Evan removes his jacket, putting it over my shoulders.
“You should tell your parents,” he insists.
“What good will that do?” I ask him.
“Possibly end your engagement to a man you don’t love?” he suggests.
“It’s written all over my face isn’t it?” I ask him.
“You’ve been less than enthusiastic, don’t get me started on Athena’s tirade about how you don’t seem the least bit interested in this wedding,” Evan admits.
I look down at the ring on my finger.
This has to end.
No matter what Elizabeth is threatening me with.
“Tins, just go upstairs to bed, get some rest. You’ll feel better in the morning,” Evan tells me.
The limo stops at my parents’ building on Columbus Circle.
“Okay,” I nod to him. “Thank you, by the way, for coming to my rescue,” I tell him, and give him a kiss on the cheek.
“It was all my dad,” Evan tells me. “He heard you screaming. I was about to go inside, and then I just had a feeling. When I saw you struggling with Connor, I just lost it!” he admits.
Then, he gives me a look.
“I guess Dad lost it even more, huh, Tins?” he says, with an evil wink.
I shove him.
Then, I hug Evan and get out of the limo.
I walk inside in a daze, ignoring the doorman and everything else around me until I’ve safely locked the door to my room.
Then, I realize I’m still wearing Evan’s jacket.
I shrug it off, only to realize that this is Noah’s jacket!
The one he was wearing.
Why would Evan be wearing Noah’s jacket?
My intuition tells me to check the pockets, and there’s a napkin with April 14 - 10:08 AM written on it.
Noah.
He wants me to go to him.
So, I will.
37
Noah
April 14, 2017
Tinsley arrives at precisely 10:08, and I watch as Lucius works his magic on his computer.
He pauses the security feed and loops it before Tinsley enters the frame.
Everything is seamless, and when she knocks at the door, I run to let her in, closing it behind her before yelling to Lucius.
“Okay do it!” I order.
“Got it,” Lucius replies in a calm voice.
He plays back the security feed, and it looks as though she was never here.
“Brilliant,” I smile at him.
“I’ll go check with security to make sure it worked,” Lucius lets himself out.
“What was all that about?” Tinsley looks bewildered.
“Why am I here?” she asks.
“You’re not, exactly,” I explain to her.
“I needed to see you, and I’m not willing to let Elizabeth win this round. I refuse to bow down to that woman,” I say.
“So we’re tricking her?” she asks.
She looks downright scared for a moment.
“No, we're just being extra cautious. In case she has an in with the building security, this way she’ll never know if we’re together or not,” I explain.
“And there aren’t more cameras?” she asks.
“Lucius has gone through the penthouse thoroughly. There’s nothing left,” I tell her.
“Oh, Noah!” Tinsley throws herself into my arms, sobbing with relief.
“I can’t do it! I can’t marry that man! Not after last night!” she cries.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” I comfort her.
“You’ve got to tell your parents what happened. I’m sure they will understand if you want to end everything after that little scene,” I say, hopefully.
As though I don’t need to urge her any further, Tinsley nods in my arms, looking up at me with her tear-stained cheeks.
Connor is a monster.
I won’t allow him anywhere near her if I can help it.
This changes the game, completely.
“But I’m afraid they won’t believe me. He’s so convincing, that man,” Tinsley sniffs.
I can tell she doesn’t think her that her parents will see this her way.
“Just end it with him, explain later,” I offer.
“But… but…” Tinsley begins sobbing again.
“Olivia threatened to ruin you financially if I ended my engagement,” she confesses.
This makes me roar with laughter, causing Tinsley to pout.
“Tinsley, don’t worry about my wretch of an ex-wife. She’ll forget all about me once she finds her next husband,” I say.
I kiss her cheek.
Tinsley looks at me with her beautiful wide eyes.
“She was very serious Noah!” she says.
Tinsley is convinced that Olivia has the power to ruin me.
I no more believe that than I believe Elizabeth will ever give me the location of my daughter.
Olivia is nothing compared to me.
She is a speck of dust in my eyes, something to ignore.
“Olivia has no power over me,” I tell her carefully, wiping the tears away from her eyes. “Don’t hold back on ending this. Is that what you’re worried about? Olivia?” I ask.
Tinsley nods.
“Come here,” I bring Tinsley over to the couch and pour her a drink to settle her nerves.
“Listen to me, the only thing we have to worry about is Elizabeth. As long as she has nothing to suspect we are together, we will be fine,” I assure her.
“And what about her! She’ll ruin me!” Tinsley shakes as she takes a sip from her glass.
“I will ruin her before that happens,” I say, confident that I certainly can make that happen.
I have a plan in mind, but to do that I need Corban’s help.
Corban hasn’t been picking up his phone today.
This worries me.
“This is so fucked,” Tinsley runs a shaky hand through her hair. “Why don’t we just run away? Leave? Never come back!” she cries.
Her desperation is sudden.
“As much as I would love to do that, Tinsley you and I both understand that we need to handle this, like adults,” I reply.
“Adults run away! All the time!” Tinsley tries to reason with me.
“You can do this,” I tell her calmly. “You can end it,” I say, holding her hand.
“Okay, okay, Noah,” Tinsley nods, my voice soothing her.
“But promise me you’ll take me away, anywhere, after all of this is finished,” she urges.
I cannot say no to this woman.
“We’ll go to Fiji. I promise we’ll go to Fiji. Just you and I,” I promise.
Tinsley closes her eyes, and I watch her inhale slowly.
“That sounds amazing, Fiji, just us?” She looks up at me. “For however long we want?”
“We can stay, however long you want to stay. We will be free, of all of this,” I say, waving my hand around.
I don’t know how exactly we’re going to figure this out, but I know that I won’t go down without a fight.
Elizabeth will burn for what she’s done to me.
38
Tinsley
April 15, 2017
This Saturday is precisely one week before our wedding.
I can’t bring myself to think about what might happen if I don’t go through with ending it.
The night Connor was forceful with me, he scared me, and I want no part of this.
Nothing is stopping me this time.
So, I ride back up to Connor’s office in elevator, alone, biting my nails, as I don’t know how he’s going to take it.
This is the best possible solution, to do it in his office where he can’t possibly try to strangle me.
If he throws himself into a rage, there are too many people around for him to hurt me.
Noah offered to come, but I told him no.
I have to do this alone, for myself.
Almost losing my father
a few years ago taught me something and it's this: that you never know how short life is going to be, and you can’t spend it catering to the whims of other people.
My refusal to marry him stems from that fact.
I refuse to be the woman used by my father, Connor, and anyone else, any longer.
No one will use me.
I am my own person.
The receptionist recognizes me immediately, and calls Connor.
He comes into the room, and I escort him to a corner, away from the reception desk.
“We need to talk,” I tell him, “And it can’t wait.”
He doesn’t look like he feels a shred of guilt over what happened.
“Alright, come on, I’ve got thirty minutes for lunch,” he snaps.
“No. In your office,” I respond forcefully, “I don’t have time for lunch,”
Connor sighs.
“Alright, come on,” he says.
Connor leads me into his large corner office, on which sits one of our engagement portraits.
I put the picture face down.
“What’s on your mind?” he asks.
“You were out of control,” I begin.
“I was drunk. I’m sorry,” he replies.
“That’s not an excuse! When a woman says no, you stop,” I tell him.
“Oh, come on, Tinsley! I wasn’t going to do anything. Relax,” he looks at me, honestly feeling no remorse.
“I can’t do this. I can’t marry you,” I just say it.
“That’s just fine. I can’t marry you either. There’s someone else,” he says as he sneers at me. Though I find it interesting, that you just came to me now. Could you sense it? That there’s someone else for me, but you’re all alone?” he asks.
“Connor, stop it,” I warn. “Let’s just agree that this is over. We aren’t getting married.”
“We’re not getting married,” he repeats, like a robot.
All these months of heartache over a man I have no feelings for, and he has about as much emotion as my father does when he finds out someone in our extended family died.
Connor just doesn’t care.
Quite honestly, I find his reaction peculiar.
“You can have this back now,” I place the ring on his desk.
“You’re serious about this?” he stares at me. “You seriously aren’t going to marry me?”
“How could you not take me seriously? Connor, I mean it,” I say.
I click my tongue in disgust.
“Did you seriously think I was kidding?” I repeat, astonished.
“If this is about the limo, I promise it won’t happen again,” he says.
He seems a little sincerer this time.
“But we are going to have sex eventually; you realize that right?” he smirks.
“No,” I tell him flatly. “We aren’t getting married. You just said it yourself; there’s someone else!” I say, my voice rising a notch.
“What if that was a lie?” he asks in a snide tone.
“Well, it wasn’t,” I shake my head at him.
“You’ve been sleeping with someone else because I know you haven’t been sleeping with me. You expect me to believe any different when you just told me so?” I ask, incredulous.
“So! She’s not you. You’re the woman I need to marry,” he tells me.
“What’s it going to take? How much do you want?” he asks.
I blink a few times, wondering if he’s saying what I think he’s saying.
“I’ll change the prenup if you want, I’ll pay you to go through with the damn thing, I’ll do whatever you want Tinsley,” his voice is pleading now.
“But you can’t leave me; you can’t do this. You need me, as much as I need you,” he pleads.
“I don’t need you for shit,” I tell him calmly. “All the money in the world, wouldn’t be enough to make me marry you!” I yell.
Then, I leave his office and shut the door behind me.
When I get home late that night, after shopping and a friendly drink with Athena, my parents are acting quite strange.
“Well… I just can’t believe this,” says Mother.
She is speaking to someone on the phone.
“I haven’t seen Tinsley yet, but I’m sure she understands. Do you know if they spoke?” she asks.
Mother sees me walk in the door.
“Oh, she’s here, I’ll call you back,” she says, and hangs up the phone.
She wraps me up in her arms.
“Tinsley, dear! I’m so sorry! Julian Bradford just broke the news that Connor broke off the engagement. Are you alright?” she asks, concerned.
I snort.
“I never wanted to marry him in the first place, Mother,” I say.
“Tinsley!” my mother scolds me, even though she knows it’s true.
“It doesn’t matter anyway; the Bradford’s have agreed to split the costs of the wedding since it’s no longer happening. Are you sure you’re okay?” she asks, again.
“Mom, I went to him and ended it myself,” I confess.
I am blunt and bold, free from this cumbersome engagement I never wanted.
“If Connor wants to spin it his way, let him. I don’t care,” I tell her.
“You did what?” My mother drags me towards my bedroom, so my father doesn’t hear.
“You broke it off?” she whispers.
“What choice did I have mother? I couldn’t marry a man I didn’t love. I couldn’t. Not when-” I start.
She puts a hand over my mouth.
“Shhh!” she says.
“Do not tell your father. Your father is under the impression that Connor ended this. Let him believe it, or he will go ballistic. We can’t have him having another heart attack,” she says, firmly.
“Okay,” I throw my hands up.
“As I said, it doesn’t matter to me; it only matters what-” I begin again.
She cuts me off.
“Of course it matters!” she hisses. “It looks as though you were dumped at the altar! How are you not upset by this?”
“Hello!” I whisper back fiercely. “Are you missing the part where I told you I did not want this wedding to begin with!” I ask, seething.
“Shhh,” Mother shushes me, again.
“When your father asks, you must act upset and confused, none of this nonsense about not wanting to marry him. Of course, you wanted to marry him, he’s the love of your life!” she covers my mouth.
For a long moment, I stare at my mother, before I remove her hand.
“I refuse to be upset about this; I’m pretty sure Dad knows the exact degree of my indifference,” I say.
Just then, my father enters my bedroom.
“Well, Tinsley, my dearest daughter, you managed to end it with Connor!” he says, shouting. “He was so unhappy with you, he called it off!” he roars. “Are you proud of yourself Tinsley!”
I have no words.
Instead, I hang my head in mock shame because this is only thing that will stop him going on a tirade.
“Luckily, I can probably fix this,” he shakes his head. “You will be getting married on Saturday, mark my words,” he promises.
There’s no way I’m going back to Connor.
No way.
“He tried to force himself on me!” I scream at my father. “You want me to marry him now?”
“I don’t care! You have a man; you do what you need to do to keep him! Now everything’s a mess!” he yells.
He yells at my mother and me, then he turns to her.
“You should’ve taught her better,” he growls.
Taught me better?
As to what?
How to keep a man happy?
I know how to keep my man happy, and that man is Noah Stone.
“That’s it. I’m done with this,” I shout.
Grabbing my sweater, I storm out on both my parents.
I can hear my father screaming as I close the door behind me.
39
Noah
April 22, 2017
I had accepted that Tinsley was getting married and moving on without me.
A large part of me wasn’t willing to let her go, however, so Lucius kept an eye on that bastard of a man they called her fiancé for all that time.
I promised that woman that I wouldn’t let our relationship get in the way of the friendship we once shared together, and I tore myself apart to keep my promise.
She teetered between the brink of going through her wedding, which would have been today, or calling it off.
The fact that neither of them could go through with the wedding this weekend is a relief to me.
I wake up in the morning and realize that my personal hell is not happening.
Tinsley isn’t getting married!
There is still a chance for us to be together!
Whatever happens, I will always love her.
Our previous days, before any of this happened, are never far from my mind.
Lucius strolls in with my morning paper.
The head of my security rarely knocks anymore, however, he is not smiling this morning.
“I’ve got news,” he looks confused.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
I’m on the precipice of finding Ava, having spoken with Elizabeth quite recently.
“Elizabeth?”
Ava is my only distraction from Tinsley.
Elizabeth has made somewhat of a name for herself as a madam, training hot young women to be high-class escorts.
Her expertise is delivering her clients the girlfriend experience, for a less-than-modest fee.
She tricked and used our daughter as one of those escorts.
The rage that fills me when I remember what she’s done is all-encompassing.
I was a fool to think that she wouldn’t do anything to hurt Ava.
If I’d only had her real last name.
Bexley Fabbraro is just the tip of Elizabeth’s iceberg.
“It’s Tinsley,” Lucius tells me, dropping page six down in front of me. “You’ll want to tell her about this before she finds out. It might be best coming from you,” he adds.
Lucius has a perfectly strict schedule.
He gets up around three, goes to the gym, gets his morning coffee, then runs through the park, picks up a paper, comes here.
Torrid_A Stone Billionaire Series Novel Page 28