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Even though Abby had to sit next to him, they ignored each other.
I chatted with Abby, Jenn, and Tina—Rafe made an occasional comment or grunt—until dinner was placed in front of us.
Nolan still hadn’t returned.
Jenn whispered, “He’ll be back as soon as possible. Bellis isn’t the easiest guy to charm, but Nolan has a way with him.”
“I still think it’s odd he demanded a meeting now.” I speared a piece of steak. “Does this kind of thing happen often?”
Jenn shook her head. “Not really. Yes, people make connections at these events. But most want to enjoy the booze, food, and entertainment and save business for later.”
I swallowed and drank some more wine. “I hope Nolan’s back before the music and dancing starts.”
But as the minutes ticked by and the servers started clearing the dinner plates and placing dessert in front of everyone, I wasn’t so sure.
Regardless, as long as Wendy didn’t show up, it’d be a success in my books.
Then a familiar voice came over the speaker system. “May I have your attention, please?”
What the hell? I searched and found her—Wendy Webster stood on the small dais at the front of the room, where charity employees had made their speeches during dinner.
My heart raced as I met her gaze.
A gaze full of malice and satisfaction.
Oh, shit. What was she going to do now?
My first instinct was to run. Then I said screw that. If Wendy tossed shit at me, I’d fight back this time. Nolan was my man, not hers.
I was done running away or fearing her.
After smirking at me, Wendy looked around the rest of the room. “I have two important announcements to make tonight, ones I wanted you all to be the first to hear.” Murmurs rose up before Wendy continued, “The first is that Nolan Drake and I have signed a deal with Matt Bellis for an adaptation of Jessie Donovan’s Stonefire Dragons series. It’s going to be the next bingeable, must-watch show and will start airing early next year.”
Even though I knew the series—it was about people who could change into dragons—I focused more on what she said about Nolan. There was no way he would’ve signed a deal to work with Wendy on anything.
But the woman in question spoke again before I could further process the news. “And the second announcement is that Nolan grew tired of lying to everyone and asked me to clear the air. You see, he was upset with me for always taking him for granted. So, to make me jealous and teach me a lesson, he hired a girl from his hometown to be his fake fiancée for six months. And the girl in question? Why, Miss Katie Evans.”
She pointed at me, and you could hear a pin drop, it was so quiet.
Although my heart pounded so hard, I was surprised it didn’t reverberate inside the room.
This couldn’t be happening. Could it?
And where was Nolan?
As if reading my mind, Wendy spoke again. “But during our talk this evening with Matt, Nolan confessed he still loved me and said the fake engagement was done.” She held up her hand to show off a ring with a giant diamond. “He wants me and always has. And my last piece of news is that our marriage will be streamed online for all to see!”
For a few seconds, I sat, stunned.
Then my brain started working again. Nolan would never agree to marry Wendy. He couldn’t stand her. Something else was going on.
You can look into that later. For now, Wendy’s here. So deal with her.
I stood and strode toward the dais, all eyes on me.
However, I didn’t care. With each step, rage churned in my belly as my heart raced and palms sweated. By the time I reached the dais, my entire body was shaking with anger.
Wendy merely raised an eyebrow and still spoke into the microphone. “Yes? If you need your payment for services rendered—I can’t remember how much Nolan promised you for this little job—I’ll take care of it later.”
