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When Austin looked around the room for allies, he found none. Even Clarissa was watching Rowe with surprise… but not a shred of suspicion. “My god,” she breathed. “This explains so much.”
“He’s Sterling Chase, alright!” a woman near the door volunteered. “I worked the reception desk at the Coalition for Children gala just like I’m doing tonight and gave him his name tag.Andhe said he liked playing pranks on his friends!”
“Good god, ofcoursehe’s Sterling Chase,” Constance Baxter-Hicks said, managing to sound both imperious and incredibly weary of the conversation. “Why are we even discussing this? I’ve known the man for simply eons. I was friends with his mother back in Illinois—”
“Indiana,” Miranda murmured.
“You know how bad I am with flyover states,” Constance sighed. “In any case, Sterling and I are quite,quiteclose. In fact, I credit him for my new fashion evolution. We’re having lunch atJean-Georgesnext week. Bettina, dear, you’ll join us, won’t you?” She waved to a woman at a nearby table who looked delighted at the invite.
For the first time since he’d stood up, Rowe blinked uncertainly before he schooled his features back into his Sterling Chase expression and nodded politely.
I felt a brilliant smile break out on my face that I couldn’t restrain. The man was impossibly talented. Incredibly dedicated. Genuinely himself, no matter who he was impersonating. And yet he still couldn’t seem to wrap his head around how many people had fallen for him in such a short time.
Particularlyme.
Constance winked at me, and I had only a second to marvel that Rowe had been right—the woman knew a lot more than she let on—before she said in a ringing voice, “Why not ask his boyfriend. Bash, darling, you’re on the board of directors at Sterling’s company, aren’t you? Do clear up this confusion so we can move on to the dancing.”
“I can’t believe anyone would accuse Sterling Chase of lying,” I said, rising to my feet and defying anyone to contradict me. “Sterling is the purest soul I’ve ever known and the greatest adventure I’ve ever encountered. That’s what first drew me to him. That’s what made me fall in love with him. It doesn’t matter what name he goes by. Sterling Chase is the love of my life, and I’m proud to serve at his side for as long as he’ll have me.”
Over-the-top? Yes.
Cheesy romantic? Fuck, yes, and Landry’s gleeful smile told me he was memorizing every word of “Big Daddy’s” big love declaration so he could quote it back to me.
But I meant every damn word.
And when Rowe’s big brown eyes went wide and shiny, when his lower lip trembled, then curved into the widest smile I’d ever seen, I didn’t give a fuck who else was listening or what they thought.
Rowe pressed a hand to his heart, right over the pocket where only he and I knew he’d tucked a bunch of brightly colored scarves—a hint of magic, hidden just out of sight. “Sterling Chase loves you, too,” he said softly, and I took a deep breath as something deep in my soul clicked into place like the dial on a telescope, shifting my whole future into focus.
Rowe turned to Austin. “The board of directors has been concerned about you for quite some time. We’ve set up a meeting for Monday. Ask any of them.”
“Oh, yes,” Silas said, his voice rumbling ominously. “I plan to be there, Sterling.”
“Same,” Landry agreed. “Even if I have to cancel my training session with French Alex.”
I had no idea who Alex was, but Landry’s date gasped, clearly impressed.
“But that’s not— The entire board is made up of liars!” Austin insisted. “Bash and the other members aren’t who they say they are.Theyare the ones who—”
“Please, Austin.” Rowe held up a hand. “You’re only making this worse for yourself. No one here wants to listen to your ramblings. I’m sure at this point there’s nothing you wouldn’t say or do to discredit me or the company, including lying about the board of directors.”
I ran a hand over my mouth, trying to smooth away my smile. The irony was so, so sweet. Austin, the asshole who’d been lying for his own gain for months, was finally telling the truth… but no one would listen.
“It’s not just me!” Austin insisted. “Justin knows! He’s the one who told me. Justin!” He used his hand to shade his eyes from the bright lights in the room. “Justin, I know you’re here! Come tell them what you told me about Sterling Chase.”
I glanced over at the Hardy Development table, which I’d avoided looking at all night, and saw Justin Hardy looking red-faced and unhappy. Seated next to him was an attractive woman with intelligent eyes who looked eager to see what would happen next. I wondered idly if this was the woman he was supposedly marrying for her intellectual property and whether she knew what she was in for.
Justin shook his head like the Judas he was. “Austin, buddy, you must be mistaken. I have the highest respect for Sterling Chase. The company’s been nothing but helpful to me in growing my business.”
Though Silas hadn’t so much as glanced at the Hardy table, I felt that seemingly innocuous comment hit him directly in the solar plexus, and he let out a shaky breath. After a beat, he turned to Landry’s date and yanked the phone out of his hands. “Sorry, bro,” he whispered, pocketing the video evidence of the drama.
“Jesus Christ, you’re all so fuckingstupid,” Austin wailed, running his hands through his hair. “This guy isnothing, and he’s manipulating you all—”
“Enough.” I stood up from the table and moved to where Rowe stood in the middle of the banquet hall. As soon as I reached him, Rowe turned and pressed his face into my lapel. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and kissed his unruly hair, inhaling just enough of his clean soap smell to make my fists unclench. “You’ve made a mockery of this event long enough, Austin. Everyone here tonight has seen exactly what kind of person you are, and they’ve seen who this man is, too.Thisis a man whose selflessness and loyalty are unparalleled. He’s sacrificed years of his life to create Project Daisy Chain, a project that will revolutionize emergency response and make ETC look like just the beginning. And tonight, he sacrificed his privacy in an effort to protect this company. That is who Sterling Chase is. That’s who Sterling Chase was always supposed to be. And you should never have been a part of it.”
Exit music swelled, and the presenter yanked Austin off the stage with the help of two burly security guards. It took a while for the poor presenter to get the crowd under control enough to continue the awards ceremony, but by then, it didn’t matter. I’d gotten my quirky billionaire out of the banquet hall and managed to find us a convenient potted palm just off the main lobby. I dragged him behind it and wrapped him up in my arms, right where he should have been all along.
“Oh, fuck. Holy shit.” Rowe trembled slightly as the adrenaline coursed through his system. “We did it. Didn’t we? I mean, that’s it, right? You’re safe?”
