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War

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Chapter 3: War (Rose's POV)

Money was a dirty, filthy, and vile resource in our world. Everybody desired it, yet those who had it always seemed to underestimate its power. It surprised me every day how easily people could be bought, how easily silence could be bought. 

But for nights where New York's elite chose beauty and enamored elegance, events like the annual Gilbert auction was nothing but an opportunity to splurge and show off one's riches. 

Linking my arm with Dom's as we followed our parents up the steps and to the entrance, I scanned the crowd ahead. Everyone was buzzing in anticipation and merriment. 

"Remind me," I said to Dom as we trailed behind a crowd of guests, "what makes the Gilbert auction so special? Other than the fact that it's an annual event." 

"The Gilberts are an important family in this city," Dom explained quietly in between polite passing smiles he offered strangers. "They have a lot of family heirlooms, artifacts and... other rich things... that they have no use of, so they choose to auction everything off each year." 

"A fancy yard sale," I said in understanding. 

"Yes," Dom agreed, "a fancy yard sale." 

I mustered up a smile as we reached the entrance and were greeted by the hosting Gilbert family. 

"Peter, it's good to see you," Mr. Gilbert said, shaking my father's hand firmly while his wife greeted my mother softly. "I'm glad you brought the kids," Mr. Gilbert added. 

I forced a small chuckle as Dom shook his hand. 

"They're not kids anymore, are they?" Dad asked, turning to both of us, his eyes lingering on mine. "It's about time they stopped acting like it too." 

My jaw ground harder as I held his gaze, refusing to turn away. 

Dom cleared his throat as a beat of tense silence passed between us. "We should head inside, Dad. We're holding up the other guests." 

I waited, slowing my pace until my parents were out of earshot. "I haven't even done anything yet," I huffed, my arm slowly falling out of Dom's. 

"He's still furious about the fact that you slipped out of the performance two nights ago," Dom whispered. 

"Nobody noticed my absence, Dom." 

"He did, Rose. That's bad enough." 

I suppressed a sigh and followed him into the main hall. 

Artifacts and heirlooms were splayed around the room, trapped within glass cases yet off on display. Security loitered near all entry and exit points. Locked and loaded, clearly. A small bar was stationed in the corner of the room while waiters handed out drinks to the guests strolling around, as well as those sitting at the long rectangular table that was positioned in the very center of the hall. 

A name tag for each guest awaited them at their allocated seat with the podium and the auctioneer at the very front, taking center stage. The auctioneer in question was none other than Mr. Gilbert's son. 

Wordlessly, with my hands tied behind my back, I continued trailing after the rest of the crowd as they walked around the perimeter of the room, observing every piece on display and desperately trying to get their teeth and claws into it before the auction even began. 

Everybody had their eye on something in this room. I just had to find something that was mine. 

My heels echoed on the floor with each step I took while the soft white satin dress pooled at my ankles but hugged my chest and waist tightly as two bands held it over my shoulders. 

I'd even adorned pearl earrings as per my mother's demands, and if I was decked out to be any purer than this, I'd be looking like someone's bride, and that was far from what I had planned for my future. 

My hair fell back over my shoulders, neatly straightened and tucked behind my ears. A small rush of air escaped me as I came to a halt in front of one of the pieces, and I felt my brows twitch in surprise. 

It was a dagger with its sheath, crafted purely in gold from its handle to the intricate design engraved into the actual blade. Real blood-red rubies decorated the handle and the sheath, and if the dagger couldn't kill someone, its beauty certainly could. 

Unfortunately, someone snapped me out of my admirer's bubble when I felt a presence to my right, just where somebody stopped in their tracks. 

I glanced over and grew still almost immediately, resisting the urge to groan in annoyance. Keeping my patience, I smoothed a hand over the skirt of my dress. "God, you're like the plague, Mr. Warner," I said quietly, redirecting my attention to the dagger before me. 

"Why thank you, Ms. Chen," Kai replied smoothly, his arm brushing against mine fleetingly. 

"The disease," I clarified, "not the book." 

"I choose to ignore that piece of information." 

"How convenient for you." 

"It certainly is, isn't it?" 

Exasperation washed over me as I turned to face him, dropping my hands to my sides. "What are you doing?" 

"Isn't it obvious, Ms. Chen?" He turned to face me as he fixed a cufflink and took a step closer. 

Instinctively, I wanted to shuffle away from him, but I held my ground and lifted my chin higher, meeting his gaze. 

"I'm choosing what I want tonight," he answered. "Just like everyone else here, I, too, am admiring the pieces up for auction while I decide what to bid on." 

"And?" I lifted an impatient brow. "Have you made your choice?" 

His eyes briefly dipped lower to the hint of cleavage my dress showed before trailing even lower, taking in the entire length of my attire. "I certainly have," he smirked. 

"Get over yourself, Mr. Warner," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Keep your eye on the prize. You never know when someone might steal it from you... Then again," I laughed softly, "you'd know better than I would, considering you lost your own case to someone else." Spinning around without giving him the opportunity to reply, I intended to walk straight ahead and catch up with Dom before Kai could stop me. 

But of course, this was Kai Warner we were talking about, and I knew better than to underestimate him. After repeating it several times, you'd think I would have learned from my mistakes by now. 

My breath hitched in my throat as I felt his fingers close around my wrist before he spun me back around and tugged me forward, and whether it was the intensity of his hold on me or the intensity of his glare, I lost my balance and only tripped further into him. 

A sigh of annoyance escaped me as his arm smoothly settled around my waist, our bodies flush against one another. 

"Careful, Ms. Chen," he whispered in my ear, "don't tempt me." 

"Tempt you?" I scoffed quietly, trying to get out of his grasp before somebody saw us. His parents or, even worse, my parents. "Let go of me," I warned. 

"You know me well, don't you?" he asked softly, drawing back to meet my gaze. He squeezed my waist in warning. "Stop fighting it, my love. You'll draw unwanted attention." 

The amusement glimmered in his eyes, and his smirk was so smug that all I wanted to do was slap it off his stupid face. 

"You, out of people, sweetheart," he began, "should know that there is nothing I do better than revenge, is there? Especially when it comes to you. Hmm?" He arched a smug brow. 

"Careful, Mr. Warner," I warned, "your mother wouldn't be too happy to see you with me. Let go of me. Now." 

He held my gaze for several seconds before letting go and taking a step back, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "All you had to do was ask nicely," he smirked and threw a smooth wink at me. 

"Rose?" I heard Dom call out. Turning around without another word, I rushed forward, finally catching up to him. "What were you doing?" he asked quietly. 

"Nothing," I lied, "just having a look." 

I hate him. God, I hate him. 

There was no man on this earth that infuriated me more than Kai Warner. No man in this world had earned such hatred from me. I stole one last look at him over my shoulder and met his gaze as he stood in the same spot, hands tucked away in his pockets. 

His tongue rolled over his inner cheek as he scoffed dryly, arching a brow at me in challenge. 

Challenge accepted, Kai. 

I took a mocking bow for him as I bit down a smug smile before facing ahead and following my family to the main table, where we took our designated seats. "Thank you," I smiled at the waiter as he placed a glass of champagne before me. 

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Gilbert announced, taking the stage, "if you could please take your seats. We'll begin bidding shortly." 

The smile I offered those around me fell instantly when I began recognizing those sitting across from us. 

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Dom breathed out softly. 

"Well played, Mr. Gilbert," I mumbled under my breath, looking at where he stood at the podium. 

A real classy move on his part. Putting us Chens directly against the Warners, not only in a bidding war that would last the entire night but in every sense of the word. He seated us directly across from them, and with the egos inflating both bloodlines, it was rather obvious how things would go. Every time one of us bid on something, the other would be right there to one-up it. 

It's a recipe for a fucking disaster. 

My eyes drifted up from the empty seat across from me as the chair was pulled, and I watched Kai smoothly slip into the seat as he unbuttoned the crisp black suit he wore. No tie, no waistcoat. Just a simple white button-up beneath it and a matching handkerchief neatly tucked into his pocket. 

His eyes clashed with mine as he leaned back in his seat and calmly lifted a brow at me. 

The man was unbelievably petty, yet he played all his moves with class dripping from them like venom. 

Oh, game on, Warner. 

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Chapter 3

The next chapter is where it's about to start getting real good, guys...

Let the tension and marriage of convenience officially begin

What do you guys think of the story so far?

next ch: distraction