The Pauper's Prize Chapter 2

A few days later, I was adorned with a new set of priceless emeralds.

Strolling through the city, I felt like a pedigreed Persian cat, sleek and untouchable.

It was a weekday, so the high-end department store was quiet. That’s why I easily heard someone call my name.

“Ms. Hayes?”

A young woman in a sensible pantsuit stood among a small group of people. She was plain, the kind of forgettable face you see once and never again.

I’d known a face like that years ago. A classmate of Griffin’s.

Audrey.

Back in prep school, our year had two charity cases.

Griffin, the major one, and Audrey, the minor one.

The two of them were always eating lunch together, a little island of have-nots. Inseparable.

I studied her for a moment before her name surfaced. “Audrey.”

“I’m surprised you remember me.” She extended a hand. “I work for Mr. Vance now. I’m his assistant.”

I offered a tight, polite smile, making no move to take her hand. “Is there something I can help you with, Audrey?”

She slowly retracted her hand. “Oh, no, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m just here to do a site inspection for Mr. Vance. I didn’t expect to run into you.”

Her gaze lingered on my emeralds, a flicker of something in her eyes before she smiled.

“It must be nice being a housewife. Not a care in the world, just shopping and spending. After all the hell you put Griffin through back then, it’s amazing he can be so forgiving. You’re a lucky woman.”

I watched her, letting the silence hang in the air before I laughed.

“You’re lucky too, you know. You just happened to get that scholarship my father donated to the school. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here, working for my husband.”

The corner of Audrey’s mouth twitched, her practiced smile flattening into a thin line.

I beamed at her. “What’s wrong? You look upset. I’m sorry, I thought you enjoyed these little trips down memory lane.”

She had no idea what I’d put Griffin through. She wasn’t even there for most of it.

Did he not warn her to stay away from me?

She was playing with fire.

“I have to get back to work,” she said, her voice clipped. “Enjoy your day, Ms. Hayes.”

That evening, when Griffin came home, he found me slumped on the sofa.

An empty bottle of red wine lay on its side at my feet, a dark stain bleeding into the cream-colored rug.

He set down his briefcase and silently took out his phone, texting the cleaner. Then he came over and bent to lift me into his arms.

I gave him a weak shove. “Kneel.”

Griffin paused, then carefully knelt before me, the fabric of his suit trousers creasing.

I prodded his shoulder with the toe of my shoe. “You hired a female assistant?”

He caught my ankle, his thumb stroking the delicate skin. “It’s a corporate policy. Gender diversity.”

He lowered his head, his lips tracing a path up my calf. “But my executive assistant, the one who deals with me directly, is a man. Does that ease my queen’s mind?”

The bad mood that had been poisoning my day began to evaporate.

In less than a minute, I was his again, completely.

I draped myself over his shoulders, scrolling through my phone. “I don’t get it,” I mumbled. “Mom and Dad took your money, so why won’t they answer my calls?”

“They’re busy with their new venture. You can’t answer the phone when you’re building an empire.”

“Oh.”

The wine was making my head swim.

Griffin carried me to the bed and gently stroked my hair.

“Sloane,” he said softly, “if they were broke, completely penniless, would you still want to talk to them?”

I burst out laughing. “I don’t talk to paupers. You know that.”

His dark eyes were unreadable, like pools of ink. “What if I went bankrupt?”

A truly terrifying thought.

I pressed my fingers to his lips. “Shh, don’t even joke about that. It’s horrifying.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling. “If you ever lose your money, I’ll be the first one out the door.”

Griffin’s expression remained placid as he looked at my smiling face.

Then, he suddenly flipped me over. “I’ve just realized something,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble against my back. “I think I prefer the sound of your crying.”

His hot, hard body pressed against me from behind.

“And if my queen ever tries to run… I’ll just have to break her legs.”