Snow Lands on Top (book 2)

Chapter 8: Gaslighting

Coriolanus sat at his desk staring out the window at the now snowy capital. It has been the longest week of his entire life after Léo Mauvais had moved into the presidential house, along with Lucy Gray, Tigris and Grandma'am.

From the paper work to the small stabs Mauvais often made at Snow, Coriolanus was wrecked tired. Not to mention stressed out of his mind. Shockingly it wasn't the work as president that was getting to him, no that was easy, second nature at this point. No, what was getting to him was the subtle flirting Léo had done with Lucy Gray when he arrived. And worst of all, she didn't seem repulsed she it happened. Either he was insane and saw her cheeks flush a shade of pink or she really did enjoy the attention. But...no...that didn't line up with the Lucy Gray he knew at all, his down to earth, district fiancée. Unless all the capitol attention was going to her head. As unlikely as that seemed, it was a better reason than the alternative...Lucy Gray actually liking the flirting from Léo Mauvais.

Coriolanus huffed and glared out the window again, watching as the people walked by. Winter had always been his favourite season, perhaps it was the purity if the snow, or the festivities that always seemed to follow the soft appearance of the white snow. But it seemed like he wouldn't be enjoying it at all this year, even though he was meant to get married during the season. He had hoped for a normal, smooth wedding with no complications. But the more time that went on, the more Mauvais meddled, the more it seemed it was not going to go the way he so miraculously planned at all. Which pissed him off the most. Coriolanus Snow was meant to be the man always in control, the man who always landed on top...yet...lately it seemed everything was going wrong, even if he achieved his goal of presidency and his engagement to the love of his life. It all seemed wrong, too good to be true.

As he was sitting there deep in thought the door to his office suddenly opened, and in stepped Léo Mauvais himself. Coriolanus grunted and glances over at the man who he hated so much. Léo strode up to the desk, his deep gray suit shining in the white light shining through the large office window. "Ah, good morning Coriolanus. I got those lovely files done for you," he says smugly, as he tosses them into the desk, standing back and crossing his arms. Coriolanus nodded in half thanks and opened the files, the normal boring stuff staring back at him. Mauvais huffed, clearly upset by the lack of response. He leaned closer and peeked at the papers, "I saw a certain someone this morning." Coriolanus looks up confused, "who?" He asks, his eyes searching Léo's smug face for any hint of the answer. "You're lovely fiancée, and she seemed rather pleased to see me, so pleased in fact that she-" Léo says and cuts himself off, letting the tension linger in the silence. He grins evilly before turning towards the door and leaving, the door slamming shut behind him with a large bang. What in the world was that???!?