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“What do you mean?”
“The messages sound like he’s being set up! He doesn’t know you, and he doesn’t know that I told anyone else about the babies. From his point of view, it sounded like I was lying to him about everything. Like I was just trying to get money out of him.”
“Oh shit.”
“Exactly,” I said. “Listen, I’ve got to get out of here. I…I’ll talk to you later.”
“Scarlet, I’m sorry! I hope this isn’t all my fault! How was I supposed to know he would check your phone?”
“I know it’s not your fault,” I said. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
I ended the call, unable to believe my luck. No wonder Tobias didn’t want to accept my calls. He had misinterpreted everything and clearly thought I just trying to use him for money.
I had to figure out a way to let him know the truth. My hands shaking, I tried calling him yet again. But just as I expected, I got no answer.
Shit.
Not knowing where he lived, I contemplated going to his office again, but feared that would be in poor taste at a time like this. Plus, I didn’t want his co-workers to think I was some crazy woman stalking him.
A knock on the hotel room door startled me out of my thoughts. For a second, I grew hopeful that it was Tobias and that he hadn’t actually left me after all. But when I answered the door, it was the receptionist from the front desk.
“Hi, Ms. Kale!” she said, cheerfully.
“Hi…”
She bit her bottom lip nervously. “Look, I’m really sorry about this, but it’s past your check-out time already. I’ve let you stay because your boyfriend left and told me you were taking a nap. But I’m afraid if you stay any longer, you’ll have to pay for an extra day…”
“I’m on my way out now,” I said.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be rude.”
“No, it’s fine. You’ve done more than enough already by letting me stay here longer than I was supposed to. I appreciate it. Thank you.”
“No problem, Ms. Kale,” she said, smiling widely as she briefly eyed the roses behind me.
“Just let me grab my things.”
“Here, let me help you,” she offered. She took my suitcase and I took the roses, and together we headed down to the main lobby. She chatted excitedly with me the whole time, although I had no idea what she was talking about. My mind was entirely too preoccupied with what I was going to do, and how I was going to explain myself to Tobias the next time I managed to get in contact with him. With him dodging my calls though, I realized I was probably going to have to wait until he reached out to me again.
I just had to hope his heart hadn’t hardened to me by that point, because I wasn’t at all the kind of woman he obviously now thought I was.
CHAPTER 24
Tobias
“Good morning, Mr. Gentry.”
I looked up in a daze, taking a moment to figure out who was talking to me. My secretary stared at me, her expression perplexed.
I tried to force a smile, but my jaw muscles wouldn’t function. “Good morning, Courtney. How are you?” I said, my thoughts a million miles away. I had almost opted out of even going to work, not wanting the hassle of maintaining the façade that everything was fine. Yet, as the CEO, I simply couldn’t stay away too long. The fact remained though, that when I stepped into the building, it practically felt like a foreign environment after all that I had been through in the past couple days.
“I’m fine,” Courtney said, almost making me jump. I had zoned out right in front of her, nearly forgetting she was there. She tilted her head and her eyes narrowed at me. “Are you feeling okay?”
