Filed to story: Watch Out, I’m The Lady Boss (Eleanor & Sebastian) Book PDF Free
I should’ve clocked it then. Daniel Granger was never going to love me the way I wanted.
I got it now. The weird glances his friends kept sneaking me at that party weren’t about my dress or my hair. They were pity.
And God, thinking about it still made my throat burn. Like swallowing glass.
I blinked hard, shoved it down, and dragged Yvaine away.
Yvaine threw a death glare over her shoulder. Then she said, real loud, “Imagine bringing your side chick to such a party. Some people have thicker skin than a concrete bunker.”
Catherine stomped up to us, blocking my path.
“Elean,” she said, flashing this tragic, I’m-so-sorry face.
“I didn’t know you’d be here. Daniel and I just got together to talk about work, and then he said he didn’t have a date, so he asked me to come.”
I stared at her.
“Right. Total coincidence. That why you’re dressed like a Valentine’s Day massacre?” I flicked my fingers at her sparkly pink gown.
“That your usual work outfit now?”
Catherine blinked. It hit her a second too late that I wasn’t playing nice anymore.
She used to have me pegged. Sweet, soft, desperate for Daniel’s approval. I used to eat shit with a smile if it meant he’d look at me twice.
Not tonight.
Catherine clutched her hands so tight I could see the blood leave her knuckles. Her eyes went glassy fast, like she was about to start sobbing on cue.
“It’s all my fault,” she said, voice trembling.
“I shouldn’t have come with Daniel. Please don’t be mad.”
Before I could tell her where to shove her apology, Daniel strolled over. He took one look at Catherine and immediately switched into Knight-in-Shining-Dumbass mode.
His gaze flicked to me. For a split second, something flared in his eyes-surprise, maybe even a hint of regret-but he snuffed it out quick, like it was illegal to look impressed by me now.
“Elean, don’t start,” he said sharply.
“I brought her. It’s on me.”
I smirked.
“I’m not starting anything. She’s the one fake-crying like it’s open-mic night.”
Daniel didn’t believe a word of it. He shot me a warning glare, grabbed Catherine’s wrist, and yanked her away.
Yvaine flashed his back a very enthusiastic middle finger.
“Think he’s just flaunting Catherine to piss me off?” I said, reaching for a drink I didn’t even want.
Yvaine snorted.
“Partly, yeah. But mostly? He’s here to sniff around the Laurents. My brother heard half this bloody room’s trying to cosy up to the young heir tonight.”
“Emmett told you that?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Straight from the horse’s mouth. Clive Granger was supposed to show up himself, but he’s stuck at the hospital with Louisa. So he shoved golden boy out the door instead.”
Something Catherine had said earlier kept nagging at me.
“Wait. Are Catherine and Daniel… working together now?”
Yvaine suddenly found the floor fascinating. Her heels. A smudge on the carpet. Anything but my face.
“Yvaine,” I said, sharper this time.
“You know all the gossip in town. Spill.”
She winced.
“I didn’t want to tell you. Thought it might… I don’t know. Upset you.”
“Trust me,” I said.
“The only thing that could upset me right now is running out of alcohol.”
Yvaine gave a guilty little shrug.
“Fine. Yeah. They’re working together. Catherine’s his secretary now.”
For a second, I thought I hadn’t heard her right.
“Secretary? Like… scheduling and stuff?”
“Yeah.”
I barked out a laugh, way too loud for a party this fancy. A few people glanced over. I didn’t care.
Back when Daniel and I were a thing, I needed to book an appointment just to swing by his office with a sandwich.
Now Catherine, whose only organisational skill was getting thrown out of a club in under ten minutes, got an all-access pass?
“Of course she is,” I said, grabbing another drink off the tray of a passing waiter.
“Of bloody course.”
Yvaine quickly changed the subject.
“Why don’t we go say hi to the Van Astors? Their son runs a boutique fashion label. Might be a chance for you to collab.”
I nodded and followed her across the room. Business before drama. Always.
But apparently, Catherine didn’t share that thought.
I had just sealed a handshake deal with Whitman Van Astor to look at my new designs-my jewellery line might even end up in his next spring launch-when she came back, dragging Serenna Oakley behind her.
I’d clocked Serenna the second she slithered in. Looked like Catherine had pulled some strings to get her an invite.
God knew when those two got so chummy, though. Last I checked, Serenna was still slagging off Catherine’s taste in shoes.
Serenna flashed a smug little grin at me.
“Bet you didn’t expect to see me at the Laurent party, huh?”
I gave her a once-over. Designer dress, borrowed confidence, and a face that said “please validate me”.
I turned to Catherine.
“You might wanna be careful. Our dear cousin’s been obsessed with Daniel since school. You sure you wanna parade him around with her sniffing after him?”
Catherine’s face stiffened. She snapped her head towards Serenna, eyes sharp enough to shave an eyebrow clean off.
Serenna went the colour of a bad spray tan.
“Don’t listen to her! She thinks every girl on the planet’s gagging for Daniel.”
“And you’re one of them,” I said, all helpful-like.
“No I’m not! Not anymore!”
“Huh.” I raised an eyebrow.
“You’ve got a new target then? Who is it?”
Serenna flailed for a second, then swung towards Catherine.
“Cathy, swear down, I don’t have a thing for Daniel. I know you two are meant to be.”
Catherine wavered, chewing over whether to trust Serenna or not, before she gave a stiff little nod.
“I believe you.”
Then she turned to me.
“This is an important party for Daniel. I hope you won’t ruin it.”
I crossed my arms.
“Trust me, Catherine, I’ve got nothing more to do with him. Whether this is the best night of his life or he trips over a napkin and dies of embarrassment, I couldn’t care less.”
Her smile wobbled but she ploughed on.
“I know you’re bitter, but please, be reasonable. There are a lot of business elites here tonight. Daniel is trying to secure an investment deal with the Laurents. Please don’t let your personal feelings ruin this chance for him.”
“My personal feelings? You mean you don’t want me to broadcast the fact that I dumped Daniel because he’s a violent little SOB who hasn’t got the spine to tell his mother he’s in love with someone else? Instead, he just rolls over and accepts a fianc?e he never wanted, because having an actual conversation might be too scary for him? Yeah, I can see how that wouldn’t really help his investment pitch.”
Serenna glanced between us, eyes wide, clearly clocking that there was way more dirt under this rug than anyone had warned her about.
Catherine had the grace to blush, but not the good sense to back off.
“Whatever happened,” she said, voice tight, “you and I are still family. And Daniel will be family too. So please, don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
I rolled my eyes so hard it was a miracle I could still see straight.
There was no point trying to explain it to her. In Catherine’s mind, I was still the pathetic little fangirl who used to trail after Daniel like a lost puppy. Nothing I said would change that.
So I turned to leave.
I barely made it two steps before I caught a shift in the air behind me, then that overpowering floral cloud Catherine called perfume hit my nose.
A split-second later, her heel clipped the back of my ankle.