Sweet Little Lies

Chapter Sixty-Four

Greta stared at the clothes Ivy had sent over to her. They had a big meeting tonight. One with all the heirs, and Greta and Angelo needed to be there to show support to the plan. She wondered at first why they needed to be there, but Harry had explained it to her. If they didn't show up, it could look like they were coerced into giving up their birthright.

At least the clothes that Ivy had bought her looked more grown up than the stuff she wore when she met with Harry for the first time. Back then, she felt like a toddler playing dress up. But this designer, perfectly tailored outfit, was so grown up it was almost intimidating.

Finally, she started to get dressed, her hair and light makeup already done. The shirt was soft, fitting her slim shoulders well, and the pants were tapered around the ankles. Thankfully, Ivy didn't buy her heels, a nice pair of sensible loafers at her feet.

Angelo was waiting for her in their living room, lounging on the couch as if nothing was about to happen. He really was unflappable. Although, it was weird seeing him so dressed up.

"We've still got a half hour." She said awkwardly.

He stared down at his phone, "Yep."

Clearing her throat, and said, "I'm going over to Dev's."

That made him look up, his face filled with amusement.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." There was definitely something.

Greta escaped the confines of their apartment, feeling more and more claustrophobic. The collar of her shirt was tight. She knocked on his door, and pulled on it to give herself more room. The door swung open, revealing Dev.

He smirked, "You okay there?"

She frowned, nearly pouting, "I'm not made for this."

"I think you look cute."

Rolling her eyes, she pushed past him, "I wish I could just wear my regular clothes. This is another reason why I always hated being an heir. Dressing to impress is such a waste of time."

"You guys leaving soon?"

"Yeah," she sighed, "Harry's sending a car over in a half hour. He said it would look better if we arrived separately."

"He's gonna have guards there, right?" Dev questioned, leaning his shoulder against the wall.

She nodded, "I think so."

He frowned, "Make sure you have one dedicated to you-"

"Dev."

"No," he stepped closer to her, "remember the last time all the heirs were in the same room?"

Of course, she did. She still had nightmares with the sounds of gunshots crashing through glass.

"This is different." Greta said, hoping she was right.

"Is it?"

Dev was now directly in front of her, her space dominated by his lean frame. She looked up, catching sight of the gold flecks in his brown eyes for the first time. Swallowing, she said, "Yes, we're more prepared. We know what to expect now."

"I don't think any one of us can claim to know what to expect with these people." His voice was low, serious. Just like when he realized she was hurt.

Greta conceded to his point, "You're right."

Her entire body froze as his hand came up, the backs of his fingers grazing her jaw until his hand wrapped around the back of her neck and held her there firmly. Her skin prickled, goosebumps rising all over her neck at his touch. She felt his fingers squeeze lightly before he continued.