Everyone from the Trexon Empire was invited to Devon Harrington's engagement ball. Not even guards and janitors were excluded from the list.

The venue they chose for the event was a top-class hotel in the most upscale part of the city. The entire top floor belonged to Devon and his guests for the night, including the presidential penthouse suite and surrounding rooms on the opposite of the massive ballroom. Take a guess which room Devon and Cara had booked for the night.

Yep. That was right. It was the ultra-luxurious, king of all suites, the one which had lion heads carved on its shiny black doors. Exaggeration much?

Well, you hadn't seen it through my eyes as I stood near the wide, open balcony adjacent to the ballroom. The city night glimmered with a thousand twinkling lights out there. I could taste the crisp cold air even after standing afar from the white marble balcony. However, the buildings out there looked small from this up, though.

It was as if this place was some invincible force standing on the top of the world, ready to provide its loaded onlookers the thrill of looking down at those beneath them. A perfect venue for the likes of Devon and Cara.

My mood soured further as I brushed a curly strand away from my face and took a sip of my champagne. The bubbly drink sizzled in my mouth, making me wish it was an acid instead so I could hurl it in Devon's face.

I breathed and tamed the rush of violent thoughts going through my mind. I had been having them ever since I started working for Devon again and frankly, that scared me.

I didn't want to wear the skin I had shed a long time ago. It had been tough letting it go and was frighteningly easy to cling back to as if it never left me. Was this how addicts reacted to the objects of their addiction after a long duration of withdrawal?

I gulped.

If so, I never want to ease into it ever again. Not if I could help it. But then that was the problem. I couldn't help myself with the way my thoughts ran wild, especially when it came to Devon.

"Hey, Mirasol!"

Speak of the devil...

I took a long sip of my drink before slowly turning around to face the man in a midnight black, open-collar suit. The stretch in my crimson lips was a pure work of force.

"Hello, Sir. Good evening."

"Why out here? The party's going on inside."

"Just taking a breather."

"Already?" He smirked. "We didn't even announce Cara and my presence yet let alone dance to a sexy score Cara selected just for the night. Or is it..."

I gave him wary eyes as he took slow steps toward me, his turning up a notch crueler.

My entire body stilled as his warm, minty breath fanned my cheek. "Jealousy suits you well, Mirasol."

My gaze was sharp when I met his twinkling ones. "There's a difference between jealousy and repulse, sir. Now, please step away before other gets the wrong idea. And please call me Hayes."

He hummed. "What idea... Hayes?"

I flinched as his whisper rang close to my ears. The sensation resembled the feeling of a hundred bugs crawling through your skin.

"You look ravishing in black, by the way. Too bad you are not an oil heiress like Cara." He winked, walking away with a nauseating grin on his face.

That sick motherfucker!

I heard a faint crack and looked down to discover my white knuckles and a jagged, thin line that ran up the swell of my champagne glass.

With a frown, I discarded the glass on the swirly statue near the ballroom doors and walked inside.

Dazzling white lights, cream walls, and white marble greeted me the second I stepped inside.

I passed through people and walked to stand in a lone corner, far away from the bustling crowd of posh Armanies and fake extensions.

On the outside, I might've been the epitome of calm and collected. My inside was a whole other story. It was a mess with stormy weather threatening to tear apart every last shred of my sanity.

If Sawyer didn't come in time and tonight was another repeat of that night...

A shuddering breath escaped through my lips. I leaned back against the wall, allowing the coldness of the smooth wallpaper to cool my clammy back. My throat felt parched and I gulped a dry lump.

The crowd thundered around me with the resounding noise of claps. The queen of the show was walking down the wide, curved stairs on my left.

Cara looked divine in that sleeveless, silk, burgundy gown. The fabric slithered through the front slits of the dress, giving us a glimpse of her long legs. Her blonde hair hung loose on her shoulders and backless back in soft waves. Every click of her high heels was measured and sleek as she stepped down on the floor and graced us with a dazzling smile.

Up close, though she was still far away from me, she resembled a pretty doll. A porcelain, useless, but pretty doll. Nothing else. Even the way she greeted her guests with a polite smile and wide gaze, I couldn't find her humane. Was that wrong of me?

Why was I even feeling this way about her anyway? Was it jealousy? Was I still hung up on that Godforsaken piece of shizballs?

My heart screamed no. Loud and clear.

I frowned.

Then what-

The crowd clapped again and I looked up just in time to see Devon stride toward Cara with a grin. He swooped her up in a passionate kiss, never minding the public and their urge to throw up. Or was it just me? Anyways.

I looked down at my phone, checking the time for the umpteenth time. There was still no sign of Sawyer.

My heart drummed faster against my ribcage, head throbbed with a dull headache.

Would history repeat again? Were we going to lose this battle? Dear God...

As if on cue, a pale shadow darkened the door carrying the frame of a familiar tall man in a black suit.

I sagged against the wall with a thump and closed my eyes.

Thank fuck!

Soon enough, I felt a prickle of gaze on my skin. That must have been Sawyer.

I immediately regretted it.

It was Devon looking at me, smirking while his hands tightened around Cara's waist.

I couldn't resist the eye roll. For real.

What did he think he was? Adonis reincarnate?

With pursed lips, I moved away from that spot and rounded the corner of the room to stand behind two gossiping women. They were knee-deep in a discussion about which bags were more casual, shoulder bags or crossbody ones. And they were keeping me out of Devon's prying eyes.

Good.

"Hiding, are we?" the low whisper in my ears straightened my spine.

I spoke too soon.

Sawyer's smirk widened upon meeting my glare.

"How are you still here and not kicked out yet?" I gritted through my teeth, eyeing the crowd.

"I'm invincible, Doll." He shrugged.

As if on cue, the public claps thundered through the room. Devon was pulling out the big ring from the velvet blue box in his hands. Cara gasped looking down at the thing. By the looks of it, Devon's wallet must have dug a big hole as Cara kept chanting 'Oh, my God' like a mantra. She jumped onto him and squeezed him in a tight hug.

I sighed, getting tired of their antics already.

"Jealous?"

Trust me, for a hot second, I literally forgot there was a devil hovering over my shoulders.

I didn't bother with a reply.

"Miserable?"

I pursed my lips tight.

"Hopeless?"

"Two years old?" I threw Sawyer an iron gaze and his honey-gold eyes twinkled like Christmas lights.

"Nah, I'm too handsome to be two." He bumped my shoulders with his.

"More like insufferable," I muttered under my breath.

"Only for you, Hayes. Only for you."

By now, Devon was putting the ring on Cara's finger.

"So, when's the big show starting?" Sawyer asked.

"Have patience."

Just then, my eyes found a familiar old man in gray Armani. He was talking with a middle-aged man in black, holding a glass of wine.

Goodwill must have felt my gaze because he looked my way and offered a subtle nod before going back to his conversation.

"What was that now? You eye-talking with the old guy?"

Observant as ever.

"Nothing."

It was Cara's turn now to put the ring on Devon. She grinned and held up his hand with utmost care before slipping a platinum white band through his finger.

Another round of applause thrummed through the floor and I only acted the part. Somehow, though, it seemed Sawyer was clapping rather louder than the rest of the folks.

I didn't give him another mind and focused on the event unfolding before us.

Devon pulled Cara in a swift kiss before looking up at the crowd with a grin. His hand resting on Cara's waist, holding her close.

He flagged down a server and grabbed a glass of champagne from the tray.

"Thank you so much for coming here," Devon raised the flute, looking down at the smiling Cara. "We're honored to have you here tonight as I promise to bind myself to this beautiful woman beside me. Minus the rope, of course."

The crowd offered a necessary chuckle at the lame joke. Sawyer, on the other hand, snorted.

I smirked, shaking my head at the goofus before looking back at the show.

"I met this angel at an engagement party. Just like this," his voice grew softer as Devon spoke, and much to my surprise, he sounded genuine. "She was a goddess in gold with twinkling eyes and a smile that could steal a man's breath. Literally. And that night, she stole mine."

"And here we are." Cara sniffled, smiling wider at the man beside him.

Devon smiled back. "And here we are."

A moment passed between them, something that should be reserved for the privacy of the doors behind.

A weird feeling prickled through my heart at the scene. I wouldn't say it was jealousy or resentment. It didn't feel like one. Rather, a sort of unease washed over me.

For a long time, I had dreamt of being in that place, with that man beside Cara. The man that I had thought was it for me.

After James, I had a hard time tolerating man. But somehow, for some reason, I allowed Devon into my heart. He had been cold in my approach, polite when needed, and strict when I least expected him. Maybe it was that cold professionalism of his that attracted me. Otherwise, I was used to men not taking me for more than I deserved.

What a fool I was.

My lips twitched into a mirthless smirk.

In the end, Devon turned out just like the rest of the flock. Only ten times worse.

"You okay, Hayes?"

I looked up to see Sawyer eyeing me with a rare display of concern.

And there was this man, Sawyer Ronnes. Headstrong. Stubborn. Irritating. And ambitious to a fault. Most of the time, he either made me want to throttle him or jump down the roof myself.

However, there were times when he listened to me when no one else did. There were times when he cared in the moments I least expected.

He was a strange man but a man of honor. You could either love him or hate him. There was no in-between. Though, knowing Sawyer, he might even make that impossible, possible.

I smiled at him. "I'm fine, Sawyer. I am fine. Don't worry. Let's enjoy the show, yeah?"

We looked ahead just in time to see Devon wrapping up his speech.

"Thank you again for coming here. We are so-"

Another tink of spoon interrupted Devon and he looked across the ballroom.

All eyes swiveled fast toward Goodwill.

He gave them an apologetic smile before lowering his glass of wine.

"Sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Harlington. That was really a heartfelt speech. But we've prepared a surprise for you. I hope you and Ms. Rachels will like it."

Devon narrowed his eyes but chuckled nonetheless. "It is an honor, Sir Goodwill."

Goodwill nodded and flagged down a guy in a server suit. He whispered something in his ear and patted his shoulder. The server went away.

"What's going on?" Sawyer asked from my side.

"You'll see," I muttered, tilting my head to his side.

Soon enough, a projector flashed bright blue light on a nearby cream curtain.

Two figures popped up on the screen. One was a man in a dark blue suit who only had his wrinkly pale hands visible on a white table top. The other one was in a black button-down sitting right across from them. Devon.

I glanced back at the real Devon standing beside Cara.

His face was a white sheet of paper, ready to crease at the slightest crumpling.

"So, it is true then?" Goodwill's voice came through the recorder's side of the video.

Devon chuckled. "They were fools. Never even guessed how I played them puny in my hands."

Goodwill hummed, his thumbs playing together. "Clever, Mr. Harlington. They invested in your company, became shareholders, and you still managed to cut margins from their profit. Interesting."

Devon grabbed a glass of golden liquid and gulped it in one go, groaning at the end. "Ah, this shit is strong. That's why I like the burn of their whiskey. Tastes like gold on fire."

Goodwill offered a soft snort. "Interesting analogy."

"You know what else is on fire?" Devon dropped the glass with a thud. "Sawyer's life. Just-" he swiped a finger over his neck. "Finished."

Goodwill hummed. "Do you really think he tried to buy out shares right under your nose?"

"Of course, I do!" He snapped. "He absolutely has done this. I have proof, testimonies. Sawyer is so done! Ha! He thought he could try to snatch my Trexon Empire from me!"

"He might be trying to get back what was his father's. That's why he did what he did."

Devon blinked, staring over the camera with a sudden blank expression.

"What do you know?" he asked.

"Nothing," Goodwill spoke in an even calmer tone. "Why? Should I've known something?"

Devon opened his mouth, closed it, and barfed, glaring down at the glass.

"No. You shouldn't. There's nothing to know."

A pause.

"Not how..." he gulped. "How Sawyer worked under me as I held this... lil' thing over his head."

Goodwill sighed. "And what is that?"

Devon snorted looking away, swaying slightly left to the motion. "What else? That he basically had to sell his company to me before acquisition in exchange for something exclusive."

"And what is that?" Goodwill's hands clasped tightly together as he stiffened.

Devon barfed. "That his father is a killer. He killed his wife and we got the proof. We'd been spying on him and his company for a while. One day our detective found a clue while snooping through his family history and what'da ya know? Benjamin Ronnes has a fucked up past that could ruin his life," Devon snorted, taking another gulp of whiskey. "Sawyer wanted to save him. The only father and whatnot shit, ha!Bloody fool, risking his life over his daddy's. I just used the perfect moment to grab a perfect opportunity. We're running a business, after all. And ya know, business, like everything else in life is..." His head suddenly slumped down on the table and he mumbled. "Cuttrot... Hic!"

And with that, he gulped down the rest of his drink, flushing the burning liquid down his throat.

My eyes met his stricken-wide brown eyes.

I smirked.

Right along with his life.

❤️Cliffhanger much! Well, you know me! It won't be a climax scene if there isn't an annoying cliffhanger popping up to say 'Hi!'

So, what do you think? How was the build up of the whole chapter? What do you think will happen to Devon now? Will Sawyer be finally saved?

Let's see what happens in the last chapter of Partners in Scheme next week.

That's right, folks. The show is finally coming to an end...

See you all soon. Till then, take care of your mind, body, and soul.

Love,
Sabrina ❤️