Reborn Heiress: Escaping My Contract Marriage with the Cold CEO
Chapter 70: Hidden Motives

Chapter 70: Hidden Motives

RAINE BELMONT

I laughed. Lena was spicy and adorable--much like an irritated chipmunk.

"Con artist, huh?" I leaned in a little closer, enough to catch the faint scent of vanilla and something else—turpentine, maybe? Was she an artist ... or an arsonist? hard tell what my little chipmunk was up to. "What gave me away? The suit? The devilishly handsome smile?"

She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched. "The fact that you just called yourself ’devilishly handsome’ is a pretty big clue."

Lena adjusted her glasses again—a nervous habit, I was starting to realize—and glanced around the room like she was looking for an escape.

"So," I said, plucking a fresh champagne flute from a passing waiter’s tray and offering it to her. "If you’re not here to schmooze or get drunk, then what? Secret agent? Social media influencer?"

She hesitated before taking the glass, her fingers brushing mine for half a second. That tiny touch was enough to make my pulse kick up.

"Maybe I just like fancy parties," she said, taking a sip.

"Whose daughter are you?" I asked.

Her cheeks flushed. "Why? You think I don’t belong here?"

"I know you don’t." I took a step closer, lowering my voice. "But neither do I. This ultra rich scene makes me feel itchy."

For a second, she just stared at me, lips slightly parted like she was deciding whether to laugh or to bolt.

"So why are you here? You really like mini quiches and stock buying tips that much?"

She bit her lip—god, that shouldn’t have been as hot as it was—and glanced toward the doors that opened into the foyer. "One game," she said, turning back to me with a challenge in her eyes. "You win, I’ll tell you why I’m really here. I win, you help me leave."

I held out my hand. "Deal."

She took it, her grip surprisingly firm. "Deal."

For a second, neither of us moved. Her skin was warm against mine, and I caught the faintest hitch in her breath before she pulled away.

"So," she said, crossing her arms. "What’s the game?"

"Have you ever played ’Two Truths and a Lie’?"

She blinked. "Seriously?"

"What, too easy for you?"

"No, just... childish."

I leaned in. "Then it shouldn’t be a problem."

She rolled her eyes but didn’t back down. "Fine. You first."

I took a sip of champagne, considering. "Alright. One: I once won a poker game with nothing but a pair of twos. Two: I’ve never been arrested. Three: I can play the piano."

Lena studied me, lips pursed in thought. The way her brow furrowed when she concentrated was unfairly cute.

"The lie is... you’ve never been arrested," she said finally.

I grinned. "Wrong."

Her eyes narrowed. "Then... the piano?"

"Nope." I set my glass down on the piano beside us—then, before she could react, I slid onto the bench and cracked my knuckles. "Watch and learn, sunshine."

My fingers hit the keys, and the opening notes of Für Elise filled the room. Not perfect, not by a long shot, but decent enough to draw a few glances from nearby guests.

Lena’s mouth fell open. "You can play."

"Yep." I finished with a flourish, then stood. "And for the record, I have been arrested. Public intoxication. A story for another time."

She shook her head, but there was a reluctant smile tugging at her lips. "Okay, fine. You win this round."

"Pay up. Why are you really here?"

She hesitated, then sighed. "I’m... researching."

"Researching what?"

"The Belmont family." She adjusted her glasses again, avoiding my eyes. "I’m a journalist. Freelance. And let’s just say your grandfather has a lot of skeletons in his closet."

I whistled low. "So you are casing the joint."

"Not—not like that." She huffed. "I’m not here to cause trouble. I just want the truth."

"And you thought sneaking into his birthday party was the best way to get it?"

"I had an invite!" she protested, then winced. "Okay, I borrowed an invite. But still."

I couldn’t help it—I laughed. "You’re adorable."

She scowled. "I’m professional."

"Sure you are." I reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before I could stop myself. Her breath caught, and for a second, we were just there, frozen in the space between a joke and something else entirely.

Then, a voice cut through the moment.

"Raine."

Vanessa.

I turned to find my cousin standing a few feet away, her gaze flicking between me and Lena with thinly veiled amusement. "Grandfather wants to introduce you to some people."

Lena took a quick step back, cheeks pink.

"Vanessa, can you arrange a driver for Lena?"

"I’ll send her home for you," agreed my cousin.

"Thank you," said Lena.

"Before you go—" I pulled out my phone. "Give me your WeChat."

For a second, I thought she’d refuse. Then, with a huff, she snatched the phone from my hand and typed in her number. She shoved it back at me.

I pocketed the phone. "I’ll text you."

With Vanessa at her side, Lena turned and slipped into the crowd, that yellow dress disappearing like a sunbeam behind clouds.

The ballroom was a glittering maze of old money and new power, the air thick with the clink of crystal and the murmur of deals being brokered under the guise of small talk. Now I had to play the charming heir, the dutiful grandson. Not for me. For Grandma Nettie.

Yet, in this moment, all I could think about was Lena.

That stubborn set of her jaw when she’d called me a con artist. The way her fingers had trembled—just slightly—when she took the champagne. The heat of her skin when our hands brushed.

I approached Grandfather’s inner circle. I pasted on a smile as the old man clapped his hand on my shoulder. "Ah, Raine. Meet Mr. Zhao—his firm handles our acquisitions in Shanghai."

I shook hands, nodded at the right moments, all while my phone burned a hole in my pocket. Lena’s number was in there. A direct line to a grumpy sunshine kind of girl.

The girl here to dig up dirt on my new family.

I’d learned the hard way that some doors were better left unopened. But the way she’d said I just want the truth—like it was something simple, something pure—well, hell, nothing was ever that uncomplicated.

Especially not old secrets.