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Sourness creeps over my tongue. I don’t know how those words came out. But now they have, I can’t take them back. The thought has been plaguing me. I’m afraid to know the answer. Logan swears his dad didn’t interfere years ago. And I’m starting to believe him. Drew has always told me the same. It’s like they both know something. Yet, they won’t give me any evidence to prove it. They expect me to take their word for it.
Can I change everything I’ve based so many decisions on? What if I’ve been wrong all these years? I still would have wanted nothing to do with Logan after the way he scared people away from me and was an immature asshole. But would I have hated him so much? Would I have wasted so much energy?
Mum says hate is like drinking poison yourself and expecting the other person to die. It’s an emotion that only takes. Strips you of happiness, of peace.
I never realized that hating Logan Rich all these years meant that I was at war with myself.
“You want the truth, full disclosure?” Logan’s green eyes blaze into mine, the flames from the candles on the outdoor dining table sending shadows cascading over the planes of his freshly shaven face.
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t,” I say, less sure of my words than I sound.
“He’s never used money as far as I know. And I’m pretty damn certain.” Logan’s jaw tenses. “But recently, he’s… been pushing for certain things. He’s telling me it’s for the good of the business and the family. For our future. He’s implied we’ll be ruined if I don’t agree. But—”
“But?” I whisper, a sickness clawing up my windpipe at the guarded expression taking over his face.
“But I don’t believe him.” He groans, dropping his head back to stare at the sky again. “My family are multi-billionaires, Mads. You don’t lose that kind of money from one failed project. Even if I couldn’t secure the funding on this trip, we’d still have the other parts of the business running. All the cars, the yachts, the jets. Just one would still make us billions a year.”
“Wow.” I gulp a large mouthful of my wine, welcoming the warmth it brings to my chest and the lightness to my head. I can’t fathom that kind of money. My family do well, especially Drew. But this is billions.
“I know he’s not telling me something.” Logan drags his head back up and his eyes meet mine in a penetrating gaze. “He’s never not told me everything. That’s why when I tell you he didn’t bail me out years ago, I know he didn’t, because he’d have admitted it when I asked him.”
“But you think he’s hiding something now?”
He looks away as he drains his wine glass, then immediately refills it.
“What is it? What’s he pushing for?” I ask.
“A company merger.”
“Oh. Isn’t that a normal thing to consider? I thought you had lots of partnerships with different manufacturers and—”
“By marriage.”
I recoil instantly, my tongue seeming too big for my mouth and preventing me from speaking.
“He wants me to marry Gabrielle.”
I stare at him. I’ve met Gabrielle twice growing up at various parties the Riches have thrown. Her dad owns a large manufacturing company.
“I thought she was a doctor?” My voice comes out hoarse, and I frown at the wine in my glass like it’s the culprit before placing it down on the table.
“She is.” Logan swirls the remaining wine in his glass around in a circle, watching it. “She was working abroad, but now she’s back to stay.”
“What does she think about your dad’s idea?”
Logan’s still focused on his glass. “Same as me. She laughed. Then told her dad not to be ridiculous.”
“You don’t want to marry her, then?”
He shakes his head with a humorless laugh.
“Why are you laughing?” I knock back the rest of my wine, my skin prickling as irritation spikes in my core.
His laugh trails off. “I wouldn’t be fucking about with you if I wanted to marry someone else.”
“Fucking about with me?That’s what you call it?” There’s a sting in my tone as his darkened eyes meet mine.
“All right, what wouldyoucall this?” He lifts a finger from his wine glass and motions it between us.
