Chapter 6 The Face of an Angel, The Heart of a Viper

I suppose this kind of treatment was decent enough, all things considered. In the end, the Vale family and the Blackwood family were still connected through marriage, and no matter how ugly things got, they had to save some face for the Blackwoods.

A hotel concierge stepped forward to escort me out. I smiled graciously, my pointed heels clicking against the glass shards scattered across the marble floor as I walked past Caspian Vale without so much as a glance in his direction. My heart was still racing from our confrontation, but I refused to let it show.

The crowd had already gotten their entertainment for the evening and was beginning to part ways, giving me a clear path to the exit. I'd made my statement, caused enough of a scene, and now I just wanted to leave with whatever dignity I had left intact.

But as I approached the ballroom entrance, something caught my eye. Someone had quietly extended their foot directly in my path, as if they'd been waiting for exactly this moment.

My mind raced. Apart from throwing those three glasses of wine at Robert Palmer tonight, I shouldn't have offended anyone else at this charity gala. If this wasn't a new grudge, then it had to be an old one.

And there was really only one person who inspired that kind of lingering hatred in the women of New York's elite society. My husband, Damien Blackwood.

As the heir to the Blackwood fortune and one of the most eligible bachelors before our marriage, Damien had broken countless hearts when he chose me. His devastating good looks and family wealth had made him the ultimate prize among Manhattan's socialites.

Even though they now had better options available, apparently some people still couldn't resist taking their frustrations out on me.

I pretended not to notice the strategically placed foot and stepped forward deliberately, my stiletto heel finding its target with precision.

The woman had been prepared to trip me, but she certainly hadn't expected my pointed heel to land directly on top of her foot. She let out a sharp cry and tumbled to the ground, clutching her injured appendage.

I'd braced myself for the impact, so while my body swayed slightly, I played up the instability, taking several dramatic steps backward as if I might fall.

I was actually debating whether to complete the performance by collapsing entirely when a strong hand suddenly appeared from behind me, catching my waist with just the right amount of pressure to steady me.

My breath caught as I turned around to see who had come to my rescue.

Caspian Vale stood behind me, his expression completely neutral, those deep eyes as calm as still water. He was tall and imposing, and even with my five foot seven height plus three inch heels, I still had to look up to meet his gaze.

But the sense of intimidation he radiated wasn't just about his physical presence. There was something else, something hidden beneath that composed exterior that made my pulse quicken.

I forced my racing heart to slow down and gave him my most dazzling smile. "Thank you, Mr. Vale."

He remained perfectly composed as he withdrew his hand, not bothering to acknowledge my gratitude with so much as a word.

Even that brief, silent interaction was enough to draw hostile stares from the women around us. I could practically hear their thoughts. Here I was, already married to Damien Blackwood, and now I was making moves on the mysterious Vale heir?

I lowered my head to smooth down my dress, preparing to make my exit, but once again found my path blocked.

"Don't you have eyes? You think you can just step on someone and walk away?" The woman I'd inadvertently trampled was struggling to her feet with help from her friends, glaring at me with undisguised malice.

I tilted my head to study her face, finding it vaguely familiar but unable to place where I might have seen her before. I kept my expression pleasantly neutral. "Oh, are you hurt? You should probably get that checked at the hospital. Just send the bill to the Blackwood residence, and I'm sure Damien will take care of it. He's always been generous with beautiful women."

"Oh, how noble of you, making decisions for him like that." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I suppose when you fight so hard to steal someone else's position, you have to make the most of it. But tell me, does Damien actually acknowledge you as Mrs. Blackwood?"

The crowd around us perked up, sensing drama.

That's when I finally remembered who she was. Natalie Brooks, not directly connected to Damien but definitely one of his former admirers.

Seeing that she had everyone's attention, Natalie seemed to gain confidence. Her voice grew louder, more theatrical. "What did you have to do to become Mrs. Blackwood? Do you really think no one remembers? The things you've done, the people you've hurt, don't you feel any shame at all? If I were you, I'd keep my head down and hide for the rest of my life. Instead, you have the audacity to parade around Manhattan like some kind of queen. Vera, aren't you afraid of karma?"

All eyes were fixed on me now, waiting for my response.

I listened to her accusations with apparent calm, absently touching my earring as I smiled. "How dramatic. Should I be looking over my shoulder for divine intervention?"

Someone in the crowd actually laughed out loud at my response.

Natalie's face flushed with anger. "Mock it all you want, but karma is real! Look what's happened to your precious Quinn family. Isn't that exactly the kind of payback you deserve? Vera, congratulations. All the sins you've committed are finally catching up to you and your family, one by one."

"Since you seem to have such a direct line to the universe's sense of justice, could you pass along a message for me? I don't have the best relationship with my family, so punishing them won't really affect me. If karma wants to settle accounts, it should come directly to me instead."

My voice remained steady and unconcerned as I said this, then stepped around her to continue following the concierge toward the exit.

But Natalie wasn't finished. Her voice carried clearly across the ballroom as she delivered her final blow.

"What did she do? Who did she hurt? Let me tell you exactly what kind of person Vera Sinclair really is. To clear the path to marry Damien Blackwood, she made deals with criminals and used the most despicable methods against an innocent girl. She arranged for that girl to be assaulted and permanently disabled. That victim has been confined to a wheelchair ever since, and it's all thanks to our dear Mrs. Blackwood."

The accusation hung heavy in the air. Every person in that ballroom heard it clearly.

Such a serious charge, delivered so publicly, demanded some kind of response. But I merely paused for the briefest moment before continuing toward the exit without looking back.

I offered no denials, no explanations, no protests of innocence. My silence was as damning as any confession, and the whispers started immediately.

"Look at that shallow, calculating expression. I'm not surprised she'd do something like that."

"She hasn't shown her face in society for two years. Probably been hiding out of guilt."

"No wonder the Quinn family is in trouble and Damien won't lift a finger to help."

In the midst of all this chatter, Caspian Vale stood apart from the crowd, his penetrating gaze following my retreating figure until I disappeared through the ballroom doors.

James Wright, his vice president, moved closer to explain the situation, speaking in low tones. "That Mrs. Blackwood is from the Quinn family. The Quinns have been having some serious financial difficulties lately and have been asking everyone for help. But the Blackwoods are refusing to get involved, and no one else in the city is willing to cross them by helping."

Tyler, the tall, handsome department manager standing nearby, let out a low whistle of appreciation. "What a waste. Look at that face, that body. Can you imagine how incredible she'd be between the sheets? Too bad she belongs to the Blackwoods."

"The beauty of a rose, and the thorns that draw blood before you enjoy the scent." Someone else chimed in." someone else chimed in.

"Hell, what a way to go though," Tyler laughed, and several other men joined in with knowing grins.

Only Caspian remained stone-faced, turning away from the group to walk elsewhere in the ballroom.

James shot Tyler a sharp look. "Watch your mouth around Mr. Vale. You think it's appropriate to talk like that in front of the boss?"

Tyler shrugged carelessly. "We're all young guys here. Who knew he'd be so uptight about it?"

"He might be young, but he was personally groomed by his grandfather. Every habit, every manner was shaped under the old man's supervision. You won't find a single flaw in his character. He's like some kind of perfect gentleman from another era. Did you really think he'd be anything like you?"

"Is that even real though?" Tyler's voice took on a mocking tone. "I mean, he's in his twenties. No matter how noble his character supposedly is, he's got to have normal desires, right? Unless all those rumors are true, and there's actually something wrong with him. Maybe after all those years of treatment, he looks normal on the outside, but when it comes to actually performing..." He left the implication hanging.

Some of the men around them snickered while others frowned in disapproval of such crude speculation.

James decided not to dignify the comment with a response. Instead, he hurried after Caspian to continue their evening of networking and business discussions.