Chapter 57

Iris

I almost expect Selina to shove me into oncoming traffic or something else that’s equally insane, but to my surprise, she smiles. Perhaps a little too widely, but it’s a smile nonetheless.

“Flora! Just the person I wanted to see.”

Before I can protest, Selina wraps her arm around my shoulders, whisking me away. “I’ve been hoping to have a chat with you,” she says, guiding me toward a nearby park bench as if we’re old friends meeting up to enjoy the afternoon sunshine. “I hope you have a moment.”

I furrow my brow. “Actually—” I start to tell her that I need to get home to Miles, but she cuts me off, clearly not caring that I have other places to be.

“It’s important,” she says, turning to me. It’s then that I see her eyes glimmer with that usual predatory gleam. Her smile is still firmly in place, but her voice is like a snake’s hiss as she says in a slightly lower voice, “We need to talk. Now.”

I hesitate, but finally relent, folding my arms. I don’t bother sitting on the bench. “Okay. What do you want?”

Selina flips a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder and adjusts her silk scarf.

“I heard you’re applying for that artist’s residency at Abbott,” she says, nodding her head toward the gallery right across the street.

“How do you know that?” I ask, frowning. “I only just filled out my preliminary forms.”

Selina shrugs, her grin widening. “It’s all about who you know here in Ordan, isn’t it?”

I can’t say she’s wrong, so I remain silent. Selina goes on, “Anyway, I’d like to offer you my help. I actually happen to know the owner of Abbott Gallery. I could put in a good word for you, if you’d like.”

Without meaning to, my arms drop to my side. I quickly recall Bella’s social media account, and how I don’t stand a fucking chance against her when it comes to the residency. But I’m also not an idiot. Taking help from Selina is akin to accepting a deal with a devil.

“No thanks,” I say, abruptly turning on my heel to leave.

“Wait!” Selina jumps to her feet, getting in my way. Her smile is still fake as ever as she says, “I can make Arthur leave you alone, too.”

My frown deepens. “What?”

“I know he’s trying to get you back, and I can make him stop,” she says. “In addition to helping you get into the residency—a level of independence that I know you crave right now—of course. All I ask is that you do your part and stop leading him on.”

“Leading him on?” I scoff. “I haven’t done any such thing. Furthermore, you have no idea what I want. Or who I want, for that matter.”

Selina’s eyes flash. “You’re distracting him,” she says, flicking an invisible piece of lint off her shirt.

“I’m not,” I laugh. “And even if I were, what do you care? I know about your arrangement. You don’t care about him, do you?”

Selina doesn’t answer right away, but something beneath the depths of those stormy gray eyes gives me pause. I blink, leaning back slightly. “Wait,” I say slowly, furrowing my brow, “are you…”

Before I can finish, she snaps her grin back into place. “I just worry that your presence in his life, whether you mean for it to happen or not, is detrimental to our image,” she says, waving her hand. “I mean, you’ve been back in Ordan for how long now? A month? Two? And already, the President and I have had to put out multiple fires thanks to a few public… stunts you’ve pulled.”

“What sort of stunts are you referring to?”

She lifts her shoulders, then drops them again. “Oh, losing your child, for starters. Going out in public without a proper disguise on, so people can recognize you. Kissing him in an alley…”

My heart stops. I didn’t think anyone knew about that, not even Selina.

Selina’s grin turns feline. “Oh, yes, I know all about that,” she says. “It cost a pretty penny to pay off the paparazzi that snapped that picture. Not that I blame you, of course. I just blame your… lack of media training.”

“Lack of media training?” I ask.

She nods. “Yes, well, it’s not like you were born in a high-profile household like me, so it’s not really your fault that you didn’t receive the proper training in how to act in public.”

“Are you calling me a rube?”

“No, no!” Selina laughs flippantly, waving her hand again. “Not at all. I just believe that it’s only natural that you’ll have more slip-ups in the future, which is why it’s best if you and Arthur part ways.”

I frown, not sure what to make of all that. I know everything Selina says and does is steeped in passive aggression, and she just spent the last five minutes basically insulting me from head to toe.

“But,” she goes on, either oblivious to my feelings or choosing to ignore them, “I also understand that Arthur is quite smitten with you—you are his mate, after all—and, as an Alpha, he won’t leave you alone. I can help, though, if you just say the word. You won’t need to worry anymore; my brother and I can make that pesky little contract go away, and I’ll shift his attention elsewhere, and you can either remain in Ordan as a successful artist or you can leave. It’s up to you.”

Finally, with a flourish, she hands me her business card. I look down at it for a moment, my mind whirling.

I won’t lie—Selina’s offer is tempting. Making the contract go away, getting that residency… Even making Arthur give up on me, if that’s even possible, or if I even want that.

But I also know she’s a snake, and can’t be trusted with watching someone’s purse, let alone all of that.

Furthermore, I’m curious to know why she was in Arthur’s room that day before the exhibition. Given the way she looked at me just now, I wonder if she really does have feelings for Arthur after all, and is just pretending she doesn’t in the hopes that he’ll eventually fall for her on his own. And maybe she feels threatened now that I’m in his life again.

But I don’t mention that. Mostly because if I let her know that I saw her that day, she’ll also wonder why I was in his room, and she’ll certainly find a way to use that against me.

Instead, I just shake my head and say, “Thanks for the offer, Selina, but I’m good.”

With that, I hand her business card back and leave.

The entire way home, I keep thinking about that strange interaction. Did Selina fall for Arthur, and she’s panicking because she actually thinks we’re going to get back together?

And just as importantly, if she was serious about making Arthur get over me… would I even take it? Would I even want that, despite everything?

I don’t know, and that’s the scary part.

As I’m approaching the apartment building, I find Augustine wandering outside again, looking a little confused. She’s not in the street this time, thankfully, but rather stomping around in the garden, crushing the flowers.

“Augustine,” I call out, stopping a few feet away. “What are you doing?”

The old woman jerks her head up, her eyes lighting up when she sees me. “Oh! Iris!” she says, hurrying over to me. “I was just looking for you.”

I feel myself soften, and lead her inside, where I bring her upstairs to have some tea in the apartment. I find Cliff in the living room with Miles, playing with toy cars as the TV plays in the background. The sight makes me smile.

But instead of cartoons playing on the TV, the news is on.

And there, glaring at me from the screen, is a photograph of me and Selina in the park. I’m frowning, my face twisted in a hateful sneer, while Selina smiles broadly.

“Today, the up and coming artist ‘Flora’ was spotted chatting with our beautiful Luna-to-be, Selina,” the news anchor says. “But the chat seemed anything but friendly. Why is this artist yelling at our lovely Luna? How could anyone hate Selina?”