Chapter 167

Hannah

The car ride home was tense, the silence broken only by the soft hum of the engine as Noah drove down the sunlit streets. I couldn’t shake the irritation that had been building since Leonard’s parting words.

“Don’t forget to pick up Zoe tonight!”

Bastard. So he had gotten my skin after all; and to make matters worse, he wasn’t bluffing when he said that.

“Hannah,” Noah said, sounding exasperated, “come on. You’ve been staring out the window with your eyes practically bugging out for ten minutes straight.”

I shrugged and threw Noah a withering glare that was sharp enough to cut diamonds. “I just still don’t understand why you have to pick up Zoe tonight,” I said, my voice tense. “Can’t she find her own way to the gala?”

Noah sighed, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “I already explained it to you, Hannah. Her car broke down, and her usual driver is out sick.”

“So?” I pressed. “She can’t call a cab?”

He shook his head as he guided the car up the winding road leading to our mansion. “Like I said earlier, it would be unbecoming for someone of her status to order a cab to an event like this,” Noah replied in a clipped tone of voice. “Plus, she’s scared after what happened with your kidnapping. She won’t call cabs or Ubers.”

I felt my blood boil at his words. “Scared? She’s scared? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“She’s allowed to be scared.”

“No, she’s not,” I growled. “I’m the one who was kidnapped, Noah. I’m the one who almost died. And I’ve been dealing with it without causing a scene or inconveniencing anyone.”

Even as I spoke, I felt a chill run down my spine. Just last night, I had awoken in a cold sweat because I thought that I had seen Jake’s rotting corpse, dripping with water, standing in the corner of my bedroom. It was just a nightmare, of course. But I hadn’t breathed a word of it to anyone.

Noah’s jaw clenched, a muscle ticking visibly beneath his skin. “It’s not a competition, Hannah. Zoe’s feelings are valid too. Everyone is freaked out by what happened to you.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t see Amber or Viona or Emma whining about it,” I muttered, turning away again. “And Amber is the one whose ex just died.”

Noah didn’t respond, not that I expected him to. When I chanced a glance over at him, his face was stony and his gaze was fixed on the road. And honestly, somehow that infuriated me even more.

“You know, this whole thing reeks of Leonard,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. “I bet he set this whole thing up just to upset me. You know he likes to get under my skin.”

“Okay, now you’re just being paranoid,” Noah said, sounding wholly exasperated now. “You do realize that Leonard has better things to do than meddle in our personal lives, right?”

I scoffed. “Leonard is the one who set up your little rendezvous with Zoe tonight, isn’t he, though?” I asked.

Once again, Noah didn’t respond. As we pulled up to the house, the gravel crunching under the tires, I made a decision. “I’m taking a separate car to the gala tonight.”

Noah turned to me and smacked his hands on the steering wheel. “Come on, Hannah, don’t be ridiculous. We’re supposed to arrive together. It’s expected of us.”

“Not if Zoe is our third wheel,” I retorted. “And besides, since when do you care about us showing up to events together, anyway?”

Before Noah could respond, not that I figured he would, I got out of the car and slammed the door behind me. The sound echoed in the quiet driveway as I stormed into the house, ignoring the sensation of Noah’s gaze on me.

I spent the next few hours getting ready, my anger fueling my determination to look perfect. Every curl had to be in place, every eyelash perfectly coated with mascara. I was going to show Noah, Zoe, and everyone else that I was more than capable of handling myself.

Hours later, I stood in the foyer, dressed in a shimmery black gown that hugged my waist before flowing out at the hips. My hair was swept up in an elegant updo, and I had taken extra care with my makeup. The chandelier overhead made the diamonds at my throat sparkle, and I held a matching silver clutch in my hands.

“Thomas?” I called for my driver as I primped an unruly curl in the hallway mirror. “Are you ready to go?”

“He won’t be coming,” a familiar voice said from the doorway.

I looked up to see Noah standing by the open door, looking devastatingly handsome in his tuxedo with his dark hair slightly swept from the breeze. The sight of him nearly took my breath away, but I steeled myself against the flutter in my chest, even when he extended his arm to me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, pursing my lips.

“We’re going together,” Noah replied coolly. “I had one of our other drivers pick Zoe up privately, since I know it means a lot to you.”

I felt a wave of emotion wash over me. Noah had put me first. Even if he never did it again, I could at least have this one moment to remember.

“Noah, I... Thank you.”

He smiled slightly so that the dimple on one side of his face puckered slightly, a sight that made my throat close up on itself.

“Shall we?”

As we arrived at the gala a little while later, the cameras flashed blindingly, capturing Noah and I as we made our way up the red carpet. Noah’s hand on the small of my back felt warm and oddly reassuring as we stepped inside.

The opera house was stunning now that the sun had gone down, the decorations even more beautiful than I had imagined. Enormous crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over the crowd, and the air was filled with the soft murmur of conversation and the quiet strains of a string quartet as everyone took their seats.

I felt a surge of pride at what I had accomplished. “It’s perfect,” I breathed, stopping for a moment to take in the scene.

As we made our way to our seats, however, I noticed something odd. Zoe was seated on the other side of Noah’s seat, in a place I definitely hadn’t assigned her. I tried to keep my composure, smiling politely as we approached, but the closer I got the more I felt my blood simmer.

“Zoe,” I greeted, my voice tight. “I hope you’re enjoying the evening so far.”

She beamed at me—or rather, at Noah. I just happened to be standing in the way of her view of him. “Oh, it’s… It’s wonderful, Hannah. You’ve… outdone yourself.”

I nodded, feeling a little bit like that compliment was awfully difficult for her to bite out.

“I’m curious,” I asked, “how did you end up seated here? I don’t recall this being your assigned seat.”

Zoe’s smile faltered slightly. “Oh, well, I couldn’t see very well from my original seat. It was further back, you see.” She gestured up to the nosebleeds, which was exactly where I had intended for her to stay tonight—just one night without her breathing down my neck. “One of Noah’s staff was kind enough to help me move.”

My eyes narrowed slightly, although I maintained my polite smile. “Oh. Which staff member?”

Zoe looked around, her eyes scanning the crowd. Then, with a smile that seemed just a touch too innocent, she pointed across the room.

“Him, I believe. Leonard, isn’t it?”