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“I know you you are, Chloe Burke.” She gave me a triumphant, if hammered, smile. “I know where you came from and all about your little arrangement. That’s what money can do, dear. It opens all sorts of doors. Nothing can hide from real wealth.”
I felt as though she’d smacked me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mumbled.
“Just stop—I know everything.” Her eyes glittered with a mixture of vodka and triumph. “So you better bevery carefulabout what you do. Come near my daughter again, I’ll expose you for the whore you are. And if my Felicia wants Bryce back, she can have him.”
I gaped at her. “He’s myhusband—”
“Like I said, quit your whining!” Mimi took a step toward me, and I promptly took a step back.
“Right now she’s lusting over that silly Finn, but she’ll come to her senses. She and Bryce were meant to be. They stand to inherit Windsor Enterprises andallof Gene’s money—including my husband’s payout to Daphne. It’s all going to come back to me in the end.” She tried to wink at me, but it came off as more of a blink. “So you stay away from my daughter. Stay out of her way and remember—you’re a nobody. I can ruin you in an instant, and I won’t think twice about it.”
She strode past me. Even though she wobbled a bit, she seemed damn sure of herself.
Heart thudding in my chest, I watched her go.
I turned back to my reflection in the mirror; I looked pale with shock.Mimi Jones knows about me.She knew I worked for the escort agency. She knew that my marriage was fake, at least in the beginning.
My whole life—Bryce’s entire life—could be blown up in an instant.
I was surrounded by enemies, people who hated me, and people who viewed me as a nuisance. I was nothing more than a prop, something they could use to get what they wanted.
Mimi’s words rang in my ear.You’re a nobody.
I felt sick inside, but I couldn’t even shed a tear.
Nobodies didn’t cry.
FOURTEEN
sure
CHLOE
Bryce was incredibly busy.As the new acting CEO, he had more authority, responsibilities, and legitimacy within the company. Because Windsor Enterprises had operations around the globe, Bryce was in meetings at all hours of the day and night. He barely slept. When I saw him, I kissed him, babied him, and admonished him to eat healthily and take care of himself.
“I miss you,” he grumbled. “We’re going to Boston Wednesday night. I’ll have to work over the weekend, but I’m taking enough of a break so that we can spend some time together.”
“Sounds great. But remember, I’m right here.” I leaned up and gave him a hug. “You can always work from the bed, you know. I’ll snuggle up next to you and won’t say a word.”
“Like I’d be able to concentrate.” He pulled me close, and the familiar heat kicked up between us. “Mmm. I have to go.” With another quick kiss, he pulled away, off to meet with the board and ensure the pending charges against his father didn’t implode the business.
I missed him, but it was good that my husband was occupied. Being Gene Windsor’s bitch kept me on my toes.
I had a lot to do.
First up was my meeting with Olivia Jensen. Even though it was early in the morning after the Nguyen’s party, she was dressed in a blue silk blouse, her hair and makeup impossibly perfect. “I understand that Gene asked you to find out more about Tate. So.” She leaned over her desk. “What do you know?”
“Not much more than you,” I lied. I’d tossed and turned all night, my head full of Mimi Jones’s threats, mixed with worries about what to report about Tate. I couldn’t tell Olivia the truth about her being an escort. That would blow up in my face, and there was already too much about to ignite in my world.
“Will you speak to Gene directly?” I asked. I was curious about Olivia’s actual relationship with her billionaire-mogul client. Did she know that he was basically blackmailing me?
“No, I won’t see him for at least another week—his visitor list hasn’t been approved yet. I’m preparing notes for his lawyers, and they’ll pass them along.” She fired up her laptop and started tapping away. “He’s indicated through the firm that he thought you would be a good point of contact for Tate because you guys are roughly the same age. But she didn’t seem too friendly toward you last night.”
I shook my head. “She doesn’t like me very much. The staff asked me to talk to her about her behavior, but she just got defensive. When I first met her, she only told me a little bit. She’s from Boston, the South End, and she met Colby at the pool club. Also, Chef caught her taking a bunch of wine and food from the kitchen. She yelled at him and was super rude about it.”
“So she’s not used to being around all this.” Olivia motioned to the house.
“It seems like that. She’s a little rough around the edges.”
