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She frowned. “You said you’d hired a couple new models with potential.”
“They’re not taking off, not getting the jobs. They’re not you. No one is.”
Harper sighed. “That’s not true, Bradley. It’s just going to take some time.”
“No,” he insisted. “It’s not. And besides, I don’t have time. We’re not bringing in enough. At this rate…the agency is going to go under before the end of the year.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. She knew that she’d been responsible for a lot of the money brought in, but she hadn’t realized she was the only thing keeping it afloat.
In the end, there was only one thing she could say.
“I’m sorry.” Harper meant it, sincerely. But she couldn’t return to a life she no longer wanted simply to save Bradley’s business. Either he found a way, or he didn’t. Ultimately, it wasn’t her responsibility.
“You’re sorry?!” Just like that, his anger was back. And it brought a couple of friends—fury and rage.
“I am.”
“No.” He walked closer to her…and for the first time ever, she felt afraid of Bradley.
Right now, she was looking at the man she’d spent almost half of her life working with and seeing the face of a stranger.
“I’m sorry,” she said again.
He laughed viciously. “No. You’re not sorry yet. But you will be.”
Was he threatening her?
“You think that restaurant has seen some trouble before this? You just wait.”
Harper froze as she considered the vandalism, the arson, the theft…
“It was you. You set the fire. You…did all the rest.”
The smile he gave her was pure evil. “Prove it.”
Her body went numb when she considered the lengths Bradley had gone to in order to keep his cash cow. The shit he’d put her through when she was juggling the modeling career and culinary school. The way he’d had a change of heart and was suddenly interested in hearing everything about the restaurant, including seeing pictures of the building and hearing about her business partner and her contractor.
“You asshole,” she said through gritted teeth. “Get out! Get the fuck out!”
She started for the door, ready to kick him out on his ass, but Bradley spun her around, grabbing her upper arms, shaking her so violently her teeth rattled.
“You’re coming back, Harper!”
He was fucking delusional. She tried to break his grip, tried to get away, but he was stronger than she would have expected.
“Let me go!”
“No!” His grip was crushing, leaving bruises.
“Get out!” she yelled again, just as she heard a knock on the door.
Thank God! Their argument must have caught someone’s attention.
“Help!” she yelled, looking wildly toward the door.
“Shut up!” Bradley released one arm, but it wasn’t until Harper turned her head back to look at him that she realized why.
Stars exploded behind her eyes as the back of his hand connected with the side of her face. Her neck twisted so hard, she feared she had whiplash.
