Page 108 of The Truth of Us

"We can ask them to leave," he said quietly.

I looked at him, then the room, the cameras. At the people staring, then I looked back at my father.

"No."

He searched my face. "You sure?"

Absolutely not, but I smiled anyway.

"I'm tired of hiding, and that means from them too."

He smiled, and then his gaze shifted over my shoulder. His expression changed, but I could not read it. So I turned, to see what had caught his attention, and groaned.

Because the group from Northwell were here and all staring with varying degrees of shock and or amusement.

"Dad."

He didn't even attempt innocence. "Yes?"

"Why are they here?" I asked, adding as much bite to my tone as I could while keeping my smile in place.

"I invited them." He said with amusement.

I stared at him. "You invited them."

"I did."

"Why?"

He smiled, not like my polite smile or Alexander Montgomery’s practiced smile. He smiled like my father.

"Because." He reached up and adjusted a curl that had fallen near my cheek. "We're done hiding, my angel."

26

ELLIOT

Ididn't want to be here, that wasn't entirely true… I didn't want to be at a gala hosted by Alexander Montgomery while every business publication in North America speculated about why they had decided now was the time for his daughter to step into the empire.

I wanted to be wherever Harper was. Unfortunately, according to Theo, those happened to be the same place. "You look nervous."

I adjusted my cufflinks and glared at him. "I'm not nervous."

"You've adjusted your cufflinks six times."

What had Harper said about that tell of mine? Something about money and board approval? But I wasn’t looking for anyone’s approval tonight.

I looked around the ballroom for what had to be the hundredth time. The room glowed with candlelight and crystal. Waitstaff moved through the crowd with trays of champagne. Politicians, CEOs, old family names, and enough security to overthrow a small country filled the room.

And somewhere in all of it, apparently, was Harper. Theo had told me that Oliver’s family would be here tonight and ‌that should mean Harper would be with him. That made me want to get sick and growl all at the same time.

"Still looking?" Theo asked.

I ignored him. Because yes, I was… Harper had disappeared on me and now I was looking for her like I needed her for my next breath. Which was ridiculous, I didn’t need anyone…

My entire body went still, because across the ballroom, I saw him. Dark hair, and a ridiculously expensive suit. Oliver fucking Hastings. My pulse started pounding.

"What’s wrong with you?" Theo asked.