5. Another Thorn #2
“My name is on that fucking building. Bastian won’t stop me from kicking your ass out of there,” he stated, sure of himself. At that moment, his expression was the same as his brother’s—icy-cold, arrogant, and self-assured, typical for the members of the Thorn family.
“We’ll see,” she seethed, giving me one last deadly glare before she walked away with a fake smile plastered on her face.
“That was intense.” I sighed, handing him another glass of champagne.
With this speed, we will be drunk till Bastian comes back, I thought, mentally grinning.
“She’s frustrated, so she acts like a bitch. It’s nothing new.” He shrugged, taking the whole tray with canapes from the waitress, flashing her a charming smile.
“Because of me?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “Is she jealous?”
“Bastian is here with you, publicly showing that you’re his girlfriend. I think she feels threatened,” he explained, offering me delicious-looking pastries with savory topping. It was a good idea to eat something because I started to feel the effects of alcohol.
“She’s invasive,” I remarked, picking bread with olives and cheese, even though I was already full. It tasted delicious. “May I ask why you told her you need to see something? ”
Rose hadn’t shown us anything, so his statement was confusing. I was nervous about not detecting something noteworthy.
“When she turned to you, I couldn’t see her face. That’s why I stopped her,” he replied matter-of-factly, stuffing his mouth full of ham and cherry tomatoes. We certainly gave an impression of savages in the middle of a regal party.
“What are you talking about?” I inquired, frowning at him, perplexed. It felt like I was missing a huge piece of the puzzle.
“I’m deaf, Electra,” he answered, and my jaw almost hit the floor. It was a very inappropriate reaction, yet absolutely justified. I had no idea, and never, in my wildest dream, would I have noticed that he couldn’t hear.
“Wow...” I breathed, stunned. He looked so relaxed and confident. I was an insecure mess because of everything, and he functioned without one of the vital senses, acting like it was nothing.
Who the hell was this guy?
“I know, I’m all sexy and cool. No one would ever find out about my secret.” He winked at me, wiping his mouth with the napkin, yet I saw that he constantly checked my face.
Shit!
I thought he was some weirdo, but he was reading the words from my lips. This revelation almost knocked me off my feet.
“These people don’t know?” I whispered, leaning closer to him. He couldn’t hear me, but others could. I didn’t want to unfold his secret if he had been hiding it his entire life.
“Only my family members and a few closest friends know,” he replied, looking around the room.
“My father made sure I would have the best care and education. He paid enormous amounts of money for the most prestigious schools and teachers. I’m very grateful for that.
” He turned to me with a soft smile, reminding me of Bastian.
“I know my dad is a horrible man when it comes to his marriage and women in general, but he cares for his children.”
“I’m not saying anything,” I muttered. Before, I was envious of Bastian’s endless possibilities; however, this was a whole new level.
Frederick was considered a disabled man who accomplished much more than an average healthy person.
It raised the question of whether it was thanks to his father’s money or because he was a hard-working, clever guy who maximized his potential.
“What about you, huh? Do you have some dirty secrets?” Fredy asked, changing the subject and wiggling his eyebrows.
“No.” I shook my head, grinning back at him.
“C’mon.” He frowned, pressing his lips together, not accepting my answer. “Everyone has a...”
He didn’t finish. He stared wide-eyed somewhere behind me, and the blood drained from his face. “Shit!” he cursed under his breath, spinning to face the bar.
I glanced around the room but didn’t see anything suspicious. Everyone was having a good time, eating, drinking, talking, or dancing. I didn’t understand the sudden change in his demeanor.
“Andreas told me she wouldn’t be here,” he whispered, the wrinkle forming between his thick brows when he peeked from behind me at the door. “And she just walked in.”
“She?” I echoed, curious about the mysterious woman who had him off his game.
“I met her two weeks ago, and I’m sure she thinks I’m an idiot or worse.” He grimaced, sadness settling in his brown irises. As he leaned against the bar, his face was on the same level as my shoulder, so he used it as a shield, hiding behind it.
“Why?” I asked, suppressing a giggle. He was so adorable. Obviously, he was interested in that woman.
“I’m not able to say a normal sentence when she's around,” he explained, glimpsing over my shoulder. “My brain just shuts down, and I’m staring at her like some lovesick puppy.”
“You like her that much?” I asked, trying to guess who the enigmatic woman of his dreams was.
“You have no idea,” he mumbled, more to himself than to me, and my smile widened.
I noticed a tall, sleek female with dark red hair and an attractive face approaching us.
Fredy couldn’t see her because she was behind him, and he almost collapsed when she walked into his line of view with a cocky grin on her plump brown lips.
“I didn’t expect to see you here, pretty boy,” she said, and I almost burst into laughter at his expression.
Well, this should be fun!