Billionaire's Perfect Revenge [18+]

FOURTEEN

"How much time more, Z? We're already late!" Brandon yelled from outside my room.

I pushed another bobby pin through the loose bun that had taken me longer than I'd like to admit.

"Coming!" I yelled back, taking another glance in the mirror to make sure my dress looked fine. I picked up my clutch from the bed and dashed out of the room within ten seconds.

"Will it kill you to be a bit patient?" I grumbled, glaring at him as I slipped into the heels near the doorway, an arm propped on the wall for support.

He only rolled his eyes, not even sparing a glance at me. "Will it kill you to get ready on time for once? I thought puberty would bring some solid changes in your habits. Alas, all nothing but wishful thinking."

"You're such an ass!" I shook my head, not wanting to get into another argument. Especially not when he already seemed to be on so much edge.

It had been a month since I saw Maddox Richmond for what he really was. A top-class, over-the-head asshole who single-highhandedly wrecked my life.

God, what a day it was!

After leaving him with a threat that I had no idea how to carry out, I spent hours sitting in a park and cursing myself for being so stupid, so ignorant, and so gullible. I should have known he was behind every bad thing that happened to me. Why else would my life take a full 180-degree turn for no practical reason? Why would I be humiliated and fired for no concrete logic? I had known Nicholas Samuel—my ex-boss—for three long years. I should have known it was out of character for him to pull a stunt like that. He might be a money-grubbing cheep-stake for once, but he wasn't into wrenching people's livelihood for fun. He looked like a saint in front of Maddox Richmond. And that was saying something.

Before Brandon could open his mouth, he shifted his gaze from the mobile screen and looked at me for the first time since I left my room. Something flashed through those green eyes of his, something that brought warmth to my cheeks.

"Wow. You look beautiful," he sounded genuine with his compliments, while I felt my chest glow with a bit more confidence. After what happened a month ago, God knew, I had been feeling like shit. I couldn't trust myself anymore. I was so...stupid!

A week ago, Brandon asked me to be his date for a friend's wedding he was supposed to attend. If it were a small ceremony, he told me, he wouldn't have bothered me to accompany him. But the ceremony was huge and apparently, his friend was getting married to this big-shot family that he couldn't miss the chance to impress. Brandon had done so much for us, I did not have the heart to deny him.

Besides, he was my best friend. I would fly to the moon for him if he'd asked me just once.

I cut him a genuine smile in return. "Well, thank you, took some extra minutes to pull everything together but TA-DA, mission accomplished," I teased, and he grinned because...well, because he was Brandon. I couldn't imagine him with any of his signature grins. Yes, he had a whole variety of them. Each one with a different meaning.