Chapter 98 Party crasher

Chapter 98 Party crasher


The guests had started arriving.

Children in party dresses and bow ties ran across the lawn, their parents trailing behind them with cameras and diaper bags. The bouncy castle was full of shrieking kids. The face painting station had a line. The pony was being led in slow circles, a small girl clutching its mane.

I spotted Romeo near the pool.

He was dressed up, dark slacks, a white button-down shirt, his hair styled back from his face. He looked like the rich boy he was, but he also looked like he belonged on the cover of a men'smagazine, and my heart skipped a beat when he turned and saw me.

His eyes went wide.

"Calliope," he said, his voice low. "You look..." 

"Don't," I said, blushing. "You'll make me blush."

"You should blush. You look gorgeous."

I looked down at the dress, suddenly self-conscious. "It was a gift from your stepmother."

"She has good taste."

"She gave it to me."

He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the heat of him. "She knows you deserve it."

I looked up at him, and for a moment, the rest of the world faded away. The noise, the children, the parents, all of it disappeared.

Then Emma shrieked, running toward us, and the moment shattered.

"Calliope! Calliope! Come my friend Anna!"

I laughed and let her drag me away.

\-—————————-

The afternoon passed in a blur of cake and presents and children's laughter.

Emma was thrilled with her new dollhouse, Ryan with his knight costume. The parents mingled, they were parents of the kids who attended the same preschool as the twins. They looked just like the rich aristocrats I expected them to look, sipping champagne, while their children ran wild. Mrs. Vanderbilt presided over it all like a queen, gracious and composed.

I found myself in the kitchen, helping Sarah with the cleanup. The dress was still perfect, still beautiful, and I didn't want to get it dirty, but there was something grounding about the work.

Romeo appeared in the doorway.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey."

"Come outside. Kai is doing tricks on the bouncy castle."

"Kai?"

"It's a sight you don't want to miss."

I laughed and followed him.

Kai was, indeed, attempting backflips on the bouncy castle, much to the delight of the children. Romeo stood beside me, his shoulder pressed against mine.

"This is nice," I said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Normal."

He took my hand, squeezing it gently. "We deserve normal."

We watched Kai fall flat on his face, and the children roared with laughter.

\---

The atmosphere shifted the moment the gate opened.

I felt it before I saw anything, the sharp chilly breeze, like the sun had gone behind a cloud. Romeo's hand tightened on mine, his body going rigid.

"Calliope," he said, his voice low. "Stay close to me."

"What's wrong?"

He didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the gate.

A car stopped in the driveway. Not just any car, a sleek black wrangler jeep. A man came out of it. 

He was tall, broad-shouldered, with silver-streaked dark shoulder length hair, his eyes were hidden behind an expensive looking sunglasses.  He was dressed casually, cargo pants, a rugged looking denim shirt and some dark boots. His presence seemed to suck out the joy in everything. 

The guests stopped talking to watch him for a moment. The children continued playing, oblivious to the stranger making his way towards the party.

Mrs. Vanderbilt's face went pale. She went to him first, after composing herself. 

"Cornelius," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Romeo's uncle. I had heard his name only once. I guess once was enough to remember it. He was an handsome man, in that rugged badboyish sort of way. I couldn't explain it, even though I knew he was dangerous, he looked charming. 

He smiled. I noticed upon a closer look at him that there was a cigar in his mouth. 

"I hope I'm not too late for the festivities," he said. "I wouldn't miss the kid's birthday for the world."

Romeo stepped forward, positioning himself between me and his uncle.

"What are you doing here?" he said.

Cornelius laughed. "Still so dramatic I see. I'm family, Romeo. I have every right to be here."

"Whatever game you're playing at. Stop it. This is a children's party." 

Cornelius's eyes flicked to me. They were cold, assessing, and I felt like I was being dissected.

"And who is this?" he asked. "A friend of yours?"

"She's no one," Romeo said quickly. "Just  the babysitter."

"The babysitter." Cornelius's smile widened. "How quaint. I didn't know you got young ones like these watching the kids." 

His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

Then he turned away, walking toward Mrs. Vanderbilt, his voice smooth and polite.

"Vivian. You look lovely. I hope I'm not interrupting."

I stood frozen, my heart pounding, as the party continued around me.

Romeo's uncle was here.

And he was watching.

\----------------------------

Romeo was vibrating with rage.

I saw it in the way his hands were clenched at his sides, the way his jaw was tight, the way his body was coiled like a spring. He was staring at his uncle with undisguised hatred, and it took everything in him not to act.

Kai stepped beside him, his hand on Romeo's shoulder.

"Easy," Kai murmured. "Not here. Not now."

"He's here. Parading around here like he hasn't committed several atrocities. Like he didnt do anything." 

"I know. But not here. There are children here. Human children!" 

Romeo took a breath, then another. His fists unclenched, but the tension remained.

Cornelius saw him. His smile widened.

"Ah, Romeo. There you are. I was hoping to speak with you."

Romeo didn't respond.

Cornelius walked toward him, his boots crunching on the grass. "You look well. Strong. You've grown since I last saw you. When did I last see you again? Wasn't that long ago was it?" 

"You don't have to bother with the pretentious crap. It's not like you really care. You saw me a while ago."

"Romeo." Kai's voice was a warning.

Cornelius laughed. "Still so dramatic as ever. I'm family, boy. I'm allowed to care. Especially when I'm that only living relative from your mother's side. You should treat me with more respect."

"You're not my family. You're a monster."

The words hung in the air.

Cornelius's smile didn't waver. "Careful, nephew. You wouldn't want to say something you'd regret."

"Romeo," Mrs. Vanderbilt said, her voice sharp. "I need you in the house. Now."

Romeo didn't move. His eyes were locked on Cornelius.

"Now," Mrs. Vanderbilt repeated.

He turned and walked toward the house, his strides long and angry. Kai followed.

I stood frozen, my heart pounding, as Cornelius watched him go.

"Such a temper," he said, almost fondly. "He gets that from his mother."

He turned and walked back toward the party.

\-—————————

I tried to stay out of his way.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur of forced smiles and uneasy laughter. The guests didn't really know something was off. If they did, they didn't show it. The children played endlessly. The pony walked in circles.

But Cornelius was everywhere.

He stood by the pool, talking to parents about mundane topics like the price of gas. Or even the weather. He watched the children on the bouncy castle. He even accepted a cupcake from a child, eating it with a smile that made my skin crawl.

I stayed in the kitchen, helping with the cleanup, trying to make myself invisible.

It didn't work.

The door swung open, and Cornelius walked in.