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“I work with some pretty sophisticated contractors. They’re able to gather this information in real-time. With how fast the internet moves, it’s necessary to strategize quickly. So I’d like you to do another interview—a lifestyle piece.”
I gaped at her. Bryce shielded me. Gene poured himself another bourbon, and then Iknewwe were in trouble. He was really going for it if he wasn’t waiting for the hired help to fetch his drinks. “I don’t want her to do another interview—I already told you that,” Gene said.
“I’m aware of your concerns.” Olivia’s voice was gentle but firm. “But you hired me to do a job, and this is when you need to take a step back and let me do it.”
“She”—Gene jabbed a finger in my direction—“is not a Windsor. She’s from the projects in East Boston. Her father’s unemployed, her stepmother’s a drunk—”
“Father.” Bryce stepped forward, hands clenched. “That’s enough.”
“I had her file run, son, I know who she is. And this is not how I want my family represented!”
“Not. Another. Word.” Bryce’s fists were clenched so tight, his knuckles were white.
Gene was half-drunk and obviously agitated, but he was no dummy. Bryce was twice his size. “Fine, Son, fine. Forgive me. I’m just upset because I’m used to running things. Now it seems as though nothing’s my choice.” His gaze flicked over me, then away.
“Chloe,” Bryce said without looking at me, “do you want to do another interview?”
“N-No.” I shook my head.
“Father, Chloe won’t be doing another interview. But not because you don’t want her to—becauseshedoesn’t want to do it. Are we clear?”
“I’m not taking orders from you yet.” Gene shook the ice in his glass. “If Olivia wants her to do it, she’s doing it.” He was changing his tune awfully fast; he sounded like a petulant child who was about to have a temper tantrum, fighting just to fight.
“Do you even hear yourself? You’re so off-base right now that I don’t even know what to say. Jesus!” Bryce ran his hands through his hair. “By the way you’re whining, you’d think your biggest problem was your family. But go look in the mirror, Dad. You’re your own worst enemy. Only you could piss on the thing you say you love the most, then cry when you might lose it.” Bryce grabbed my hand and stormed out. “Olivia, if you ever let him call a meeting when he’s been drinking again, I’ll fire you myself.”
“You don’t have the authority to do that,” Gene warned.
“Shutup, Father. Once you’re in jail, you’ll wish you’d stayed focused on what matters.”
By the time we got out to the golf carts, Bryce was breathing hard. “I’m sorry about that. He doesn’t want to give up control. I hope you don’t take it personally. At least, not too personally.”
“Well, hewasinsulting my person.”
She’s from the projects in East Boston.
Her father’s unemployed.
Her stepmother’s a drunk…
And of course, weeks ago, Gene had offered to pay me to get an annulment from Bryce and leave the family for good. It’s not like he’d ever been my number-one fan. I shrugged. “I didn’t have any real hope that he would turn around and welcome me to the family. But it could be a problem, couldn’t it? Because hedoesn’tapprove. He could discover the truth about our marriage if he starts digging.”
Bryce shook his head. “First of all, we’re legally married. It’s legitimate, it’s consummated, it’s all the things. Our marriage is valid in the eyes of the law and by the terms of my trust—there’s nothing he can do about it.”
He patted my thigh. “Second, he won’t find that I found you through AccommoDating. I have an airtight nondisclosure agreement. Elena cares about her business, and she has high-end, sometimes famous, clients all over the world. I’m not worried about the truth about our contract getting out. I’m more concerned that my father is spiraling and that he’s going to blow our family up. And I’m not going down with the ship—neither is my company.”
I nodded. “I know you won’t let that happen.”
Bryce was quiet as he navigated the golf cart across the lawn. “About what Olivia Jensen said. About you doing another interview, more press.”
“Yes?”
He sighed. “If she thinks it will help, I guess you should do it. I hate to put you in that position, but we’re doing all this for a reason. I have to throw everything I’ve to keep my company healthy during this storm. My father isn’t helping anything, so it’s up to us.”
I nodded, even though my heart was pounding in my chest. I didn’t want to do any more interviews—in fact, if I never had to pose for a picture again, that would be fine with me. But the images on the internet didn’t bother me as much as the taped interview. Hearing myself talk had been painful. I wasn’t someone who had ever craved attention; presenting my science project in school had literally given me hives. Ugh. But as Bryce said, we were doing this for a reason. The whole point of us getting married in the first place had been to protect his stake in the company. His motive for asking me back was because of the scrutiny his family was under due to the investigation.
I was a tool. What he was asking me to do was part of my function. I just hated it and hated that he knew that and was still asking me to do it.
“Sure.” I sounded calm, which masked the truth: I was hurt that he would put me in that position.
