My Boyfriend Played Mind Games, So I Played Them Better Chapter 04

My Boyfriend Played Mind Games, So I Played Them Better Chapter 04

Julian pressed a cold can of Coke to my cheek.

“What are you so happy about?”

I told him exactly what I’d done.

“Don’t worry. I never used your name, so they can’t drag you into it.”

Julian smiled.

“They won’t come after me.”

“People like that never punch up.”

I let that sink in.

Julian continued:

“Ivy, don’t waste too much time on people who don’t matter.”

“You won’t get many chances to move up, and your time is too valuable to waste.”

“Looks only get you through the door. In Hollywood, the smart ones hit the books. At top universities, they know how to use their looks.”

There was nothing admirable about that kind of calculation, but for someone in my position, it was the most effective strategy.

That was the last time I saw Julian.

He left to study abroad as planned, and we gradually lost touch.

Two years later, I earned a place at Alderidge University.

Not long after that, Ethan and I made things official.

I’d met plenty of girls like Mia.

I didn’t think they were doing anything wrong.

A rich, eligible man was a gold mine. Of course everyone wanted to stake a claim.

Whether they could pull it off was another matter.

My phone chimed again.

Mia had replied:

[Of course! I’d love to finally meet you!]

I locked my phone, keeping my expression perfectly neutral.

By then, Ethan had already moved on to another topic.

He’d recently met with a few friends and was considering investing in a new venture.

I listened closely, filing away anything useful.

Still, all that talk about perspective and information advantages was sometimes nothing more than empty theory.

Even if Ethan told me exactly what the next big thing was and invited me in, I couldn’t invest money I didn’t have.

After dinner, Ethan took me to an upscale boutique to buy a cocktail dress.

“What’s the occasion?”

A sales associate showed us to a sitting area and brought over coffee and pastries.

Ethan took a sip of his coffee. “Vivienne specifically asked me to make sure you had something nice for Saturday. She said she’s announcing something important and wants everyone dressed for the photos.”

Vivienne Sterling was a friend of Ethan’s, a glamorous heiress who had always been perfectly cordial to me.

The party was being held at an exclusive restaurant housed in a converted mansion halfway up a hill outside the city. Public transportation only went as far as the bottom of the hill.

I sent Mia the time and address.

She replied almost immediately:

[I looked it up, and that place is seriously strict. They only let cars through if someone inside has an invitation, so I can’t take an Uber all the way up.]

[Are you leaving from campus? Maybe we could go together?]

I snapped a photo of the dress Ethan had picked out, sent it to her, then immediately unsent it.

[Sorry, wrong person.]

[Ethan and I have plans before the party, so we won’t be leaving from campus.]

[Just get to the bottom of the hill. I’ll have him send a driver for you.]

Of course, no driver would be coming.

Once Mia reached the bottom of the hill, she kept calling Ethan and me.

The restaurant required every guest to seal their phone in a locked pouch at check-in, one of the reasons it was so private.

Mia could call until Ethan’s battery died and still never reach us.

Ethan slipped an arm around my waist. “What are you so happy about?”

I smiled toward Vivienne at the piano. “Just happy for Vivienne.”

Vivienne usually favored a sharp, businesslike look, but that night her makeup was soft and romantic.

Whatever she planned to announce, it had to be about her love life.

A few minutes later, a man in a dark suit crossed the stage and joined Vivienne at the piano for a duet.

The stage lights caught his sharp features.

It was Julian.