Chapter One Hundred

I put on a facade of sensual confidence to greet the men at my door. My sexiness was my armor and weapon for the night. Benedict Astor better be extra vigilant, as I was determined to watch his life go up in flames.

“Well, hello there, gentlemen,” I started with a beguiling smile. “Sorry to keep you waiting. It isn’t easy to maintain this.” I moved my hand down my body, and the men’s eyes followed it with delight.

“Oh, my! Goddesses are real.” Mr. Astor tapped on his heart, still ogling my figure. "It was worth enduring the slight delay to experience the sheer beauty of this captivating sight. She has made my old heart race. What about you, young fellow?" He nudged his nephew.

Charles lowered his hazel eyes in embarrassment. He was a fine-looking blonde man. Temporarily, I wanted to be attracted to him to get the green siren eyes and angular jaw out of my head. However, undeniably, his handsomeness wasn’t anything compared to Desmond.

I looked away for a mental talk with myself. “His face is real, Cass. Desmond’s face is as fake as his entire personality. Stay in the moment.”

“She is beautiful indeed,” Charles spoke. His attractive British accent caught my attention. “But I think we’re making her uncomfortable by putting too much stress on it.”

Upon hearing his response, I reconsidered my initial plan to strike an inviting pose and bat my eyelashes at him. Was he only saying that to impress me, or was he a profound man with standards?

Benedict barely stifled a snicker. “I can never understand you modern feminist men. Telling a woman she looks ravishing is not objectifying her. Are younger men, nowadays, impressing women with science facts instead of showering them with compliments?”

“That’s not what I am saying, Uncle Benedict. While her beauty is undeniable, I am also drawn to exploring the depths of her mind and heart, as they are equally fascinating,” Charles elucidated with a polite smile.

“Suit yourself.” Mr. Astor comically raised his hands in surrender. “I am old, married, and rich, so the new flirting rules don’t apply to me.”

“I’ll be heading downstairs. Make an entrance whenever you want, or skip dinner entirely. That’s up to you two and Cupid,” said Benedict as he danced away.

“Forgive me for my uncle’s crude humor,” Charles started after Mr. Astor was out of sight. “He sees us young people as test subjects and is addicted to interfering with our love lives.”

“My mother is the same. She never misses a chance to embarrass me in front of men,” I said, laughing at past moments. We still hadn’t been able to reach Mom via phone. She and Becky must be worried sick about us. I needed to bring that up during dinner, or I could ask the nephew right there. “Hey. Are you getting any signals here? My phone is dead, and I need to call my mother.”

“Um. Let me check.” Charles reached for his phone in his pocket and gave it a once-over before giving it to me. “I am seeing some signals. You can use it to call your family.”

“Thanks.” I took the phone, not making my discomfort obvious. I was dazed to find full signals there. The Astors had deliberately blocked our access to the outside world. What was their plan? Benedict Astor better have an answer to that on the dinner table. “Do you mind if I take it elsewhere?” I asked.

“Not at all. I’ll wait right here for you,” he responded.

With gratitude, I smiled at Charles and moved away from him. I stopped where he could still see me but wouldn’t hear me talk on the phone.

I dialed Mom’s number and then Becky’s multiple times. Neither of them picked it up. It made me wonder whether it had something to do with the demonic forces in the manor. Were they keeping me from contacting my family?

Charles’ gaze oscillated between me and his watch. We were getting unfashionably late for the dinner party. After the eleventh unanswered call, I left a voice message and gave up.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” I said, joining Charles. “Mom must be busy. Tell me if she calls on your number, though I specifically told her not to.”

“I will.” Charles nodded. “Shall we?” He offered me his arm.

I locked arms with him. “I guess we’re making a fancy entrance to the dinner.”

“Yes. Can I be honest with you?” he said.

“Sure. What is it?”

“Uncle Benedict told me about your recent rough breakup. He said that it messed you up badly.”

My eyes turned skyward. “He must be out of his mind to believe that. Yes, I recently broke up with someone, but it wasn't that bad.”

“I see. Your body language is very hesitant. It’s almost like you would rather be someplace else. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable by making you think I am flirting with you. Let’s be clear on what we want from the start. I know it takes time to heal from any relationship, let alone a serious one.”

“My life doesn’t revolve around my ex, Charles,” I argued. “The healing has already happened. I am content and ready to pounce on the next handsome guy I see.”

Charles cleared his throat awkwardly. “Alright. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

The nephew seemed a lot better than his perverted uncle. He didn’t offer to be my prey for the night. Would I be able to find distraction or happiness in him for the night?

I deliberately rubbed my side boob against his arm and rested my head on his shoulder for a brief moment to check his reaction. Desmond no longer had a hold on me, and I was determined to prove it.

Not a muscle in Charles’ face twitched from my slutty advances. In the corner of my eye, I saw something move. I shifted my focus to my right and saw a dark shadow, which vanished almost instantly.

It was Desmond. I knew it was him. He could never bear the sight of me with another man. That sneaky bastard was keeping an eye on me! Now, who wasn’t over who?

“Charles, can you help me check something?” I requested.

“Yes_”

That was consent enough for me, so I put my arms around Charles and kissed him on the lips.