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“Nicky?” The woman attempted to look surprised, but Nicky knew better. This woman never did anything by chance. She had obviously heard that Mitch Stone was launching his new novel at the bookstore.
“Hello, Gill,” Nicky said with a dry tone. “What brings you to my store?”
“Your store?” Gill pretended to be surprised. “I thought this store belonged to my fiancé.”
“Sorry?” Nicky’s heart sank.Surely she doesn’t mean Mike?“For now, I co-own this store with—”
“Mike Sullivan,” Gill finished for her. “My fiancé.”
“Your fiancé?” Nicky looked at her in disbelief. “Mike is the man you gushed about nearly every day for the past year?”
“Yes, darling.” Gill gave her a syrupy, sweet smile that Nicky recognized all too well. It was the smile Gill used when she was toying with someone. Nicky’s heart raced, and she felt a wave of nausea wash over her as she realized she had allowed herself to get caught in another lying, cheating man’s web. She gritted her teeth and forced herself not to show how torn apart she felt inside.
“Well, Mike isn’t here right now,” Nicky replied, trying to keep her voice steady. “He’s still in Miami.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Gill said. “He wanted me to ensure everything was ready for his book launch.”
“Yes, I have everything ready,” Nicky said through clenched teeth, her hands curled into tight fists at her sides.
“Where are his books?” Gill glanced around the store.
“Mike asked me not to put them out until he got here,” Nicky informed her. “He wants to set them out himself.”
“Oh! That man.” Gill rolled her eyes dramatically. “He’s so particular about his book launches.”
“Sorry?” Nicky frowned. “I wasn’t aware that Mike had done a book launch before.”
“How do you think he launched his last mystery novel?” Gill gave her a strange look. “I think it was more his good looks that sold two million copies of his book, though.”
“Excuse me?” Nicky felt shock zinging through her as Gill’s words began to sink in.
“It must be so weird for you,” Gill continued. “You know, being the one who turned down his book and wrote that scathing review when it was published by another publisher.”
Mike was Mitch Stone?Nicky’s breath caught in her throat, and the world seemed to sway beneath her. She swallowed and forced herself to breathe, digging her nails into her palms to keep from passing out in shock.
“I’m not the one...” Nicky began to protest.
“That was you?” Mike’s voice had her spinning around.
“Mike!” Nicky exclaimed as she met his stormy gaze, him standing there glaring at her.
“Oh, hello, darling,” Gill exaggerated the term of endearment as she walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. She then turned to look smugly at Nicky. “You didn’t know Nicky was the editor who turned your book down and then nearly tanked it with her review?”
“What?” Nicky stared at Gill in disbelief, her emotions running wild.
Mike’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Was that you?” he asked again, not taking his eyes off her. “You worked for Paper Tree Publishers?”
“Yes,” Nicky nodded. “But I wasn’t the—”
“Oh my goodness,” Gill gasped. “Nicky, how could you keep something like that from Mike?” She feigned shock.
“Did you know I was Mitch Stone all along?” Mike ignored Gill.
“No!” Nicky rasped, her anger and hurt building up.
Anger surged through her, the pain of betrayals mixing with the heartache, and she felt it igniting within her. She glanced at Gill. “If we’re keeping score of who kept the most secrets—” She shot a pointed look at Gill, her voice vibrating with rage. “You’re way ahead of me there.”
“Okay, I’m here!” Harry rushed through the door. “You can te—”
