Chapter 16

Tristan—Ten years ago.

"Christ, she's hot."

I ignored Sebastian for the umpteenth time tonight. We had been friends since in our mothers' wombs and I knew him better than anyone. He rarely ever used 'hot' to describe a woman. Whoever he was talking about must be a supermodel to gain his attention, but that was not why we were here.

"Focus, Sebastian." I growled under my breath.

"That's what I'm doing." He continued ogling at whoever he had taken notice of and pointed at her using his chin. "We have zero luck finding Rhys. But I just helped you locate his beloved little sister, Isabella. Thank me later." He grinned.

"Rhys's sister?" My knuckles were itching for violence.

"Over there." Sebastian subtly pointed with his glass of champagne. "The birthday girl."

I frowned. "Are you nuts? Last I checked, Misael Cartier was a boy." and this was his coming of age banquet.

"He is," Sebastian crooned. "Don't tell me you are one of those fuckfaces who live under a rock and don't know Misael has a twin."

He was right. One had to be living under a rock to not know everything about the Cartier family. Their lives were always splayed on tabloids—which I had always tried my best to stay the hell away from until tonight. But I was not here to celebrate. I was here to confront Rhys.

But when I followed Sebastian's gaze to the center of the hall, I was stunned. She was indeed beautiful. Her auburn hair was in a neat updo, a stray strand of which she tucked behind her ear just when I glanced at her. When she turned away to talk to a young woman beside her, rationality seeped back into me.

"Isn't she only eighteen?" I hissed. I hated myself for looking at a girl her age like I just did.

"Do you think I would cast her a second glance if she was a day younger?" He nudged me. "This is your chance to find out everything you want to know about Rhys. My experience with women tells me the younger they are, the faster their little hearts race under the charm of a handsome man." He lowered his voice even more. "And the faster you can get them answering questions."

I hesitated. Not because I doubted my charm. At the risk of sounding like an asshole, I'd had women throwing themselves at me for years. Isabella Cartier would fall for me if I wanted her to. However, she was a little girl in my eyes and I was six years older than her. The difference looked so huge that my insides twisted in discomfort.

"But if I can get her to be my friend, it will be much easier."

Sebastian scoffed. "Friendship is the last thing I can think about, seeing her in that sexy gown."

I wanted to punch him. "You need to have more respect for women. Especially young ones who have just come of age."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that. You're attracted to her, or else you would not be so protective."

I was certain attraction was not one of the things I would feel for my arch nemesis's sister. I gritted my teeth. Reminding myself I was doing this for my sister, I worked out the best timing to appear before her—well, bump into her.

The tablet in her hand crashed onto the floor and I muttered a curse under my breath. Way to start off on the wrong foot.

"I'm so sorry." I muttered. "Please let me buy you a new one."

"Do you think everything is about money?" She growled at me.

I stifled a smile. "Bad night?"

She turned to leave.

"You have been on your feet all night. Do you want to take a breather, have a drink maybe?"

She turned sharply. "If I didn't have to take care of people like you all night, I wouldn't be so tired. Now, excuse me."

My brows shot up quizzically. What a sharp tongue.

I was not about to let her leave. I stopped her before her second step. "I know we started off on the wrong foot. Do you mind if we start over?" I took her silence as permission to go on. I stuck my hand out. "Tristan Lexington. You can call me Tristan."

"Lexington?" Her voice lowered in a hint of what I thought was panic but she quickly brushed it off. I understood her reaction. The Lexingtons and Cartiers were not exactly the best of friends. The feud had supposedly begun with our great grandfathers fighting over a woman, then our families became business rivals as well. To be honest, I no longer knew why we hated each other. We just did. And my coming here was proof that a more serious feud was about to begin. Rhys Cartier was messing with the only woman I cared about and in return, here I was, messing with his sister.

She pursed her lips. "Who invited you? Are you a friend of Misa?"

Smart girl, but not smart enough. She was trying to trap me using my own words. I thought hard about it. I could easily pretend to be Misael's friend but if they were as close as Sebastian implied, she would know all her brother's friends. I went with the safest route. "Rhys and I have business to take care of after the banquet."

"I see. Well, I can't pretend I like you but enjoy the banquet."

I chuckled. She was hilarious.

"Sis, it's time." Misael came over to call her away and stopped in his tracks when he saw me. "You're Lexington."

"It's okay. He is Rhys's friend." Isabella hooked her arm around his and walked away. Well, floated away, in her grace and beauty. I was crazy…and I was yet to hear her speech.

She stood on the stage and started off her speech in more confidence than one would expect of a girl who had just turned eighteen, much less one as tiny as her. Yet the whole banquet hall was under her charm. Which was why when she turned her gaze at me, everyone was watching intently.

"Cartier Enterprises has recently made one of the biggest steps in history, venturing into the media industry. It must be a big deal, seeing as Lexington is here to learn a thing or two." She smiled my way.

Was she implying I was a mole? The nerve!

A devilish smirk crossed her lips. "I just found out that my brother Rhys has a very close friend from the Lexington family. They are in fact so close that he got invited to a family event where only close friends of the Cartier family are in attendance. It's odd not to acknowledge such a close friend, so I would like to introduce Tristan Lexington, the interim CEO of Lexington Conglomerate, and let him say a word or two."

"The nerve of that little bitch!" Sebastian cursed as he came up beside me.

My lips twitched. Isabella Cartier, once I'm done with your brother, I will wring your neck next.