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Annabelle groaned, dropping onto the cushioned stool of her vanity. She shouldn’t be surprised.Houston Societypretended they were a classy magazine, but they were nothing more than a tabloid with zero journalistic integrity. They catered to readers who gorged on details of the controversies afflicting local celebrities and politicians and relished every misstep in the public eye.
“Who wrote the article?” she asked with trepidation.
“Tina Mae.”
Double groan. That horrible woman was the worst one, and after they had a run-in years before, she and Annabelle had a hate-hate relationship. Tina was like a vulture who circled the carcasses of prominent personalities for clicks on a website. Annabelle couldn’t stand her and dreaded knowing what she’d written.
“What did she say?”
Lacey looked down at her phone. “The headline reads: Dante Escarra and Annabelle Buchanan Are Back Together, But Will The Relationship Last?” She paused. “Do you want me to continue?”
Annabelle placed a tight-lipped smile on her face. “Yes,” she replied, though irritation clogged her throat and threatened to suffocate her.
Her friend continued. “Dante Escarra, Houston’s top commercial real estate developer, might soon be taken off the market by none other than the princess of Buchanan & Buchanan Properties, his ex-wife, Annabelle Buchanan. The couple tied the knot in their early twenties but went their separate ways after a brief marriage. Now, ten years later, they’re back together. When the oh-so-hot-and-spicy Dante?—”
“Really? Did she have to say all that?”
“You know how she is,” Lacey said with a one-shoulder shrug. “When the oh-so-hot-and-spicy Dante isn’t crushing his competition in commercial real estate, he’s wining and dining his way between the thighs of some of the most glamorous women in the country.”
“Oh my goodness!” Annabelle exclaimed.
Lacey grimaced. “I know. She’s horrible. Let me skip some of this. Um, let’s see… Oh, here we go. She talks about the engagement party: This very weekend, the couple is throwing an engagement party to announce to the world that they’re giving love another chance. We don’t know why the couple divorced the first time, but it seems they haven’t lost that loving feeling. Will the relationship last? Only time will tell, but we sincerely hope they aren’t destined for another heartbreak. The?—”
“Enough.” Annabelle rubbed her temple.
“You’re missing the best part, though it’s not great.”
“I don’t think I want to hear anymore.”
“Trust me, you want to hear this.”
Annabelle blew out a breath and then motioned for her friend to continue.
Lacey cleared her throat. “Could it be Princess Annabelle regrets her past decision? After all, Señor Escarra is a billionaire now, worth more than he was when they originally married and more than she is now.”
“I should sue that bitch,” Annabelle muttered.
The first time she and Dante married, the magazine took great pleasure in pointing out their financial differences. At the time, Dante owned one property—a three-bedroom home he lived in with five other men. No one thought he deserved her, and there were whispers of her marrying down. How ironic the same media was now suggestingshewas the one marrying for money.
Lacey put her phone in her purse. “What happens in a year when you divorce Dante? There’s going to be a scandal, and of course Tina Mae will be leading the charge to dissect your second divorce. Not to mention, your father will be disappointed.”
Annabelle crossed her arms. “I don’t care what other people think. As for my father, he’ll be so impressed by my performance at the company, losing Dante as a son-in-law won’t matter.”
“I hope you’re right. I hate being a Negative Nellie right now, but I have to ask this last question. Aren’t you worried Dante might try to double-cross you?”
A burst of laughter escaped Annabelle’s lips. “Of course. I know my husband, and he can’t be trusted. We agreed to sign a prenuptial agreement, which includes him never getting his grubby hands on my company.” She swiveled on the stool and examined her face in the large round mirror on the vanity. She should have gotten a facial but didn’t have time in between running errands today.
“Ex,” Lacey said behind her.
“What?” Annabelle frowned at her friend in the mirror.
“Ex-husband.” Lacey arched an eyebrow.
“What did I say?”
“You said ‘husband.’”
“Oh.” Annabelle shrugged. “Slip of the tongue.”
