Recommended Listening:
Crazy In Love – Beyonce (Slow Remix)
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The Rivington residence was resplendent. It was certainly one of the biggest estates in Piltover, possibly rivaled only by the Medarda mansion that sprawled nearby.
Corrine admired the great arched ceilings of the foyer, trying to imagine how the paintings that graced them were placed there. Her own home was grand, but it wasn't painted ceilings grand. This would certainly be an upgrade.
The front doors opening startled her from her musings. Jurian strode in, looking windswept and rosy cheeked, his black hair disheveled from where it had been trapped under his helmet.
He frowned when he spotted her.
"Corrine," he greeted, "I wasn't expecting you today." Corrine resisted the urge to frown at his cold greeting.
"I was running errands with mama and thought I'd stop in to say hello," she told him cheerfully. Jurian ran a hand through his hair, a distracted look on his face.
"Well, I hope you haven't been waiting long." He motioned for her to follow him into the salon.
She'd been there all morning, but he didn't need to know that. "Not at all! I've barely just arrived. Did you have a pleasant ride?"
Jurian loved horses, although Corrine couldn't fathom why. They were massive, stupid beasts, who always stank of their own shit. But she'd let them live in the house, if that's what made him happy.
"Ride?" Jurian asked her distantly, as if that wasn't what he'd just been doing. "Oh yes, it was fine. Lovely weather."
He went to stand at the window, looking out. He was so handsome, bathed in the warm rays of the setting sun. It drew the hints of terracotta from his deep brown skin and Corrine admired the way he filled out his riding clothes. Tall and well muscled, he was enough to make anyone swoon.
"You're thinking about her," she observed, aiming for a casual tone. Magnolia seemed to be the only thing they talked about anymore and it made her want to scream.
Jurian looked at her with a furrowed brow. "It's just-" He ran his hands through his hair again, a nervous habit. "There's something off about the whole thing, but I can't put my finger on it."
Corrine gritted her teeth. Moving over to him, she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Well, you know how she is-"
"That's exactly the problem!" he exclaimed, spreading his arms in exasperation and dislodging her hand in the process. Corrine couldn't hold back her frown that time. "I do know how she is, I've known her since we were kids. And this is entirely unlike her."
Jurian began pacing back and forth in front of the windows and Corrine had to take a step back to keep out of his way. She scrambled to think of something to say but he carried on, rambling agitatedly.
"Doesn't it seem strange that she'd just up and leave and no one has heard from her in a month?" he questioned. "Even if she did run off with some lover, she would've at least sent word to reassure her family she's alright."
Corrine felt her heart rate pick up. She needed to somehow soothe his concerns before he got too close to the truth.
"If there was anything to really worry about, Magnolia's parents would've-"
"With all due respect," he interrupted harshly, "the Vanderports are much more concerned with upholding their reputation than with their daughter's well being," he spat. The venom in his voice made Corrine flinch back.
"I mean for Progress' sake, I saw her earlier that evening," he added and resumed his pacing, clasping his hands behind his back. "She was acting completely normally."
Corrine could barely breathe, paralyzed by a toxic blend of fear and anger. Why was he being so difficult about this?
That next morning, Magnolia's mother was first to find the note that Corrine had staged in her bedroom. The Vanderports made haste to announce that Magnolia had fallen ill and that the wedding was postponed indefinitely. They'd checked the passenger records, of course, of all the ships that had left the prior evening and found Magnolia's name on a vessel headed to Feria, as the note had already led them to believe. From there, it was mere hours before the engagement was officially called off. The official story was that Magnolia had only gotten more ill and was shipped off to recover abroad, where the climate was more agreeable.
But Piltover high society excelled at gossiping, the flames of the rumour stoked by Corrine herself. Soon everyone was abuzz with the news that the Danverport heiress had taken off with a lover and Corrine had swept in before the rest of the vultures to comfort the devastated groom.
He had been accepting of it, at first, so hurt by this sudden turn of events. But then he had turned pensive and troubled. With time, he became consumed by the thought that there was something suspicious going on. Corrine had tried to gently steer him away from this obsession, but nothing seemed to work. Maybe it was time to take a more direct approach.
"You need to let her go," she told him sternly.
Jurian whirled on her with a scowl. "What marvelous advice!" he exclaimed sarcastically. "You've certainly had no problem following it."
Corrina gasped delicately, not having expected him to turn on her.
"I am respecting her wishes," she justified. Jurian shook his head incredulously.
"Had she ever even mentioned this guy? You were her closest friend and even you were blindsided by this! How can you not even be a little concerned?" he interrogated her.
Corrine didn't have to force the tears that gathered in her eyes. It hurt, to be rejected by him like this, almost more than watching him with Magnolia had. She wanted to scream at him that she was doing this all for him. Couldn't he see how much she loved him? Why could he only ever see someone else?
"Maybe you didn't know her as well you think," she replied bitterly, wiping angrily at the tears that spilled over. "Maybe you just weren't good enough for her."
The air seemed to go out of Jurian all at once, the first brief flicker of doubt crossing his expression. He rubbed his face with both hands, suddenly looking like he hadn't slept in days.
"You shouldn't come around unannounced anymore, Corrine," he said quietly, not meeting her eye.
"I-" Corrine began, taking a step towards him, but Jurian held up a hand to stop her.
"I'm tired," he murmured. "I'd like to be left alone."
Corrine ached to touch him, to hold him and show him that she was all that he needed. She was right here. But the fear of further rejection kept her feet rooted to the spot.
After a few tense moments of silence, she finally turned on her heel and fled.
Outside, Corrine didn't summon her carriage, instead walking aimlessly down the road, unable to quell the need to move. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Everything else had come together flawlessly, all that planning bearing perfect fruit.
But Jurian just wouldn't let it go. That same fire and drive to do the right thing that made her love him was also what was now driving them apart. She had to fix it, but she didn't know how.
It hit her with a pang of sorrow that if it had been anything else, she would've gone straight to Magnolia to cry on her friend's shoulder. It was lonelier than she expected without her. They'd been so inseparable for so long, always coming to each other when the rest of the world just wouldn't listen. It felt strange to grieve that loss when she had been the cause of it.
Hardening her heart, she forced Magnolia from her mind, and began to plan once again.
She actually quite liked being a server, Magnolia decided.
It had only been a few nights since she'd begun, but it was quickly becoming the highlight of her daily routine. Although the patrons were much less refined than the guests her family would host for dinner parties, the parallels were undeniable. She supposed alcohol was the one great equalizer, and it certainly poured freely at The Last Drop. It felt good to interact with people, the endless noise in the busy bar infecting her with its energy. A few faces were already becoming familiar to her, being regular customers of bar.
Sevika had dropped off a much more modest dress for her to wear going forward, which Magnolia had embraced enthusiastically.
"I'll teach you how to throw a punch too," Sevika had told her, grabbing Magnolia's upper arm and giving it an unimpressed look. "Although maybe you need to try some push ups first."
In the meantime, Magnolia noticed an increase in club security, one hulking figure or another quick to appear by her side anytime a customer started giving her trouble. It was almost sweet, if it wasn't for the whole held-against-her-will thing.
She was finishing getting ready for the evening after a quick shower, when a commotion and raised voices downstairs drew her to investigate.
Looking down the stairs to the main floor, she just caught sight of Silco and a whole slew of his men heading out the front door of the still empty bar. The air about them seemed tense, like wherever they were going was urgent and unpleasant.
Light in her peripheral vision caught her attention and Magnolia turned to see what it was. It turned out to be coming from Silco's office, where the door was standing just barely ajar, as if it hadn't quite been shut properly. Magnolia edged closer, peering through the crack to see if anyone was inside. The office was empty and dark, only the light coming through the massive window illuminating the space.
Her gaze focused on the desk, the same one that she knew he kept those damned letters in. Adrenaline flooded her veins, the sudden realization that she had the perfect opportunity to steal them and run almost irresistible. But it was just too…easy. Something about this careless act by such a careful man felt false.
Taking one last longing look at the desk, Magnolia pulled herself away and trudged downstairs.
Silco frowned down at his filthy boots. He'd never liked the summertime, the humid heat always making the already heavy air in the Undercity that much harder to breathe. Not to mention the rain. Sometimes it would come down so heavily, the roads would become little more than muddy rivers.
But business needed to be attended in person sometimes, especially when it involved that hot-headed fool Finn. Fortunately, he still had enough sense to know that he was in no position to keep pushing against Silco's orders. The shipment of Shimmer he had been withholding was now released at the previously agreed upon price, a few new bruises there to remind him not to haggle the man that ran this entire city.
The troublesome pest put to rest, Silco boarded the carriage to take him back the The Last Drop, already thinking about the cigars waiting for him on his desk.
The sight of that open door wouldn't leave Magnolia's mind.
She'd already messed up several orders, her attention fixated on the front door. Silco still had not returned and she saw no sign of Sevika either. The more time passed, the tighter the itch inside her grew. They'd left in such a hurry, it was completely possible that Silco had forgotten to lock the door in his haste. Or he was lurking out of sight, ready to catch her in the act and dole out one of those promised punishments.
Having messed up her fifth order of the night, Magnolia finally couldn't take it. Shouting to Thieram over the music, she motioned that she was going to take a bathroom break. It would only take a minute, she chanted to herself, in and out and no one had to know.
Her every sense was on high alert as she crept down the hall and through the open door. Every lumpy shape in the darkness looked like it could be Silco, crouched down and prepared to jump up and grab her. Forcing herself to breathe, Magnolia knelt in front of the desk, the window at her back making her feel terribly exposed.
There were only three drawers beneath his desk. The top one held loose papers and writing utensils. No letters. The second was packed full of paperwork, mostly shipping manifestos and inventory counts. Still no letters. The third and bottom drawer was locked. Bingo.
Mind racing with excitement, Magnolia pulled a bobby pin from her hair. Her parents had often hidden away her favourite chocolate treats in a locked cupboard, doling out only a little bit at a time for especially good behaviour. She'd gotten very proficient at picking the lock with all manner of tools in the quest to gorge herself on the sweets, learning how to relock it when she was done. She'd never been caught, but the house had been treated for a mouse problem quite frequently throughout her childhood.
After a minute that felt like an hour, Magnolia cursed, the lock not budging in the slightest. She'd already wasted precious time going through the other two drawers, feeling every second ticking away and increasing the chance that she'd get caught. With one last fruitless attempt, she angrily shoved the pin back into her hair. At least now she knew which drawer to go to, if another golden opportunity presented itself.
And then she heard it.
Footsteps.
Fuck.
Magnolia shot up and straightened her dress, trying to look as innocent as possible, which was an impossible task considering she was in Silco's office by herself, in the dark, with no explanation.
The door swung open the rest of the way seconds later, revealing Silco himself. His good eye narrowed when he spotted her.
"What are you doing?" he asked quietly, shutting the door and striding casually towards her. He looked uncharacteristically rumpled, strands of his hair hanging into his face and his boots caked in mud.
Magnolia fumbled for a lie, any reason at all.
"I was…looking for something," she tried lamely.
"Oh?" His tone was vaguely mocking. "Looking for what?" Silco rounded the desk and kept going until he had backed Magnolia against it. He was not touching her, but even a too deep inhale would haver her chest brushing against his.
"Napkins?" It sounded like a question even to her own ears. Between the adrenaline from being caught and the thrill that came with his proximity, Magnolia couldn't rub two brain cells together to save her life. Possibly literally.
"Napkins," Silco repeated flatly. He leaned forward, landing both palms on the desk on either side of her hips with a thump. The change brought him face to face with her, her entire field of vision filled with his fascinating, handsome face.
"Napkins," she whispered again, barely daring to breathe. Silco looked at her for another long moment, before slowly dragging his gaze downwards. The trace of his eyes over her body felt almost like a physical caress, making her breath hitch and a warmth to coil low in her stomach.
His gaze carried on until it landed on the set of drawers she'd been fiddling with, now just beside her left leg. Magnolia's heart skipped a beat. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Slowly, he reached one hand into his pocket, withdrawing a ring of keys. Selecting one with practiced ease, he made a show of inserting it into the keyhole and unlocking the bottom drawer. With bated breath, Magnolia watched as he opened it.
Inside….inside, it was empty. Magnolia couldn't believe her eyes. All that risk and for nothing.
Silco regarded her with a sly smile. "No napkins here, I'm afraid."
Magnolia cleared her throat, trying to find a way out of this situation.
"Oh, I must have misheard Thieram," she ventured, her voice wavering.
Silco continued to smile that lazy smile but did not move to release her. On the contrary, he leaned in even closer. Magnolia's mind went utterly silent as her heart pounded in her ears. He was going to kill her, she was sure of it. Eyes squeezing shut of their own accord, she held her breath, waiting for the impact. The anticipation made her dizzy, her breathing shallow and rapid.
But the pain never came.
Instead, her eyes flew open at the feel of his lips brushing against the shell of her ear, warm and soft.
"You didn't think I'd make it that easy, did you, little mouse?" he murmured, his breath tickling the sensitive skin of her neck. It took a moment for the words to register, and another moment after that to make her legs work again.
Silco stood back as she scrambled past, very much looking like the cat who got the milk.
What a naughty little mouse.
He couldn't fault her for trying to steal the letters. He'd be disappointed, in fact, if she hadn't at least attempted it. But having her right there, in the intimate dark of his office, made him wild. He could imagine with perfect clarity how he would bend her over his lap and spank her pert little ass until it she couldn't take it anymore, only to then make it all better with his mouth.
If only she hadn't looked so fucking terrified.
He could be patient. In fact, he excelled at patience. He already caught the way her eyes lingered on his lips sometimes, the way she leaned a little closer to catch a whiff of his cologne. It would only take a little more to coax her in the right direction.
And then he'd show her everything she'd been missing.
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Author's Note: A little more plot with a sprinkle of good ole sexual tension for ya to round out the year.
There's nothing I hate more than a boring, evil just because they're evil villain, so I'd really like to round out Corrine more. What did you all think of her and Jurian in this? Did I make Silco too horny too soon?
I hope you all have a lovely New Year and I will see you in the next one!