“Grandfather’s generation is M. His children are all Ns—Nicole, Nadia, Nathan, and Nat. His grandchildren are supposed to be Os.”
“Supposed to be?”
I shrug. “No one followed the tradition when the first lot of grandchildren were born. It caused fucking uproar. Odette and I were born to make up for that, even though my mother didn’t want any more brats. Father didn’t give her a choice.”
She looks at me, her eyebrows squishing together in a cute way. “You’re not an O.”
I raise a brow. “You didn’t check out my school record? My first name is Oscar. Romain is my middle name.”
“Oscar Romain.” She smiles. “It kind of suits you.”
“It does suit me. It’s a great name.”
After I’ve given her the grand tour, Bella goes quiet. It’s unnerving, and I can’t help but drag her to one side.
“Changed your mind about dating me?” I ask her softly, guiding her to the bar. “My family is a lot to take in.”
“We’re dating now?” she asks, eyes bright with….
Why does she look uneasy?
I sigh. “Yes, we’re fucking dating.” I signal to the bartender to bring us some drinks. I’m not having alcohol tonight, but Bella shouldn’t stay sober. Not if I can help it. I want her to have a good time, even if I’ve brought her to the other side of hell.
“I still haven’t met Odette…or Marcel,” she says suddenly.
“You will meet Marcel,” I promise her.
But Odette is missing. Seth too. I know my twin is here somewhere because she sent me a picture of her dress, asking if it was good enough for Seth with the view of the french countryside behind her. She’s always had a thing for our cousin. Maybe they’re together? It’s not the first time Montford cousins have fucked, and it certainly won’t be the last. As long as Odette is on her meds, that’s all I care about.
I leave Bella with Emerald, my oldest sister and one of the few Montfords I trust. As they go off to fix Bella’s dress, I make the rounds as is expected of me.
“Did you hear about Seth’s play for Darlington?” Royce slurs, coming up to greet me. He’s pissed already.
“No. But I heard you got roasted by Seth at school in front of everyone,” I say to my cousin with a smirk.
Royce frowns, his shaved eyebrow looking like some demented caterpillar. “Fucking bastard, Seth being a cunt as usual. Thinks he’s so fucking untouchable.”
“He’s not here then?” Royce wouldn’t dare say anything bad about Seth unless the bastard was absent.
“He’s coming tomorrow. Plane was delayed.”
“Tomorrow? So he’s staying the full half-term break? He was invited to the parley?” There are talks happening between Darlington and Montford this week. I’m not on the board, but neither is Seth. If he’s been invited…
Royce shrugs. “He’s the fucking golden child. Marcel’s been grooming him to take over since Uncle Nathan jumped off a fucking bridge. Why wouldn’t he invite him?”
I shrug. I have nothing to say about my only competition for the Montford throne. Marcel thinks the sun shines out of Seth’s fucking ass, just like Odette, since he’s Nicole’s kid. One day he’ll fuck up. No one is that good. I’ll find a way to bring him down.
Until then…
“I need to speak to Marcel. Do you know where he is?” I ask Royce, looking around. I want to speak to my grandfather before he meets Arabella. If he doesn’t approve of her, I don’t know what I’d do. He has to approve, or I’ll fucking go off the rails.
He sighs, taking a glass off a passing tray and downing it. “Grandfather? Where else would he be? In the war room.”
I leave Royce to drown his misery in booze, and head deeper inside the house to the billiard room, dubbed the war room, because that’s where business tends to happen. Marcel likes to pot balls when he makes his deals. He thinks it lowers the resolve of his opponent when they think it’s just a game.
He’s the one that taught me that—power is won through the games people play. He’s the reason I started the bets at school, to get the whole fucking student body under my thumb. It worked. When you are the one collecting debts and setting the stakes, you wear the crown, and everyone falls in line. And no one can fucking say otherwise.
My father and Marcel look up as I enter, cues poised.