"Did you not a hear a word I said in the limo?" 

"I heard."

"Then what was that back there, huh?" Matthew  Felix snarled, hazel eyes popping angrily. He pulled back the curtains obscuring them from the crowd - that was far too stunned about something that happened on stage to be thinking about that Felix boy that lost it and punched a guy - then he let the curtain fall with a scowl.

"It was me....being stupid but its not going to happen again," Damon said although he had felt like he'd been saying that a lot lately - and not staying true to his word.  He couldn't help it, he was stupid. He acted on impulse rather than logic but how can you think when theres always some raging psycho bitch or a "sweet" peasant always in the way? Not to mention a red-haired dickwad with an ego the size of eight Lacrosse fields.

It was as if the universe was working against him and the only thing Damon could think of to fight back was throwing a few punches - but that only seemed to get him cornered.

"Stupid? Stupid? You can't afford to be stupid, Damon," He watched his father hiss angrily and wondered what all the models that had been fawning over him all afternoon would think if they seen him like this, for what he truly was. "Not when I have spent countless millions invested in your future."

"You don't think I appreciate that?" He had always been showing how much he appreciated his father's efforts. Hell, nearly everything he did was for the sake of Matthew's legacy and image. He practically did everything he asked and yet it wasn't enough. It was never enough and there was always something he didn't quite get or something that Matthew didn't like.

Then he realized why his father's approval just wasn't enough anymore. The man couldn't be pleased and after losing everything, gaining it back for a moment, and then losing it again, Damon didn't even care how Matthew felt about him anymore.

"Certainly not after that predicament you put yourself in," Then his father's eyes darkened. "You're lucky we are at a public event because I'd-"

"Just do it," Damon snarled. "No one will care. Everyone already knows." Or at least suspects.

Neither said a word, both glaring at each other. Matthew Felix possessing the look of a murderer. Surprisingly, it was Matthew who turned away this time and Damon felt pretty damn good for winning the stare down. 

"What are you waiting-"  Matthew didn't waste any time with a rage-filled strike to the face, causing Damon to stagger back, nearly falling on to the stage steps. He had been hit so hard he could see stars and he wasn't even outside. 

Head tilted back, he seen one of the hanging angels looking directly at him, averting her eyes when he met her gaze.

"Get up."  He heard Matthew bark and when Damon didn't move, he charged towards him - and thats when Damon met him with a fist. 

Matthew stumbled back slightly, catching his balance just as he was about to fall into the curtains. Resetting his jaw, the businessman glowered but didn't say a word. Damon figured he was probably in shock. He had never fought back. It felt wrong. Matthew wasn't drop dead ancient but he was old - and his Dad. 

In fact as soon as he hit him, he felt like taking another punch to make up for it. 

"You better get back out there," Matthew finally said through gritted teeth. "And seal the deal with that man....or so help me, I will make you wish you were in the grave with your mother."

"Why should I-"

"Because I will not be spending my money to bail you out of jail if you don't."

Damon could see welts forming where he had jabbed him directly in the eye. However despite his father doing even worse to him, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Balancing himself and ignoring the throbbing pain on his face, Damon nodded.

Then Matthew beckoned him closer. "You were playing a game of Lacrosse with your father the day before," He whispered.

Damon leaned back, making a note to remember the excuse if anyone asked. That was how things worked in the Felix household, excuses practically came out of their ears. He drew back the curtains, revealing himself to the busy hive of guests once again. 

Scanning the venue for Mr. Carter, Damon took in the drastically changed scene. Everyone had separated into small groups, all sneaking glances at Mr. Lexington and some guy with a dress posing for ten BH Courier newspaper reporters. 

Then heading out of the Greystone Mansion was the Nazi leader - talking to his evil sister Erika. 'Dammit,' He could already imagine what kinds of things Erika was probably putting in his head. However, this was his last chance, his last chance before he'd have to say goodbye to caviar and luxury cars and hello to orange jumpsuits and metal cages.

Shoving through the crowd and out into the crisp night air radiating over the Greystone Mansion's red carpet entrance and circular driveway horded with Mercedes and limos, Damon nonchalantly joined Mr. Carter and Erika in the middle of the red carpet fiasco, both laughing vigorously over something the recruiter had said.

"Ahhh, heres my brother now." Erika said sweetly and Damon, as usual, was the only one who could detect the evil glint in her hazel eyes.

Damon met her smugness with an equally cool tone. "Thank you for keeping Mister Carter busy but I don't think he needs an escort anymore."

He caught the slight offense in Erika's expression. Being called an escort was like being called a hooker or an expensive prostitute. However, his sister was a genius - he had to give her that. She composed herself fast enough for Mr. Carter not to catch her off guard. 

"Frankly, I don't think you will be under consideration anymore, Damon," Mr. Carter turned to him, giving him a steely glare that almost matched up to par with his father's. "Yes, your grades are magnificent. Your talent is undeniable and you are bearing the right surname but I don't think you are fit for Princeton."

His words were so unexpected that Damon almost didn't catch them and when he did, he might as well have crashed the corvette again. 

"Mister Carter, I-"

"I have seen your atrocities and you're exactly like every other boy I've interviewed," He went on with no mercy. "You think you're on top of the world when in actual reality, you're a mess and Princeton does not tolerate trash."

Damon was practically speechless, not even his mind could think.

Then with a huff, Mr. Carter turned to Erika. "Now you have been a stunning example of a debutante, heres my card. I hope to hear from you soon in regards to being an addition to the 2017 roster." He handed a satisfied Erika a small business card and the devil curtsied, a charming smile on her face.

'Are you fucking kidding me?,' Damon thought angrily. It was as if every glint of hope had been destroyed like one of their father's cards when Erika went shopping. He was doomed. He could forget everything he was working for.

Erika had won - and pretty quickly too. He was starting to think he truly didn't have a chance against her.

Once Mr. Carter had disappeared through the circular driveway, Erika smirked. "Awww, don't be sad, big brother," She said cheekily. "I'm sure you'll do fine in Juvie. Apparently girls think you're cute in orange too."

"If you think getting me sent to Juvie is gonna make Dad like you, you're not as smart as you think." Damon snarled, choosing the words he knew would hurt her - and give her a taste of her own medicine."Dad will never love you. He will never look at you like he looks at me because at the end of the day, you're not his daughter."

He had said it. He had said what neither would acknowledge. Erika wasn't Matthew's daughter - not a legitimate one. She was Matthew's dirty little secret, the one he had been trying to keep.

She was a mistake. A result of fooling around with your wife's twin sister.

Damon had always knew but of course, he'd never mention it. The last time he had - when they were ten - Erika had had a mental breakdown, the only time he'd ever seen her truly unhinged.  That day had freaked him out so he never mentioned the fact to her again but at this moment, after she had completely destroyed his life, it was the first thing that came to mind.

Erika seemed to crumble, eyes blinking away what Damon thought was tears.  "You don't know what you're talking about," She managed.

"He doesn't love you because you were never meant to exist," He went on ruthlessly, not caring that he was detached from any emotion his sister showed. "You're that thing he wishes he can get away from but can't and me being gone isn't going to change that."

"Stop talking."

"That's why you don't like Mom, right? She isn't your mom, she's mine."

"Shut up!" Erika screeched loudly, causing heads to turn on the red carpet, everyone startled by her outburst. It was as if time froze, cameras stopped flashing, and celebrities stopped posing. Then Damon instantly felt bad. Although Erika seemed composed, he could see the part of her that wanted to cry. 

It was as if just when he was about to hate her, a part of her humanity showed and suddenly he couldn't turn his back on her either. She was his sister after all and he was her brother. Although Erika didn't follow the sibling rule, Damon tried his best to stick to it. He was her brother and brothers were supposed to put up with their sisters' pestering - even though Erika took sibling pester to a whole other level.

"Shut up," She hissed more lowly, glaring around at the onlookers. Then she straightened the collar of her Kay Unger gown. "I can't wait until Dad sends you off. I'm counting the hours now."

"Why do we have to be in competition all the time?" Damon sighed because frankly, he was all worn out. It was as if he were in a constant battle with Erika, one that he hadn't even started to begin with. Erika had come up with this sibling rivalry on her own and so far, its been ongoing for seven years. He could forgive and forget right now if they both agreed to give up and call it a night. "I'm waving my white flag."

Fighting with someone like Erika was exhausting.

"You can wave your flag all you want," Erika snapped. "But I won't. I don't even own a white flag." Then she strutted away.

                                                                          ⓇⒾⒸⒽⓀⒾⒹⓈ

"Jac, come take a picture with us, Cheryl, here wants a family shot!" Jeffrey cried excitedly as he and Steve - still dressed ridiculously - posed against one of the mansion's elaborate walls, decorated by a 76.7 million dollar painting from the 1600s for their backdrop.

Nearly fifteen reporters from the BH Courier newspaper had gathered around the two men, snapping pictures with large Sony Alpha A99 cameras while a Asian woman in a black Albert Nipon tweed-skirt suit did her best to interview Steve.

Eve Lexington and her elite posse; Mrs. Costa - who was the only woman that seemed to genuinely like her - and Seth Montador's stepmother stood off to the side near the refreshments table, Eve not even obscuring her seething anger. They wanted pictures of her gay husband and his boyfriend, not her.

'You're sarcastic and quirky, you're poised and graceful, and you're kind of outspoken at times.' Jac couldn't get Blake's words out of her head. It was probably one of the sweetest things anyone had ever said to her, almost as romantic as Damon's sky message. No one had ever really acknowledged that she had a personality. She wished slightly that those words had come from Damon because the only person in the world that truly looked past her appearance, her wealth, and her reservation just couldn't be........Blake.

'But is that really such a bad thing?' She wasn't quite sure.

Jac moved to join her father and former butler, not returning Steve's smile as she stood on her father's side. Immediately upon her arrival, cameras began to flash again and Jac found herself blinded, still trying to smile broadly.

"Jacqueline, right?" The woman in the sharp suit moved to Jac's side, reporters still flashing their fancy cameras. "I'm Reporter Cheryl from the BH Courier newspaper, we think your father's story is inspiring. A man who has everything and then losing it all for the love of his life, its such a classic love story. What do you have to say on the matter?"

'Love story?' Jac thought incredulously, not caring that she had stopped smiling, letting the cameras catch her outraged expression. "Its hardly a love story, he cheated." And he shouldn't be getting awarded for it either.

"Jac!" Jeffrey exclaimed, nudging his daughter and then more hushed, "Cheryl has offered to help me write a book. This could rake in millions and then you won't have to go to Westchester with your mother." With that, he quickly went back to smiling and posing with Steve.

Well she certainly liked the sound of millions. However, Blake's words had stirred something in her and she had begun asking her own questions; Why did people go the extra mile when it came to money anyway? Why did people lie and justify just for the sake of material things? She loved Gucci and Prada just as much as the next girl but Blake had given her something to think about.

However, she wasn't ready to start finding the answers to those questions. That would involve going broke and living in the slums. 'No thank you.' She decided she'd get out of her comfortable lifestyle when she was ready - whenever that would be.

"Well, yeah, I guess it is an inspiring love story," Jac lied then to the reporter, putting back on her fake smile.  "I mean, my Dad is happy and thats what matters right?"

Yet there was one question she wanted the answer to but her parents, Damon, and every other person in their society seemed to be denying her the true answer.

What about her happiness?

Scoffing, Eve broke away from her small group of gossiping women, storming through the crowd - and Jac could have sworn she seen tears in her mother's eyes. She was surprised Eve could even cry. She was just as cold-hearted as Erika Felix - although the sixteen year old beat her mother when it came to the level of cruelty.

Jac, however, didn't give a damn if her mother was sad. She was so insensitive towards her and maybe she needed a taste of what she gave to everyone else. So, this time, she didn't follow her out.

After playing a proud daughter for the sake of her father's disintegrating wealth, Jac found herself wanting to get away from the prying eyes of the public. Everything was falling back into place. BH Courier was offering Jeffrey an immense amount of money to write about his inspiring love and now the man had gotten the idea of being a plastic surgeon turned Gay Rights activist.

Surely after the nasty divorce is done, she'll be free to stay in Beverly Hills. Her father had more support than Eve now anyway. She should be happy. Everything was perfect - but she didn't feel happy. In fact, she felt like curling into a ball in the lavish sheets of her bed, scarfing down cookie dough ice cream, and crying along with Lana Del Rey to every sad song on her Ultraviolence album.

"Just one more picture!" One of the reporters in a knockoff Armani suit exclaimed. "This one is for People Magazine!"

Jac narrowed her eyes at Jeffrey. "Dad, I don't want to be on the cover of a-"

"Jac, please!" Steve exclaimed, placing a hand on his hip and winking at the various cameras.

"Jac, just one more picture," Jeffrey pleaded. "If we get on People magazine, Ellen DeGeneres will want to do an interview with us."

Jac scoffed, not caring that she was being difficult and stubborn. She'd gotten those traits from her mother after all. "No thanks, this is your circus, Dad." Then, ignoring his protests, Jac sauntered away from their mini photo shoot, heading for the red carpet outside of the Greystone Mansion.

Once the main entrance of the venue was behind her, she made her way to the parking lot crowded with luxury cars and limos - not to mention someone had found a way to park their private jet as well. Only a few people lingered outside as the sun slowly descended, mostly chauffeurs, staff, and the couples destroyed by whatever had happened inside.

Then there was Damon Felix leaning on the hood of the Felix limo and smoking one of those Cancer sticks. Jac absolutely hated the habit and it annoyed her even more that Damon had picked it up. Smoking cigarettes was like asking for lung cancer.

"Hey," She said softly as she came up to him, not liking how de ja vu' this moment was. They were in a parking lot and the last time they were in this position, they broke up.

"I'm surprised you're talking to me," was all he said, taking another drag and Jac winced at the thought of getting secondhand smoke.

"You didn't have to punch his lights out you know," She replied pointedly. "That was unnecessary."

"Yeah, well, everything is unnecessary these days."

Jac narrowed her eyes because the tone he was using, the one that said 'I'm-not-in-the-mood' usually meant something hadn't gone right. She suspected the black eye that seemed to be forming on his face was the answer. "Why don't you just hit him back?" 

He didn't look at her. "I did....."

"And?"

"And I'm never doing that again."

"Because...." 

"Because he's my Dad," He said harshly but his face quickly softened. Stomping out his cigarette, Damon sighed. "Everything is fucked up."

"No use in complaining though," Jac said more to herself than him. "No one is going to care." If they even listened in the first place. 

Damon chuckled at that, revealing that one dimple smile she loved so much. Jac grinned back, moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her close, meeting her gesture with a heavy kiss. 

With a slight gasp, Jac deepened the kiss, letting herself get carried away from all the ridiculous nonsense that was going on in her life. Damon was like chocolate, once you took a bite all you could think about was the delicious ecstasy you got from it. However, like chocolate, Damon didn't stay sweet for long - Blake's face is an example of that.

In the hot hassle, the sleeve of Jac's Narciso Rodriguez slid off and she smiled wryly. "Damon," Jac managed as he left kisses down her neck. "We're....in a parking lot."

"Then lets get out of here." Damon smirked against her skin, lifting his head from her neck and then his smirk was nothing but a scowl. 

Jac's heart started to pound rapidly because if it was her mother, she was screwed. However, turning around, she was relieved to find that it was Blake in perfect shape. "Uh, sorry to interrupt," He said sheepishly and Jac noticed Damon's scowl deepen. 

Jac held back her blush, taking a step away from Damon and adjusting the short sleeve of her dress. She felt odd at the thought of Blake seeing them....like that. He was too nice and innocent despite being older than her. "No, no, its okay." 

"It's really just not." Damon deadpanned and Jac shot him a dirty look.

Blake put on an easygoing smile, the one that made his brown eyes look pretty. "I just wanted to apologize for Steve I-" Then he stopped, eyes glued to Jac's neck for a moment. "I didn't know he was going to do that."

Absentmindedly, Jac touched the side of her neck, and then instantly felt embarrassed. Damon had given her a hickey and it was all out for Blake to see. Subtly pulling her wavy raven hair to her chest, she returned Blake's smile. "You don't have to apologize-"

"I asked him to come here," He interjected. "You were really upset and I felt it was the least Steve could do for you."

"You-you asked him?" So he tried to help her after all - and then got punched in the face for it. She turned to glare at Damon who only rolled his eyes and shrugged.

Blake nodded. "I hope it helped."

"It did," Jac said softly. No one had ever really done anything like that for her before. He was the same guy who had been telling her money isn't everything yet he cared enough to help her get it back anyway. "Thank you," She winced slightly at her lame response. 'Really, Jac? Thats all you got, the guy practically saved your life and all you say is 'thank you'?'

Then it was awkward. Jac, fidgeting nervously, Blake, smiling uncomfortably and Damon, shaking his head all the while glowering at Blake. Then Blake exhaled. 'Well I guess I'll be going...." His eyes trailed to Damon leaning on the hood of the Felix limo. "I hope you guys have a good night."

"Yeah, you too," Jac had said quickly but Blake was already walking away. She felt like the worst person on the planet watching him fade into the darkness of the circular parking lot at the very front of the chaotic red carpet. 

He had done so much and she had blown him off.

"Okay, whats your problem?" She snapped, turning back to Damon. "You were being an asshole again."

"I don't understand why he's talking to you." Damon shrugged nonchalantly, pulling out another pack of Imperial cigarettes from the pocket of his custom-made suit. 

Fuming, Jac snatched the pack out of his hands, tossing them to the gravel ground. He stared at her for a moment - before pulling out another pack of cigarettes and lighting up. "You know, maybe if you die from Cancer, Blake will finally get to be with me." She said sarcastically.

"Was that supposed to be funny?" 

"Are you laughing?"

"Do I look like I'm laughing?"

"You look like you got your ass kicked." Jac rolled her eyes,.

When Damon scowled but didn't say anything else, she found herself only getting angrier. She plucked the burning cigarette out of his mouth just as Damon caught her free hand that was about to smack him in the face.  

However, she had forgotten about the fact that the cigarette was still burning and yelped in pain as it burned her,  dropping it to the ground. She was already seething from everything that had happened so far at the auction and now she had a cigarette burn to add to the mix.

"Dammit, Jac." Damon's cold demeanor vanished as he reached for her but Jac found herself recoiling.

This was a repeat of every moment they've had together. Everything always started off dandy, as happy as a post card from Dubai, and then things went to shit. If it wasn't some other girl, they were at each other's throats. - and then they'd make up of course.

There was just something about him that made her hate and love him all at the same time. Yet when she hated him, she hated him - she despised him. They were like two negative chemicals, once mixed together, they exploded.

Jac looked down at the faint burn marks on her hand. "You are such an ass."

"It's not my fucking fault you burned yourself."

She tsked, shaking her head furiously and turning away from him. The pain was a stinging annoyance and if she didn't get something to relieve it, she was going to scream. "I'm going inside to get some ice-"

"Just let me help you," He reached for her again, voice softening, and in her anger she turned around and slapped him - which had been her original intention in the first place.  She had slapped him so hard that his cheek flushed as if he were blushing.

Damon slowly turned back to look at her, eyes as cold as hers were then. Jac could see the vague shake of his clenched fists and narrowed her eyes. "I wish you would." At that, he sighed, composing himself.

"I never would......even if you slapped me a million times."

All she could hear was the buzz of the city traffic and Mr. Fitzgerald's booming voice from the Greystone Mansion as he shouted, "Sold to the beautiful J. Lo!"

"I don't need your help." Returning Damon's conflicted look with a glower, Jac stormed back to the Greystone hellhole, not looking back when she heard the flick of a lighter.

The Spring Debutante Auction was still ongoing when she rejoined the guests. Everyone was seated primly, bidding over an extravagant diamond ring - the ring that had been given to Elizabeth Taylor by one of her many suitors.

Hiding her scalding hand, Jac weaved her way through the tables, making a bee line for the bathroom and just as she made it past the stage - she ran into Blake on the stage steps, whispering into his outdated iPhone.

He looked up when he seen her, mumbling something into his phone before turning it off. "Oh, I thought you left."

"What are you still doing here?" Jac asked, hiding her hand behind her back now.

"Waiting for my ride, the car finally broke down," He sighed glumly, running a hand through his gorgeous blonde hair. Despite his suit being off brand, Jac had to admit he still looked handsome and to the untrained eye, wealthy. 

"Oh....well I can give you a ride." It was the least she could do. He had helped save her family - although adding Steve to the Lexington equation as her stepfather was discomforting. 

"You don't have to-"

"Don't complain," Jac interjected him with a tentative smile. "I'm helping you whether you like it or not......even if I have to kidnap you."

Blake gasped and Jac realized he probably didn't get the humor. That was the only thing she found odd about him, he had no sense of humor whatsoever. 

"I was kidding," She added and Blake finally cracked a smile. They both stood grinning at each other for a moment - and then Jac had the most brilliant idea. One that would avoid going home to her new "fathers" and get her mind off of Damon at the same time - even though there was no permanent solutions to that problem. "Orrrrr....we could go to the movies, see some bad chick flick."

Blake's smile grew even wider but it quickly fell. "What about your boyfriend?"

Jac flexed her stinging hand and it only made her even more angry with Damon. 'He's going to have to do a lot more than just a bunch of sky messages for me to forgive him for this,' She thought because if it wasn't for him being a jerk, she wouldn't have had to grab the cigarette in the first place. 

She beamed at Blake then. "He won't mind."

She'd take a night out with a "commoner" over a night with wealthy snobs any day.

--------------------

A/N: 

So um.....to anyone who thinks this chapter is winding down.....wait until you read Part 4. I'm hardly done with the bombs ;)

And just in case it wasn't clear, Glory basically had a twin sister and Matthew was sleeping with her when they first got married. Thus, both sisters were pregnant by the same guy which is why Erika and Damon are both the same age. 

This also marks the end of Jac's POVs for this book! So the next time you'll see Jac will be in LUXURY!

Thank you so much to those who support and I hope you leave your thoughts *cringes as I think of how many times I've said that* <3