Her husbands rebuttal to her snide remarks echoed in her ears as she pleaded with Sienna not to leave. âVictoria, do not start a scene.â Well damn right she was causing one then for the first time in years. Her collected and cool demeanor was absent as she fought to get a grip on a night that she felt she had no control over. âAnd I had every right. I donât give a fuck who she is; donât you dare go against me on this,â Jonathon had snapped. And I donât fucking care about you ordering me around. I donât bend to your will this way. I will not lose on two battles today. With that she had added the remark that it would serve her husband right for her to be there. She knew of Jonathonâs animosity towards the woman who had left Nate in a depressed spiral for months after her sudden departure from the city. Victoria had always remained quiet on the subject. Jonathon didnât know just how sudden her own departure from her old life had been and moreover how hard it had been on her to uproot herself from the only thing she knew. But it had been for the better. She had hated so many aspects of that life in Wyoming. She could to a degree understand Siennaâs discomfort. It was no secret that she hated Jonathon. Victoria didnât like her for that but they understood things about each other. Leaving. Being uncomfortable with the life one led. She desperately wanted to talk to the woman but it was clearly not in her control to force the woman to stay her. Jonathon had done his job of playing the pitbull too well.
Sienna responded to Victoria quickly, turning and putting a hand on her shoulder solemnly. Victoria felt the gesture was done out of pity. For some reason when she looked at the MET Director, she thought the woman was looking at her with a sorry look, like she was sorry to leave her there with the people inside. I am breaking Victoria thought to herself bitterly. She stiffened as a slew of reporters somehow pushed their cameras through the wrought iron gates to snap pictures. She turned her cheek away from Sienna as they stepped offside behind the valetâs podium.
"Victoria," Sienna sighed, commanding the red headâs attention. The family matriarch looked coldly towards Sienna, knowing that tone and knowing what it reflected, what her answer would be before she replied. âI don't care nor did I come here to spite your husband and I don't want to cause trouble for you either. To be completely honest I didn't even want to come here tonight but it's my job and I'm a professional. Now that everything is taken care of I have no need to be here. Save yourself and me the trouble . . .â Sienna reasoned with her. Victoria shook her head. âNo, wait, that's not what I meant...â she sputtered and she was about ready to offer her own rebuttle when Sienna began stepping down the wide staircase to the valet.
âGoodbye Victoria," Sienna smiled weakly before turning to the driver who had her car waiting and Heidi who stood offside. Victoria felt stabbed. She couldnât explain it. It was like Jonathon had thrown a knife into her back and now Nathanielâs former lover was twisting it cruelly. She was completely out of control as Sienna stepped into her car. It was at that point that a hand brushed over her bare left elbow, looping his arm into her own. Victoria blinked twice before looking to see that it was Lincoln, her eldest son.
âLetâs get you inside mom, you might catch a cold,â he prodded. Victoria inhaled suddenly, having held her breath all that time. It was staggered and painful to do. She was seething, so angry she wanted to scream. Now she was left to deal with people who hated her for an event that was a front for something far more important that she had been kicked out of it seemed â her husbandâs business. Jonathon had done so much for her. All she gave him was an effort to repay the debt of him saving her from her former life. She would die for her husband, go to prison for him, anything. He seemed to fear that now for the first time in their marriage. All of this had come out of her offer to deal with Theodore, to torture him, to make him suffer, to learn what he knew. If she was imprisoned for it, she had said she didnât care. Jonathon had however, and heâd barred her from doing anything related to the boy, going so far as to arrange a client dinner with buys for the fashion house that she couldnât get out of the night he had chosen to confront him and subsequently allowed him to fall off the balcony of their summer property into the river.
She hated this distance between them and even as her son linked arms with her, she was bitter and cold. Victoria squeezed his hand and leaned into him subtly. âThank-you,â she whispered gently, in a tone she reserved for her children. âItâs nice to have you home,â she added. She rarely saw Lincoln with his school hours at Cornell being what they were and how in and out they all were.
As they stepped back inside, Victoria didnât know what to do. Her eyes scanned the crowds and she saw Dylan and Charlee standing with Lydia off to the side. For the most part all of their guests had been allowed into the gallery and auction room. Checking her watch, Victoria noted that it was just after 8 oâclock which meant that she had a speech to make. âTime for the auction sweetheart,â she told Linc. She withdraw her arm from her sons and moved to kiss his cheek gently. âI look forward to catching up.â
With that she slid away, following her staff and finding Kole waiting beside one of the MET helpers assigned to inform people on any pieces that a guest had questions about.
âKole, darling. Time to make our bit,â she announced gently. Her adopted son took Lincolnâs former position, linking arms with her and walking into the dining hall which had been converted into a mock auction house. Guests had assembled and were chatting and drinking champagne with their numbered signs. As Victoria and Kole approached the front a waiter tapped a spoon to the side of a spare glass. By the time they reached a glass podium for the auctioneer the large crowd had fallen silent. Victoria stepped away to speak first, leaning forward to tap the microphone gently. Hearing it respond she smiled. It was time to put on a show. If she was now relegated to being a trophy wife she was going to be a damn good one.
âOne million, four hundred and sixty four thousand dollars Mrs. Genovese, All raised for your charity. That was quite the speech and that was quite the auction,â the auctioneer announced. Victoria smiled and leaned in to squeeze Kole who had remained at the front of the room with her for the entirety of the event. She was nothing but pleased.
âI invite you all to eat dinner and to mingle for the rest of the evening,â Victoria announced, smiling as the room erupted into applause and several guests moved to leave the dining room while a number approached her, shaking her hand and thanking her for holding the event. She wanted nothing but to talk with Jonathon then and she absently wondered if his meeting had concluded on time.