Exigence Ep. 02

Alicia shot me a grateful smile before turning on her heel. As she left the room, I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. I wished there were easier ways to navigate whatever existed between us. But, alas, fate played a role, and it could sometimes be mean.

I shook my head, trying to push away the thoughts that threatened to consume me. I had deadlier things to worry about than the enigmatic woman who had become my confidant, right-hand woman, and perhaps even friend... Artemis was still lingering in the shadows, and I felt he was up to no good.

But what did I know?

I was just a man with a brand-new gun and a sense of self-righteousness. Sure, I was a guy with a taste for the heroic, but that came with dangers aplenty. My intrusion into his office proved nothing, yet I was convinced there was something I had to figure out -- a mystery I had to solve.

Either I'd read too many books and watched too many movies, or I was destined to be some kind of cavalier.

Fate, right? Alicia talked about it as though it's a given, but some people don't believe in fate at all.

As I returned to my room, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. It was a feeling I knew all too well, a feeling that came with being a man of power and influence, trying desperately to be good as well as great. But familiarity with the feeling didn't make it any easier.

I needed to clear my head. I needed to focus on something else, something... Fun.

Fortunately, my sisters' first guests were about to arrive.

04 • Cocktails at Dusk

There were many lessons to be learnt from Artemis Enquist's operation. I was ten times richer than him, but he'd mastered the art of luxury. Me? I was a lowly amateur in comparison.

Our host's staff had organised a ritzy cocktail party to welcome our guests, complete with a band headlined by none other than Dionne Orion. She was a rising star with a Motown swagger and a pop diva's indomitable confidence. Her voice could hit any note, and her smile could twist a man's heart into knots, but it was the way she batted her long dark lashes that kept the audience well and truly entranced. Her fee for the night was half a mil.

Our guest list consisted of the social media stars we'd met in Italy, minus Dey Shapiro, who was too busy working for my company in London to attend the festivities. There was Sammie Truth, the gossip vlogger; Hex, the gaming streamer; and Jinx Lopez, the petite TikToker.

Our team attended, with Lauren and Skylar briefly appearing before heading off on their romantic getaway.

The crowd was rounded out by a few friends from the twins' high school days, a couple of young businesswomen they'd met on their travels, and a handful of professional socialites I'd only ever seen in magazines. As I scanned the crowd, I couldn't help but wonder what secrets lurked behind all the pretty eyes in the room.

Everyone in our world has an agenda, an angle, a game... We're all players, and it ain't chess.

Amongst all the rancour and giggles in the room, I spotted Alicia. She never wore dresses, preferring an evening suit that fit her so well that one look at it could boil an ocean. It seemed she was in the middle of an awkward conversation, peering down at her champagne. The woman with her seemed vaguely familiar -- brunette, quite square-set, pretty-ish -- but I couldn't place her.

Moving in for the rescue, I approached the two.

The woman with Alicia didn't reach out to shake my hand, which was the first sign of trouble. You see, there was no doubt I was supposed to know exactly who she was (and that she was a person of a certain standing who expected one not to forget). Not knowing, not remembering, was a faux pas extraordinaire. Yet, there I was, unable to conjure up her name.

Unfortunately, the rather striking lady was more than happy to let me squirm a little, waiting before she reminded me of her name.

"Sabrina Japp, sir," she smiled. "Chief of staff to Tecla and Elle Orwell, your sisters..."

"Yes, of course!" I realised. We'd only met on video calls, so I'd had trouble placing her.

Sabrina smoothly transitioned into a discussion about business, which seemed to be her only interest in life. She could recite spreadsheets from memory and spoke as though she were addressing a board meeting.

"So, what do you do for fun?" I eventually asked.

She looked at me funny. "Huh?"

"Your hobbies, Sabrina... How do you unwind?"

She hesitated, seemingly taken aback by the question. "Well, I don't really have time for hobbies," she responded curtly. "I'm fully devoted to my work and ensuring the success of the Orwell sisters' ventures."

It was clear that Sabrina was all business, all the time. Even Alicia, who was a stoic professional, found it slightly disturbing. "You must have some pastimes," she reasoned.

"I... I ride horses."

Alicia smiled. "I used to ride a lot back in the day."

For a moment, it seemed like this revelation might excite Sabrina, but she quickly restrained her emotions. After a few more minutes of idle chat, she left Alicia and me to stand by ourselves.

"Interesting," I remarked, my tone dry as a bone.

Alicia scrunched up her nose like she was about to sneeze, trying hard not to burst into laughter. "Interesting is the opposite of what we just experienced," she said, uncharacteristically snarky. "And to think, I was worried you might try to sleep with her."

"Oh?" I queried, my cheekiness oozing. "And why would that be so bad? You don't mind the rest of my galavanting, do you?"

"That one," she said, pointing at Sabrina, "is too much like me."

"Aha! You're afraid I might replace you," I teased, noticing how her eyes seemed to flee from mine.

As we continued to chat, I couldn't help but notice Alicia withholding a smirk as if she were keeping a secret. Usually, she was firm about keeping a distance, but she didn't seem to mind standing close to me that night. So close that the smell of her perfume made my knees feel weak.

"What's got you smiling?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing," she said, still trying to suppress her grin. She sipped her champagne and moved her head from side to side like she was deep in thought. "We should buy a castle," she declared suddenly.

"We?"

"You."

I nodded. "You like it here?"

"I've enjoyed jetting around the world but wouldn't mind settling down."

"Oh?" I quirked a brow. "Settling down, ey?"

Alicia's cheeks turned a fiery red as she downed the rest of her champagne, turned on her heel, and went off in another direction.

She would soon have her wish once our new island home was ready for occupation. Then we could 'settle down.'

With Alicia gone, I looked around for my next social encounter.

The only other guy in the room's name was Alfie. He'd been to school with the girls, wasn't from an affluent background, and struggled through a computer science degree when he'd much rather be doing art or literature.

Despite the young man being perhaps the most 'ordinary' of all our guests, Jinx Lopez had zoned in on the poor boy, probably thinking he was some rich kid with a billion-dollar trust fund. I watched them interact for a bit, smiling as I saw the utter terror on Alfie's face as the petite TikTok influencer showered him with affection. He sipped from a glass of dark liquor without saying a word, looking as shell-shocked as a soldier back from the Somme.

I couldn't help feeling a little sorry for Alfie. He didn't know what to do with the attention, and I could tell he felt uncomfortable. In fact, I didn't understand how Jinx could miss the signs... Alfie was gay, incredibly, extremely, utterly and unmistakably gay.

After a while, the novelty of watching them wore off, and I decided to move in for the rescue. Jinx saw me approach and quickly adjusted her sights, waving me into their conversation.

"Mr O! You throw like the coolest parties ever! Last time it was on a yacht. Now it's at a castle. Like, OMG!"

It seemed Jinx was reasonably tipsy, and the blank look on Alfie's face told me he was way past it too. After a few minutes of chitchat, she got bored and left us, and I got to spend a bit of time with a boy I'd been quite fond of back in Canada.

He cleared his throat. "She's... She's quite something."

I smiled with almost paternal affection. "I never thought I'd hear you say that about a girl, Alfie."

"Oh, don't get me wrong," he said. "Spending time with her has made me even gayer than I alreadywas."

I laughed. "Yeah... Jinx is a bit much. How have you been, though?"

The boy looked at his drink like he was gazing into the abyss. He looked up at me, then at Jinx, who was mingling on the other side of the room.

"I... I think I need a rest," Alfie said listlessly, and I had to catch him as he swayed from side to side. I spotted my driver, Isabelle, hobnobbing with other guests and called her closer. She came quickly as I caught her eye.

"I think Jinx might have slipped something into Alfie's drink to try to loosen him up," I whispered, realising he was completely spaced out.

"Shit, really?" she asked.

I nodded. "Put him in a different room and make sure she doesn't bother him during the night. Having a doctor look at him might not be a bad idea. She may have overdone it with whatever she used."

"Should we throw her out?"

I chewed my lip for a few seconds before making a decision. "No... We can call this a stupid prank. I don't want drama on my sisters' big day, but make sure she isn't sprinkling fairy dust into other people's drinks."

Isabelle wrapped an arm around Alfie and led him away with all the love of a big sister. The two were barely gone when another of our acquaintances from the Italy trip sidled up to me.

"Hey, stranger," the attractive blonde greeted.

Hex's hair hung in a long ponytail, framing her stunning Eastern European heritage. She was a gaming streamer, preferring to go by her screen name as she worked her way between our world and the virtual one. The last time I saw her, she impressed me. She was a bit quirky but very frank, a good conversationalist, and incredibly intelligent.

Of course, she was also a secret IRS agent...

"Been paying your taxes?" she joked.

"This whole party is a business expense," I teased.

It's always lovely drawing a smirk and an eye roll from a pretty girl, which is precisely what I got from Hex. She was the kind of person who could joke around with you for hours, speaking nonsense that sounded profound, making you want to stay up forever and keep the chat going.

At least, that was my impression.

"I gave you my number the last time we met," she said out of the blue.

"You did," I recalled.

"Why didn't you ever call me?"

"You're here tonight, aren't you?"

Sighing wistfully, she crossed her arms and kicked her left leg back and forth. "I'm still a virgin," she declared.

"Eh... Okay."

"I'm just saying."

"Good for you," I replied, unsure what she wanted.

Hex rolled her eyes and took my drink from me. She sipped it, tapped her tongue against the top of her mouth, and decided it was too strong for her.

"Gross."

"You prefer pink drinks that taste sweet?" I asked.

"I prefer anything that isn't so foul," she smirked. "Why do men make a point of consuming things that taste bad?"

"Do we?"

Hex laughed. "Yes, you do. Beer, whiskey, cigars... You all seem to love things that make your insides want to crawl out."

I chuckled. "I suppose we have a bit of a penchant for the rough stuff. But you know what they say, 'it's an acquired taste.'"

She rolled her eyes. "Sure. So, will you show me around this fancy castle or what? I had fun adventuring through your yacht in Italy."

"I can't leave my sisters alone on their birthday," I answered.

"They won't mind. In any case, their birthday is only tomorrow."

"You make a good point," I said, weighing the options. "Alright, let's go for a little walk. Just don't think I'll give you a tour of my bedroom or anything."

Hex smirked. "I'll try not to get my hopes up too high."

We wandered through the castle, chatting and joking around as we explored the different chambers. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed her company until we were walking side by side, laughing and teasing each other like old friends.

"You're special, Hex," I said. "Just don't go changing yourself because you feel you don't fit in."

"Who said I'm likely to do that?" she asked, seeming somewhat affronted.

"You're special, Hex," I repeated.

"Yeah? And you think I want to be more like the other people... Why?

"I don't know, just a feeling," I said with a shrug. "You're different, in a good way. So don't let anyone make you feel like that's a bad thing."

We kept wandering through the castle, taking in the breathtaking views through the windows, and exploring the ancient rooms. It was shaping up to be a night to remember when we noticed a shadowy figure tailing us. The wannabe spy wasn't exactly a super-sleuth. We couldn't help but snicker as they tried to dodge behind pillars and crouch behind bushes to avoid detection.

"Can we help you?" Hex asked, turning to face them. I don't know if undercover IRS agents get trained in hand-to-hand combat, but she seemed undaunted.

Out of the shadows slunk Sammie Truth, the gossip vlogger extraordinaire. It was hard to mistake her for anyone else, given her moody look; dark curls full of volume and a Mediterranean complexion. She'd been with us in Italy, and the celeb crowd there couldn't stand her on account of her profession and lousy attitude.

"I thought I might snap a picture of you two swapping tongues," she snarled, looking unapologetic at being caught.

"Yeah?" Hex snorted. "Would that be for your blog or your personal stash? How many fake followers were removed from your account the other day? One hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand?"

The women stood off, sizing each other up with quiet intensity. I decided not to get involved; it was their world, not mine. I was famous in a way, but the tabloids steered clear of me on account of my chief of staff's vicious reputation among them.

My people broke jaws whenever paparazzo got too clever for their own good. Even Sammie Truth knew that.

Sammie slunk back into the shadows with a smirk, leaving Hex and me alone once more.

"We have an interesting crowd here," I remarked to my friend. "To think the party hasn't even started yet."

"Ha! I expect a wild 24 hours, and, honestly, there's no one I'd rather be with."

"Don't go getting ideas--"

"I won't," she said softly.

05 • The Empress

Natasha, my cousin, and Eve, my mother, were absent from the drinks party. They'd ended up at the top of one of the castle's towers. Krisha Laghari, my mother's bodyguard, had led them there after they got a bit bored with the younger crowd. In the time they'd been there, they seemed to have consumed enough gin to drown a fish.

Natasha wore a baggy pink sweater that seemed supremely comfortable, hanging loosely over skintight black leggings. Her caramel brown hair was loose and natural, framing her face beautifully. On the other hand, Eve was wearing a sleek black outfit, her hair pulled back in a tight bun. Finally, Krisha was dressed in her equally all-black attire, her hair styled in a far messier but also far more intricate updo.

Natasha greeted me, stumbling to her feet so she could give me a hug. "Come, join us! The views from up here are incredible!"

It was dark out, but she was still right. The lights from the distant village and the gentle lamp glow illuminating the castle's most impressive features created majestic sights. The ladies set up a little table and seemed to be reading tarot cards, which I assumed Krisha had brought along.

My mother's bodyguard was an intriguing young woman, having been an undercover cop in Mumbai before backpacking the length and breadth of the world. She was good to my mom, slowly but surely bringing her out of her shell. I realised it was the first time I'd seen Eve tipsy, but I didn't mind it. She looked happy, and that's all that mattered.

Krisha offered to give me a tarot reading, but I was hesitant to mess with fate. The three women quickly ganged up on me, though.

As I sat, Krisha explained that she'd draw three cards. "The first card represents your past," she said as she flipped over a card depicting a lightning-struck tower. "It seems that you've experienced a great upheaval or crisis in your recent past. But don't worry, this card also represents a new beginning."

She flipped over the second card, revealing an image of a woman holding a sword. "This card represents your present," she explained. "It seems that you are currently facing a difficult decision or conflict, but you have the strength and courage to overcome it."

Krisha flipped over the final card, depicting a bright sun rising over a mountain. "And this card represents what's to come," she said with a smile. "It seems you have a bright and successful future ahead of you, full of new opportunities and growth."

"That's strange," Natasha thought. "I got exactly the same reading."

"Me too," my mother concurred.

"Ladies, ladies," Krisha snickered. "Are you saying I've interfered with fate? I assure you, I wouldn't even know how to rig a deck of cards."

Natasha snorted. "Ha! Remind me never to play poker against you, K."

We settled into a nice rhythm of good conversation and free-flowing booze. The three ladies spoke loosely, constantly giggling as the buzz made everything seem funny. As the night wore on, I felt more relaxed and carefree than I had in a long time.

It was nice to let loose and enjoy the company of my mother and cousin. Even Krisha, who I didn't know well, seemed like a great addition to our little group. We must've spent hours on the tower, barely feeling the cold as temperatures dropped.

"Brrr," Tash shivered, rubbing her soft pink jersey that hung like a blanket from her thin body. "We're all adults here, right?" she asked.

Everyone nodded, unsure of what she was getting at.

"Well," she said, "in that case, no one will mind if I sit on my cousin's lap."

Getting onto her feet, Natasha took a leap, spun around, and plonked herself down with a thud. It didn't take her long to get nice and cosy, and there was no way I could resist holding her as she did. Fortunately, the others didn't seem to mind at all...

"Oh, aren't you two cute," my mom crooned, reaching out to take my hand. It wasn't something we usually did -- hold hands, I mean -- but it felt damn good. Fingers interlaced. Love. Affection. Mother-son, and all that.

That seemed to be what was happening... My mother saw the affection between Natasha and me. So, naturally, she wanted to mirror it; her subconscious thinking, that looks nice.

With her other hand, Eve held onto Natasha's, instinctually rubbing her thumb against the soft skin as she babbled drunkenly. The gentle heat of human touch had her entranced. It was sweet.

After a few minutes of quiet, Tash adjusted her position on my lap and huffed. "I'm itchy."

"Do you want me to scratch your back?" I asked.

My cousin chose not to answer. "I think it's my birth control," she said.

My tipsy mother looked distraught at this 'revelation,' kissing the back of her niece's hand as though she were looking to soothe a terrible affliction. "Oh, darling... You should stop taking it then."

Natasha smiled from ear to ear, relaxing atop me. "I think so too, Auntie Eve."

Tash was being a little cheeky, if not intensely naughty. I should've pushed back against it, but I held her tighter instead. Immediately, our minds went straight to sex. Bad minds. Dirty thoughts. There was no way she could resist grinding her hips against me nor restrain a moan that wasn't quite PG.