me. "Who’s your date?"
This crazy fucker.
"Go ahead," Orion nudges me, already moving past Leon’s deflection to his question, "introduce yourself to the monkey."
I don’t want to. I really don’t, but I already know I don’t have a choice. "Hello, my name is Adrien Dubois..."
I stretch my hand across the table, drawing his attention to the cursed diamond band. "I’m Orion’s fiancé."
Orion nudges me again. "Tell him you’re the soon-to-be Mr Vassilis."
I’d rather choke on metal spikes than verbally manifest that into my future. "We are engaged," I say instead, sparing my sanity from Orion’s schemes.
"Dubois? As in Louise Dubois’s brother?" Leon asks, voice rising in disbelief.
He’s really selling this clueless act, isn’t he?
Orion nods affably, hands crossed on his chest. "Yes, he’s the only brother to the Louise Dublois you are currently dating."
Well, time to sell my part. "Yes, I am the only brother to the..."
What?
Leon is dating Louise?
"You’re dating Louise?" I turn to Orion so fast that I almost snap my neck. "You knew? You knew he was dating her? She left you for...him?"
He pouts sullenly "Imagine how surprised I was too. My only cousin, stealing the woman I had been with for over ten years...I almost cried."
Hearing his voice, anyone would believe him, but the playful glint in his eyes gives him away. I can see just how much this bastard is enjoying this.
He could have told me that Louise left him for Leon, but he didn’t! He didn’t tell me on purpose because he wanted to fuck with me!
I already knew he didn’t bring me here for something as inane as using me to win Louise back, but I never thought I’d be blindsided like this.
"You should’ve cried." I know my face is twisted into something that even I wouldn’t recognize, but I can’t help it, I’m just so fucking pissed!
"Careful darling, that doesn’t sound so loving of you." His voice drops low with each word.
He tilts his head questioningly as I place a hand on his arm. "No darling, that’s not what I meant." Well, two can play this fucking game.
"If I were the one who was jilted by my lover of almost a decade, I would be inconsolable. I’d be worried about everything...even my performance in bed." I slowly drag my eyes down to his dick.
When I lift my gaze back up, Orion’s face is torn open by a smile so wide that it looks like his face split open to accommodate all his teeth.
"Don’t worry darling, I assure you she didn’t leave because of performance issues," he leans closer, "but if you don’t believe me, then I’ll just have to take my time to thoroughly convince you later."
Bastard.
My nails dig into his forearm, but he doesn’t even flinch. "Oh darling, please watch what you say in public. People are going to talk, you know?"
"Let them, my love," he takes my hand in his, "I want everyone to see and talk about us, because I want them all to know who you belong to."
What a fucking psycho.
"Talk like that is a bit outdated, baby." Oh, he didn’t like that pet name. Good. "I prefer not to be treated like an object— "
"Orion..."
Oh, I’d know that fake, sickly-sweet tone anywhere. It stops me right in my tracks and kills all my vigor. Like a damn curse.
"It’s been a while..."
Louise. Oh, Louise. My dear sister. I could’ve gone my entire life without hearing your voice again.
