21.
CASSIE
Cassie’s heart was pounding in her chest, as she took a seat opposite Qugrom in the plush penthouse office.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” he said, pulling a bottle of scotch from the side and pouring himself a glass. “You look like you’re about to shit the bed. I think you need one of these, too.”
Her cheeks flamed. She’d thought she had her face controlled. Maybe he was just bluffing to unease her.
She was so far behind in how to play political games in person. She wasn’t a poker player. She could deal with logic and facts before they happened. In the moment it wasn’t so good.
She took a sip of the scotch when he passed her the glass despite it being so early in the morning, and wondered if, by doing so, she'd failed some kind of test.
"So, what are you doing at my door before breakfast?"
"I'm here to blackmail you."
He raised a brow. There was no hair there, just scales stretched over a brow bone. "I see."
She pulled the video player from her purse and inserted the memory card—she'd remembered to pull it from her bra and put it into a pocket in her jacket before coming to his suite. She handed it to him, allowing the evidence to speak for itself.
He watched in silence, never betraying a reaction.
This was why he'd gotten as far as he had. He wasn't the Prince of Agalax by blood—he'd taken the crown from the rightful heir many years ago, through political maneuvering and a coup that had cost the lives of thousands. And yet he'd ruled after that with continuously positive approval ratings from his people.
When it was finished, he took the memory card from the video player and crushed it between two sharp claws, his face still impassive. "I assume that wasn't your only copy of the footage, though it's always good to be optimistic."
"There are more."
"Prove it."
"I'm not so foolish as to bring the other one in here and let you crush that, too."
"Other one? At least there's only one other I have to rat out and destroy, then."
She cursed her stupidity and refused to falter. "You're to change your stance at the conference today."
"Or?"
"Or I'll leak that footage to the press, and everyone will know that you're a liar and a hypocrite."
"Oh no. My poor reputation," he sneered. "I'm sure that will last a whole few weeks before it blows over and all is forgotten."
"You might think I'm naive, but Archie wasn't. He knew the consequences this tape would have if it was released. You can't play it down to me."
Archie had been so excited about this. He'd been certain it would change the course of the entire conference. He was just as skilled as Qugrom, he just hadn't chosen to use his skills in the same way.
Qugrom eyed her, disdain all over his expression as his beady eyes traveled over her body. "Then, yes. I'll change my stance at the conference today."
She resisted the urge to squint at his completely inauthentic response. "I'm unconvinced."
"Are you? I thought you were certain that Archie's plan would work."
She didn't know what else she could do. She'd told him what she had, made her demands, and made clear the consequences. She could only follow through with those consequences if he didn't comply.
She took the video player back from the Prince, snatching it out of his hands despite all the etiquette rules she was breaking, and gave him a sickly sweet smile. "I look forward to your arguments for backing a bill to outlaw the use of torture across the Intergalactic Union at the conference today, Prince Qugrom. Truly, it is an inspiration to see someone of your stature advocating for such a noble cause."
He didn't reply as she turned around and opened the door. She was met by the intense stare of Vikram. He relaxed a little when he saw her, but neither dropped their act quite yet.
Qugrom's bodyguard showed them out in silence.
It wasn't until they were back in the elevator that Cassie allowed her shoulders to slump. "Well, that was intense."
"How did it go?" he asked, still tense even though she stood in front of him unharmed. "I was half expecting you to never come back out."
"I… I don't know," she admitted. "I mean, he said he agreed to my demands, but I don't think it was at all sincere. Also he broke the memory card, so yours is the only one, now."
"He took it off you?"
"I gave him the video player to watch. It's small."
"I see."
"It's not like I wasn't expecting him to do it, really." She shifted her weight, feeling completely off balance. "I just have no idea how that went, at all. I wish Archie was here. He would have known. He would have never been talked down to like that in the first place."
Vikram took her hand for just a second and squeezed. "You have the information, and you know what to do with it. He was just trying to save face by looking unaffected. He's backed into a corner, he knows it. He'll change his stance at the conference today."
She let out a breath and tried to push her doubts away. She'd followed Archie's plan to the tee, even if she didn't have the same negotiating skills.
It would work.
It had to.