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I swallowed hard. Lewis Bryson was threatening me.Threateningme, threatening me. It was clear as day.
I chose the following words very carefully. “I understand. But the Prestons are all over the Internet right now. Todd and Evie’s wedding was a big deal, and James and Audrey’s engagement was already in the news. There’s also tons of coverage of Mrs. Preston’s arrest. Cole and I have been in the pictures. Peopleknow who we are. It might not be the best time to make me disappear, if you know what I’m saying?”
He didn’t speak for a moment.
“I think you’re missing my point,” he said. “I don’t care about the press. I don’t care about some wedding. I care about my son’s future—a future you aren’t ever going to be a part of.”
My stomach twisted. Cole’s dadreallydidn’t like me, huh? Not that I’d held out any hopes of eventually winning him over, but still… At that moment, it was evident to me that it was never, as in never ever, going to work out for me and Cole. His family would never allow it.
I wanted to close my eyes and go back—back to before—before I knew what it meant to love someone, before I got involved in this mess, before I became a pawn in a billionaire’s game.
“I know you don’t want me with Cole, and I won’t be,” I said. “The wedding’s only a few weeks away. We can stage a breakup after that. I’ll make sure he knows I’m only coming back for the money—it’ll be strictly business. Then I’ll leave and never come back. You have my word.”
I held my breath, waiting for Cole’s father to respond. The silence stretched out inexorably. I checked my phone to make sure the call hadn’t dropped.
“Fine,” Lewis Bryson said eventually. “You have my permission to sign the contract and return to work for Cole.”
That was something. I blew out a shaky breath. “Thank you, Mr. Bryson.”
“You shouldn’t thank me yet. This isn’t for your good; it’s for mine,” Cole’s father said. “You owe me now.
Fuck.
“You’re on borrowed time. You’ll be followed. I will know everything. You will be my son’s hired date and nothing more.” He paused for a moment. “Also, you will do what I ask whenI ask. Think of yourself as my puppet, Jennifer. Everything happens for a reason, which usually has everything to do with things working out in my favor.”
He let that sink in.
“One step out of line, and your aunt’s return will be the least of your worries. Do you understand? I know who your friend is—that Audrey girl,” he said, his tone menacing.
My stomach dropped.
“I know where you work,” he continued. “And I know all about the illegal things that they’ve been getting up to at AccommoDating. If you cross me, it won’t just be trouble for you—it’ll be trouble for your friends—bad trouble, the kind you don’t bounce back from.”
I swallowed over the lump in my throat. I’d dealt with enough rich men and enough sick ones to know when one of them wasn’t playing. “Yes, Mr. Bryson. I understand. I’ll do what you ask. And when the wedding’s over, you won’t ever hear from me again.”
“I intend to keep you to that promise, Jennifer.” Lewis Bryson hung up.
I dropped my phone onto the table because I never wanted to touch it again. I’d just used it to make a deal with the devil. Cole’s father had said yes, so he could use me. My situation was getting worse by the minute, and that was saying something.
But I was going back to Cole. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
I was going back to him, but it was only for a few weeks. They would be bittersweet. Even though he’d just blackmailed me and been a total dick, I knew that wasn’t the real Cole.
I had to make the most of my time with him—if I were cold, he would be happy once I was gone. He would know I wasn’t the girl for him, and he could move on with his life. He’d be able to find somebody Daddy approved of, with a pedigree, a trust fund,and a lack of a background in prostitution—you know, basically anybody other than me.
I tried to look at the bright side. I would be Lewis Bryson’s puppet, but at least I’d be with Cole. And I could attend Audrey’s wedding and be there for my best friend. Elena wouldn’t get sued. There was also the money. A million dollars was a lot—by the end of the month, I’d be rich.
My whole life, I’d been focused on hustling, trying to make ends meet. But now I was going to be a millionaire, and I had zero fucks to give. The money would keep me off the streets. It would keep me in a warm jacket in the winter and afford me the luxury of cheeseburgers and chocolate shakes.
But it could never buy me what I wanted: a life with Cole.
I was only ever going to be his whore.
And I was just going to have to live with that.
CHAPTER SIX
cole
