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I slide back into my seat, picking up my coffee again. From what I know of Kobe, I trust him. We sat up last night, long after the kids were in bed, with him quizzing me on my music career. Who would have thought he was such a big fan. Amelia says we went to school together at some stage, but I don't remember him. He left early to join his brother Leo, working. From what I have seen so far, he's a decent guy, and I really do think he would do whatever it took to protect us. But part of that makes it worse. I'm supposed to be the one here taking care of my family, and there is nothing I can do because it's me her father wants dead. All because she dared to marry the man she loved, instead of the man he was about to trade her to.
"I'm going to get ready for work," Amelia tells us.
"You wanna train at my gym with me today?" Kobe asks me. "Jett could use a training session, and if you're interested, I could teach you a thing or two, might help take your mind off things."
Two hours later, we have dropped the kids off at school, Millie at work, and I'm at the Rivera house in the brothers' private gym. Kobe runs through some basic sparring with me and tells me we can train in between him working with Jett and running his clubs. I don't have anything better to do with my time, so I agree.
I wipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand and drop down to the mat, chugging a bottle of water. "Here I was thinking you would go easy on me since it's my first session." My breathing is labored from trying to keep up with him, but it feels good to try something new. I think I'm going to enjoy these training sessions.
Kobe leans against the wall, barely sweating. "I was," he huffs, bringing the bottle up to his lips to take a swig of his water. "I can't wait to show you what a real fight is like." He laughs at my discomfort.
A text message pops up on my phone, and I glance at it, seeing Della's name. I'm surprised she has the guts to contact me after how we left things, but I guess Elara was her stepsister. She must be devastated after what happened to her. Maybe it's even grounded her a little. But that's a pretty big maybe.
Della:I need to talk to you. What I did with Elara wasn't my finest moment.
I read it again, wondering what she could possibly need to talk to me about.
A second message comes through.Della:Please, Heath. Meet me at the Kimpton Hotel at one. I need to apologize for what happened. Just give me five minutes.
"I need to swing by the Kimpton Hotel on our way home. My old manager wants to meet me about something," I tell Kobe. I'm not sure if I even want to go, but I do feel like there are unsaid words between us. You can't know someone for that long and just walk away without questions. I still have a few I would like answered.
He raises a questioning brow. "The manager who fucked you over?"
"The very same. Apparently, she wants to apologize."
"Well, let's pay her a visit then." He smirks, and I have no idea what he's thinking, but I'm sure interested to hear what Della has to say.
AMELIA
"Ifyougettohave so many ridiculously good-looking guys hanging around you now, the least you can do is share. You're a married woman; give us single girls a chance." Summer laughs as we make our way off the elevator and head for her desk.
"I love you too much to let you anywhere near this particular group of men. Let's find you a nice normal guy."
She takes a seat at her desk. "Oh, you're no fun, Millie," she calls to me as I pass by her desk on my way to my office.
That was one of the most cathartic lunches I have had in a long time. My friend actually has me smiling again. Since I got back from Australia, I have been dying to take her for lunch and fill her in on everything that's been going on. She has been my rock this year, and I needed her to know that no matter what my father does to my business, she will always have employment with me. Even if it means starting from scratch. And in true Summer fashion, she was one hundred percent on board and up for the crazy ride if it comes to it.
I check my phone and notice Heath must have tried to call me while it was on silent. He's left a message instead, telling me he and Kobe are on their way over to the Kimpton Hotel to meet with Della. Because she wants to apologize. That's an unexpected turn of events, but I guess good that he will truly be able to move on from that chapter in his life.
Just seeing the name of the hotel takes me back to our first night together at the reunion. Us seeing each other for the first time in years, then sneaking off to fuck outside the ballroom. Then me telling him about Connor. So much has happened since then I can hardly recognize my own life. I bet Heath feels the same.
I step through the door and freeze. "What are you doing in my office?" I stutter out, surprised as hell to see Julian sitting in my desk chair like he owns the place, the happy feelings from my relaxing lunch with Summer already disappearing as my smile morphs into a scowl.
"You haven't been returning my calls,ma belle, so I came to you." Julian smiles toward me like we're old friends.
I kick my door closed with my pumps, not wanting my entire staff to hear what I have to say to him. My heart is suddenly racing. I hate confrontation, but this man fucked me over, and he's about to get a piece of my mind. I had hoped I would never have to speak to him again after the stunt he pulled with my dad, but I guess I'm just not that lucky.
"I thought after I turned down the marriage contract you would have assumed I didn't want any contact with you anymore." Bitterness fills my tone. I let this man into my life and became friends with him, and his betrayal stings. "How dare you use me the way you did. Pretend my work was what you wanted, when all along you wanted something else from me. I was just a business deal to you."
"You're being dramatic. It wasn't like that, Amelia." His tone is cool and calm, and it makes me hate him even more. He thinks what he did isn't a big deal.
"I can't see how it could be any other way," I snap back, showing him just how dramatic I'm going to be about the whole thing.
He sits up a little straighter in my chair, pinning me with his eyes. "You and me, we make an exceptional team. Imagine what we could have created together as husband and wife."
"Nothing, because I would never marry someone who had such little respect for me. I put my life on hold to help you. And you got your collection. You thought you could buy me from my father like a piece of meat. You messed with the wrong girl. Now, if you're done fucking with my life, I have a busy day ahead of me and I would like to get on with it." I'm surprised at how strong my words are, but I have never been so angry. The events of the last month are changing me. I can't sit back and be everyone's favorite little doormat anymore, hoping and praying bad things won't happen to me. They are, and now I have to deal with it.
He stands abruptly, eating up the space between us so suddenly I think he is going to leave in a huff. But instead, his hands land on my waist as he shoves me against my office wall. My back stings from the impact. "Don't talk to me in that way," he demands, his tone deadly.
