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“My father has already put into place a plan for Moore Hotels to completely overtake Bishop Hotels…and he plans on using me to do it.”
CHAPTER 44
WINNIE
Archer watches me carefully,his shoulders not moving like he’s holding his breath, waiting for my answer. I make him wait as my mind races with what he’s just confessed.
I was still reeling from him admitting that he’s fallen in love with me when he dropped this bomb of news.
“I don’t understand,” I finally get out, my voice no more than a whisper.
His fingers dance along my skin as he caresses my cheek. “All I’ve wanted from the beginning of our marriage was for you to trust me. Now that I’m in love with you, I can’t bear the thought of not earning your trust—and keeping it. When my dad called me in this morning and I found board members of Bishop Hotels there…I immediately felt uneasy.”
I lean into his touch because the only thing that seems to keep me standing is the feel of his skin against mine. I’m trying to process how he went from him confessing his love to me to him telling me his family is planning to take everything mine has ever worked for.
“Tell me everything,” I say, not caring that my voice somewhat breaks at the end.
My dad and I have never had the best relationship. I’ve often felt like his doll to use whenever he felt it was convenient. I never wanted for anything in life, except for maybe the typicalfeeling of a family. I had my brother, but we didn’t have our parents around often. And even Tyson was busy playing the part in my father’s world of the only son, the heir to the empire created by our great-grandfather.
Archer leads me to the grand staircase and pulls us both down to sit. His knees press against mine as he grabs my hand and places it in his lap. “I’m afraid this has been his plan all along. From the moment your dad called asking for help, mine started scheming up ways to get payback on your family for what your great-grandfather did.”
I swallow, my eyes closing as I try to keep the tears at bay. “So this is all my fault,” I croak, my throat feeling clogged. If I hadn’t been so stupid to sleep with Blake, to let him use me like that, my family wouldn’t be in this position.
Archer shakes his head, squeezing my hands even tighter. “No, baby. It isn’t your fault. Please don’t think that.”
I meet his eyes, unable to hide the tear that rolls down my cheek. He focuses on it, reaching up to wipe it away. It doesn’t matter—another one replaces it as shame ricochets through my body.
“How can I not think that? If I never got involved with Blake, then my dad wouldn’t have had to make a deal with his enemy. I wouldn’t have put him in that position, and your father wouldn’t have had the opportunity to get someone from Moore Hotels on the board.” I swallow slowly, not wanting to address the elephant in the room but having to anyway. “He wouldn’t have had the chance to putyouon it.”
Archer winces like my words were a punch to his gut. I hate them, but neither of us can hide from the truth.
“I had no idea how resentful my dad still was toward your family. I, of course, knew he loved having your dad come running to him for help, but I didn’t ever expect him to do this. For him to tell me to be the one to do it after marrying you.”
All I can do is nod. If I talk too much, the tears will just keep coming, and I don’t want to cry right now. I wantto pull myself together and figure out what to do about what Archer’s telling me. “Keep going,” I prod, watching him closely.
He runs his fingers over the top of our intertwined hands, as if he has to find a way to touch me to make sure I’m still here. “The entire time, he wanted me on the board so I could make connections. With every meeting there’s been, I’ve been nothing but professional. You have to understand, I never knew taking all of Bishop Hotels was his endgame. I was hopeful that we could finally put the sordid family history behind us and work together to benefit both companies.” He sighs, looking up at the elaborate chandelier that hangs above our heads for a moment. “But it was stupid of me to not realize my dad is very intentional with everything he does. Of course, he put me on the board so they could get to know me.”
“So his plan was to use you to impress them and then what, have all of them turn on my dad?”
Archer nods, his lips pressing together in a sad, thin line. “Yes. He’s convinced them that your dad isn’t making good decisions and that if they were to hand over leadership to me, I could take Bishop Hotels to a whole new level.”
“Do you believe that?” I ask, nervous for his answer.
He sets his jaw before rubbing the back of his neck. “I think I have a lot to offer Bishop Hotels. But I need you to believe me when I say it was never, ever my intention to take it out from underneath your family. I thought our marriage would be a way for us to finally work together.”
It isn’t until he places his hand on top of my knee that I realize my knee was bouncing. I give him a sad smile. My dad would probably be so mad at me for this, but I believe Archer.
I don’t think he knew what his dad was planning, but he’s grown up the same way I have. We’ve both been raised to follow the directions of our fathers—and the one time I didn’t, it completely blew up in my face.
I’m scared to know if Archer will continue to do his father’s bidding or if his love for me changes things.
“What do we do now?” I finally get out. I scratch at my thigh, the heaviness of our situation hitting me. I felt too many things at once when Archer told me he loved me. Shock, happiness, fear, so many different emotions hit me with his confession. But it was the moment he admitted what his father was planning and the prospect of maybe losing Archer completely that solidified what I am feeling.
Despite everything, I’ve fallen in love with Archer. The one man on this planet I was supposed to guard my heart from has completely stolen it, and no part of me wants it back.
Archer raises his eyebrows, a questioning gaze on his face. “You said we. Is there still a we?” He doesn’t bother to hide the hopefulness in his tone. It makes me fall in love with him even more.
“I want there to be. I hope there is. But how do we figure this out?”
