Crazy Rich Monsters: A Steamy & Suspenseful romance by Callie Vincent

Author:Callie Vincent [Vincent, Callie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-05-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

NICK

Sometimes, people take credit for things they haven’t done and sometimes they take credit so fucking loudly for the things they’ve actually done that they alter the fabric of reality. Doesn’t make much sense? Just wait.

It’s never a bad look to look like the good guy though. That’s a lesson that’s stuck with me for a long time now. One of the only things my parents ever imprinted onto me was that appearances were far more important than reality. It didn’t matter if you were the biggest prick in the world. As long as the world sees you for something other than what you really are, it’s considered winning.

Will the people here open up their hearts and pocketbooks to help a woman in need? Absolutely, they’ll write a check for the bare minimum considering their net worth. In no way shape or form will these people open up their hearts though. They’ll pretend that addiction and poverty is something they care deeply about, but everyone in this room only cares about appearances.

Speaking of appearances, I spot Mother pushing through the crowd wearing the fucking fakest smile I’ve ever seen. It’s the kind of smile that screams the war has only begun. There’ll be consequences for my actions, but I’ll face them in the comfort of privacy. She knows better than to reprimand me for my unplanned speech in front of the guests.

She takes the stage as if it is hers–it is–and I know better than to remain standing at the mic. I shift to the left, making room for her.

Mother has five measurable smiles. The first is for the moments she’s truly happy, those instances are as rare as the fabled sightings of a unicorn. The second is when she’s angry as hell but isn’t able to show it. The third is when she’s writing someone a one-way ticket to hell. The fourth is when she’s surrounded by the people she hates the most but they’re under the impression that they are the best of friends. The fifth is the one she’s currently sporting, and it’s reserved for my father and me. It’s cold and calloused, the weight of the smile dragging her eyes downwards so that they’re narrowed.

As she takes the podium, her smile shifts into option three. It’s calculated and warm. Some can see right through her, but most are oblivious as she begins to speak, “I was planning on making this announcement myself, but my son is just like his father.” She gazes at me with adoring eyes, putting on a show for her congregation of worshipers. “His penchant for taking the lead is one of the things I love about him the most. His sense of leadership is only matched by the warmth of his heart. Thank you for your dedication to the cause, Nick.”

Now that she’s done taking credit for what she didn’t do, she ushers me off the stage before continuing her improvised speech. I search through the crowd looking for Addison but she’s nowhere to be seen.

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