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It was still the only thing Pippi was capable of thinking.
Realizing that she was the only one able to function normally at the moment, Millicent quickly took charge and ushered both women away. The crowd around them was noisy as ever, and the looks on their faces made them seem like they were on a high.
Losers,Millicent thought without rancor.
They were only on her side because someone else had done the right thing for them, and when the proverbial axe inevitably fell, that someone else would also be the only one to suffer.
Both her mother and the younger woman -Pippi Jones,Millicent finally recalled - still seemed to be in shock, with neither protesting as Millicent bundled the two in the backseat of her car. It was only when she had driven them to a cafe and they were cozily ensconced in a booth that reality once again started setting in.
Mrs. Longbourn was the first to recover, and Millicent's heart felt fit to burst with joy when she saw the older woman's face break into a smile.
"That wasglorious."
Millicent couldn't help smiling back. "I told you, didn't I?"
"I always thought being decent was the right thing to do..."
"Only with decent people like you. But those three wereassholes—-"
Mrs. Longbourn started to protest but thought better about it and nodded instead. Her daughter was right. Theywereassholes, may God forgive them.
Millicent turned to their unexpected savior, whose face was beginning to regain color. "It's you, isn't it?" she asked candidly.
"Excuse me?"
"The woman Acheron's secretly dating."
Oh.
Pippi quickly got rid of any expression on her face. "I'm afraid you're quite mistaken."
But this only had the other woman smirking. "You can't fool me, hon, and while the thought of dear beautiful Acheron belonging to someone else makes me jealous as hell..." Her shoulders moved in a philosophical shrug. "Better you than some undeserving bitch, and after today, I can certainly see why he'd fall for you."
"I'm really not what you think I am," Pippi asserted doggedly.
"How very reliably tactful of you," Millie commented with genuine admiration. "In any case, thank you for being my knight in a blue dress, and I do hope you'll remember to invite me to your wedding."
"I'm afraid you're quite mistaken, Ms. Longbourn. I'm truly no one to Mr. Simonides." Or at least she used to be someone to him. But things had changed.
This time, Millicent didn't miss the way Pippi's lips trembled, and her lips pursed in a mixture of surprise and regret.Oh, Acheron. What have you done?
****
PIPPI'S DECISION TOcome to Millicent Longbourn's defense had once again turned her into a hot topic among the employees of Simonides, Inc. and the news eventually found its way to the dining room at Acheron's penthouse, where the billionaire was having lunch with Wickham and Amelia.
"Do you see now," Amelia murmured sadly. "People who love us only end up getting hurt—-"
"Ms. Jones came to someone else's rescue," Wickham couldn't help pointing out irritably. "How does that constitute her being hurt?"
"Because there's always a fallout when things like this happen," Amelia answered complacently. Turning to Acheron, she said softly, "It's the truth. You know it is. Don't you?"
The billionaire didn't answer, but Amelia was unperturbed. The way Acheron's face had hardened was enough to tell Amelia her words had hit its mark.
Back in his hotel, Acheron lay on his back, staring unseeingly in the dark.
People who love us only end up getting hurt.
And even though a part of him didn't want to fucking acknowledge it, he knew that Amelia's words had been the truth. It wasn't in Pippi's nature to interfere in such a way - his little blusher was usually a lot subtler than that - but whatever her reason was, he was damn certain it had something to do with him.
