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She tilts her head to the side, crossing her arms in front her chest as she asks: “Getting what wrong? That you’re a drug dealer who is trying to save his ass from being jailed like his drug dealing father?”
“I’m not a drug dealer,” I say, clearing my throat before I add: “Not anymore. I left the business years ago, long before we met and long before—”
“So you’re saying,” she interjects. “But youweredealing with drugs? Your entire family is?”
I sigh. “I’m not proud of it, but yes, that’s what I grew up with, and yes, that’s—in part—how I accumulated my wealth, at least in the beginning. The real money, the big money, comes from investments-”
“Investments made with dirty money,” she maintains.
I nod. “Yes. But that’s exactly what I’m trying to get away from.”
“By lying?”she asks. “Why do you need this fake fiancéecharade if you’re already doing so well with the money rolling in from your ‘investments’?”
She pins me in place with an interrogative stare, and I realize that there is now way out of this. I will have to tell her, if I don’t want to lose her—and our deal.
“There’s this housing project, financed by Sunderhand Enterprises,” I begin. “It’s a very prestigious project, very high-scale financially and from a philanthropic aspect. But the circle of investors is very restrictive and reserved for members of the Vanguard Society. Being a member with them isarequirement to be consideredas a partner in this.”
A frown appears on Kat’s face. “And those elitist monkeys don’t let you play with them if you don’t have a wife? What kind of circus is that?”
I can’t help but chuckle at her choice of words.
“You’re right, it is ridiculous,” I agree, hoping to smooth the waters a little bit. “But it is what it is. And from the looks of it, it’s been working so far. Those guys out there, Mr. Briggs and Mr. Meyer, have never talked to me the way they did tonight. And with the way you dazzled Mrs. Meyer it’s just a matter of—”
“No, I won’t go back in there,” she insists.
A sudden coldness hits me at the core, as I regard her with an incredulous stare.
“You signed a contract,” I remind her.
She shakes her head. “Under false pretenses. I had no idea what I was agreeing to.”
False pretenses? Is she serious right now?
I can’t think straight. She can’t leave. Not now, not ever. I need her.
“You knew very well what–”
“No, Logan, I didn’t!” She cuts me off, hurriedly wiping away her tears. “I’m leaving. And if you try to stop me, I’ll run back into that hall and tell everyone in there who you truly are. I bet none of those stuck up bigwigs wants to do business with a drug dealer, once they realize all you did was dish up polished lies to make yourself look better. Do you really want that to happen?”
Her face is fiery red as she glares up at me, while pointing at the door behind my back.
“Are you trying to blackmail me?” I ask.
“Trying?”she retorts. “Iamblackmailing you. You don’t leave me another choice. Now let me go!”
She yanks my jacket off of her shoulders and shoves it into my hands, before she makes a move to squeeze past me and get inside.
“Kat, please,” I try to grab her upper arm, but she tears herself free with such a violent move that I let go off her immediately.
I have to let her go. Her words are more than empty threats, I can see that in her eyes. And I can’t risk her running back into the hall and ruiningeverything for me.
“Where would you even go?” I ask, when her hand is already on the doorknob. “And how? Let me at least ask Christopher to drive you home.”
She pauses, sighing audibly before she casts me a wary look.
“Fine, yes,” she breathes.
She opens the door and pauses for a moment. Holding the door open with her food, she begins fidgeting with her hands. And before I realize what’s going on, she turns back to me and throws the ring on the floor before my feet.
