Back at her house, Cynthia pours me a tall glass of wine. I’ve already explained Miles and my entire encounter twice, but still she asks me, incredulously, “You told him no?”“Of course I did. I don’t need to tell you again how much of a bad idea it is for me to be spending any more time with Miles
To obtain extra money, I need more hours, so I plan what I’m going to say to Mr. Carver as I drive to the country club my next workday.I had to take off a couple of days, both because my body aches, and out of respect for Mr. Carver and Paige who both texted me to tell me if they saw me on the coun
“Is this the woman you were telling me about, Mr. Carver?” Hugo asks, while I’m frozen in shock looking at him.He’s around my age, dressed well in a cashmere sweater and dark pants. His blonde hair is cut short and perfectly styled. His eyes are the color of warm chocolate that, coupled with his so
“Now,” I say, once we are settled. “Tell me what you envision for your event.”“I’m not terribly particular about it, honestly,” Hugo says. “Mr. Carver talked me up back there, but truly, an event like your regular golf tournaments would be fine. We’ll have roughly a hundred people. I can provide an
Surprised as I am by Hugo’s request, I have no reason to refuse, so I don’t.For the next week, behind the scenes, I plan Hugo’s event. He sends the guest list over as requested. Aside from one shellfish allergy, the list itself is fairly straightforward. I recognize many of the names as anchors of
“Arguing, more like,” I say.“Any exchange of words is a good one, per their mother.”I hum. “You are a good man, to try to accommodate them.”“It’s for their mother’s sake.” He laughs lightly. “I’m no hero, Esther. Not in this. I just want to stay on their mother’s good side.”“Who is their mother?
“This chick actually thinks she can win?” one of the guests snickers as I head back to the golf cart where Hugo sits behind the wheel. “Honey, prepare to have your mind blown.”When I sit in the passenger side, Hugo glances at me. “You’ve picked a… different way of handling this.”“Without security,
I motion toward them now. “As per our challenge, you will now apologize to these country club employees and then see yourselves off the premises without further issue.”“Now, see hear,” said the loudest of the rude guests.Hugo comes to stand beside me. Crossing his arms, he glares at each of the gu
“We should watch the rest,” I tell him, though my voice is shaky. “No,” Miles says, more firmly. I breathe a sigh of relief. For my job, I know we have to hear it. But personally, I would like to go the rest of my life without even thinking about Edward Zimmer again. “The numbers are already u
Edward’s response comes in the form of a video message. Crystal set it up on the television on the wall, while Miles and I huddle closer to the screen. Miles holds tightly onto my hand. “Whatever happens. Whatever he says. We will stand against him and we will win,” he says. I believe him. Last
How could I say anything but yes? A thousand times over, yes, yes, yes. I’ve tried so hard since that first night, sleeping with Miles while thinking him a call boy, to not fall in love with him. Yet, as hard as I tried not to, my heart kept pulling me straight back to him. My love for Miles is so
We hold the press conference in front of the headquarters, setting up a podium outside the double doors. The news media organizations have been notified, so they send reporters and cameramen, who have set up around the podium. The release we sent out already told them that the conference would be
Later, I’m going to have to have a meeting and call in all the employees to discuss this. Their care is appreciated, but I need to be able to do my job. For now, though, it seems as if Crystal gets the hint. With a shallow nod, she continues her report. “Mr. Zimmer has been quiet since the inter
Garnar, knowing I was giving a difficult interview tonight, offered to watch the kids. Since they are at Garnar’s house, I expected the house to be empty when I finally returned. Instead, I see Miles’s car parked in my driveway and the additional security staked out around the premises. It’s a rel
Jean was warned about the story, but she still gasped. My eyes went a little wide. We came here to talk about this, but Daphne’s direct wording leaves me speechless. Daphne didn’t come here just to tell a story. She was ready to reveal her truth, once and for all. “Esther and I were victims,” Da
In the Harbinger HQ, in one of the studio sets arranged to look like a fancy living room, Daphne and I sit side by side on a white couch, facing an interviewer, a woman interviewer named Jean, who sits on an arm chair facing us. The setting is intimate, and Jean is a kind, middle-aged woman, who i
“Miles…” Emotion overflows within my heart. There are so many things I want to say, to express – my gratitude, my own affections, explanations about why this has been so difficult for me to accept – yet in the moment, everything gets tangled up in my throat. “Miles…” My tears fall from my chee