Cruel Billionaire

by Luma Rose

  “Damn it.” With everything going on, I haven’t had a chance to confront my father, though I plan to tonight.

  Still, it doesn’t make sense that it would be him. I have no doubt he’d love to fuck with me, but it defeats his ultimate goal. Plus, here we are at my engagement party.

  “Sorry, man. I’m still looking into that lead about your dad, but it’s proving difficult. I need a little more time to trace a few things.” Lincoln shakes his head, beating himself up.

  I clamp my hand on his shoulder. “I appreciate it. Let me know when you come up with something.”

  “Will do.” He looks over my shoulder and scowls.

  I turn to see what he’s looking at and spot Everly talking with Amelia.

  “You not a fan of Everly Brookes?” I ask, raising a brow.

  I wasn’t even really aware that he knew her beyond that fact that she went to high school with us and would end up at some of the same parties. I guess the fact that she’s Nova Brookes’ twin is enough of a reason.

  “You could say that.” His attention returns to me. “Have I put enough time in to be polite?”

  I chuckle. “Yeah, feel free to get out of here.”

  “I’ll let you know if I come up with something.”

  “Sounds good.”

  He leaves and I sip my drink, glancing around the room, stopping when I spot my father. I make my way to the other side of the room, saying quick hellos to those people who want to stop and offer their congratulations.

  “We need to talk,” I say.

  He gives me a shit-eating grin and clamps my shoulder. “Hello, son. Great party you have here for your upcoming nuptials. I should go give my congratulations to your fiancée.”

  “Cut the shit. Meet me in the hall in two minutes.”

  I spin on my heel and make a beeline for the exit. Time for Robert Stone to give me some answers.

  43

  Chapter Forty-three

  Isla

  I’m speaking with Ford about our last-minute efforts before the vote next week when I spot Garrin leaving the room. His pissed-off look says something is up.

  I frown.

  Then his father leaves in the same direction a minute later. I’ve managed to avoid Mr. Stone for the duration of this party, which is fine by me. The man gives me the creeps, and I would find it hard to paint a smile on my face knowing how he treats his son.

  Maybe Garrin could use my support, though. They have a tenuous relationship at best.

  I excuse myself from my conversation with Ford, using the excuse that I need to use the ladies’ room, and step out into the hall. At first, I don’t see or hear them, but the murmur of voices sounds from down the hall.

  As I walk in that direction, the voices become louder and I realize that they’re coming from the coat check room. Since it’s unseasonably warm out, I don’t think any of the guests have used it, so why would they be in there? What’s so secret that they need to hide?

  I stand there, about to stop them because this is not the place to have a fight, but my footsteps halt when I hear my name.

  “What did Isla say when she saw it?” Mr. Stone asks.

  “Don’t worry about it. What I want to know is whether you’re the one who sent it?” Garrin asks.

  I lean in and press my ear to the door.

  Mr. Stone laughs, but it’s more sadistic than playful. “So, she knows about your involvement in her friend’s sister’s murder, does she?”

  “She’s standing by me,” Garrin says. “Now answer the question—were you the one who sent it?”

  “Use your head, Garrin. I’m forcing you to marry Isla and that would just work against my end goal.”

  I stiffen, my stomach somersaulting and bile rising up to my throat. Surely, I heard that wrong.

  “I thought the same thing, but you’re the only one with that photograph,” Garrin says.

  “And the sheets.”

  A thousand and one questions race through my mind all at once.

  “Maybe you should ask your hacker friend Lincoln then. Are the five Classholes getting restless to know which one of you killed the poor girl? I’m impressed that you were able to convince her to still marry you after your confession. Maybe she likes criminals. She wouldn’t be the first person to graduate law school who did.”

  “You don’t know anything about Isla. Leave her out of this,” Garrin yells.

  “Easy, Garrin. Could it be that you actually care about this woman?” His voice is mocking. “You know the first mistake is to fall for the trick.”

  “You and I both know I’m doing this because you’re forcing me to. But once we’re married, I want you to stay out of my shit. This is the last favor I’ll be doing for you.”

  His dad laughs. “Oh son, you know that’s not true.”

  Footsteps approach and I realize one of them is walking to the door, so I scramble down the hall into the next door on my right.

  The employees the kitchen give me a funny look but no one tells me to leave, so I wait a couple minutes before poking my head out into the hall. When I do, there’s no one there, so I walk as fast as possible to the women’s bathroom, doing my best to hold back my tears. Once I’m inside, I barricade myself into the bathroom and lean against the stall door.

  I couldn’t possibly have heard that right.

  Garrin’s only marrying me because his dad is holding prom night over his head? He doesn’t really love me. All of this is a ruse.

  I squeeze my eyes shut and the first tear escapes.

  God, I’m such a moron for thinking he actually cared for me. That cruel Garrin Stone had a soft side? You’re so fucking stupid, Isla. You allowed him to play you.

  I wrap my arms around myself as the pain in my chest amplifies, radiating out until it encompasses my entire body.

  My mind replays all the tender moments we shared, how supportive he’s been since my father’s death, and his sweet proposal. His very quick sweet proposal. It all makes me want to scream. But first I need to get out of here.

  I suck back my tears and wipe under my eyes, checking myself briefly in the mirror to make sure I look like the happy bride-to-be. Then I make my way into the party room, spotting Everly speaking to a woman.

  I approach them, pasting on a smile. “Hey, can I talk to you for a second?” I grip Everly’s arm, ignoring the other woman.

  “Uh… yeah. Sure.” She turns to the woman she was talking to. “Sorry.”

  I lead her off to the side of the room. “I need to get out of here.”

  She frowns. “Is everything okay?”

  “No.” I shake my head, feeling my eyes well with tears. “Can you tell my mom that I’m not feeling well and take me to your place? Don’t tell Garrin.”

  She looks perplexed for a second, but then she realizes that Garrin must have done something and sympathy etches her features, almost like she’s been waiting for this moment. That it was never if but more of a when Garrin would mess up thought in her brain. “Yeah, of course. Give me a minute. Why don’t you meet me by the doors?”

  I nod and exit.

  I’m waiting there for a minute or so when footsteps fall behind me. I turn with relief, expecting to see Everly, but it’s Garrin walking down the hall toward me.

  “Hey, what’s going on? Someone said they thought they saw you leave the room upset. Is it about your dad?” He approaches to put his arms around me, but I push him away. His forehead wrinkles.

  “Get away from me!” I can’t hold my hurt or devastation in any longer.

  He holds his hands up and tilts his head. “Isla, what’s going on?”

  “You don’t need to pretend anymore.”

  He pushes a hand through his thick hair. “Pretend? What are you talking about?”

  I step up to him and stab him with my finger in his chest. “You sure you don’t know what I’m talking about?”

  He grabs the wrist of my hand that’s jabbing his chest, and his eyes could cut lasers.
/>   “No, I don’t.”

  I yank my wrist out of his grip. “I’m talking about the fact that your dad is forcing you to marry me!” I put forcing in air quotes so it’s clear I overhead it. He won’t be able to use some weak excuse that whoever told me is wrong.

  He stares at me in shock, the color draining from his face.

  “That’s right, I know. I overheard everything you two were talking about.” I rip my wrist from his hand and step back.

  “Isla, it’s not what—”

  “Hey, you two. What’s going on?” Everly walks out from behind Garrin, looking between the two of us.

  “Just get me out of here.” I turn to the door.

  She takes my hand and leads me out the door, but Garrin follows behind. The warm night air is a nice relief.

  “Wait, you have to listen to me!”

  “Leave me alone!” The tears well up in my eyes.

  He gets a hold of my wrist and spins me around. “No, I won’t—”

  Everly whirls around and blocks him with a hand to his chest. “You need to leave. If she wants to talk to you, she’ll let you know.”

  I turn back around with my arms around myself. Everly places a hand on my back and leads me to her car. I sink into the passenger seat and the tears fall like waterfalls.

  I just want to pretend that this whole day—hell, these last few months—never happened.

  44

  Chapter Forty-four

  Garrin

  I want to drown myself in alcohol at this point, but I still need to keep a clear head. After Isla left the engagement party so abruptly, I made excuses for her, saying she wasn’t feeling well, and I ended up back here at the Titans’ Den with the guys, trying to figure out what the fuck to do.

  The fact she thinks my feelings for her aren’t real is worse than losing her. I’ve called her so many times, and now she’s turned off her phone. My old self would track her down, bust the door down and force her to listen to me, but I’m not sure that would help at this point. Even if she did believe me, I wasn’t completely upfront with her. And after my holding back about the sex tape and about prom night, this would be the third time she’s had to find something out that I was hiding. I wouldn’t believe me either.

  “What am I gonna do?” My hands are in my hair while I pace endlessly from one end of the oversized couch to the other.

  “Jesus, look at him. Remind me never to fall in love,” Asher says.

  Ryker elbows him in the ribs. “Don’t be a dick.”

  Ford sighs. “Have you tried calling her?”

  I stare over at him, incredulous. “Of course I did. That’s the first thing I did. She turned her phone off.”

  “Maybe you just need to give her some time. Then she’ll hear you out,” Lincoln says. He’s tapping away on his laptop where it rests on his lap. I swear he probably takes that fucking thing to bed.

  “How am I supposed do that? I’m fucking dying here.”

  “He’s right,” Ford says. “She’s been through a lot lately. Give her some time and she’ll hear you out. She’s not an unreasonable woman, and she loves you.”

  I hate the fact Ford is always talking about Isla like he knows her so damn well. Like he knows her better than me. I step up to him and grip him by the collar. “You don’t know shit about Isla, so stop talking about her like you do.”

  He pushes my shoulders, but I don’t let go. “You wanna go, Stone?”

  The gleam in his eyes says he’d love nothing more than for me to start something so that he has an excuse to rage on me. I won’t give him the satisfaction. I push him away and stalk to the elevator.

  “I need to be alone.”

  Maybe some booze would be a good idea. It’s not like Isla is going to talk to me tonight anyway.

  I wake to the shrill sound of my phone ringing. It feels like a sledgehammer in my head, and I groan and roll over, which only spurs a round of nausea to run from my stomach to my throat.

  Maybe I overdid it drowning my sorrows last night.

  Last night.

  Shit.

  What a fuck-up.

  I still don’t know how I’m going to get Isla to speak to me.

  The phone rings again, and I remember what it was that woke me up. I reach out and blindly find the receiver, pulling it to my ear. “Hello?” My voice cracks.

  “I have Isla down here to see you. She wants to know if it’s okay if she comes up,” Margaret says.

  I sit up in bed so fast my head swims, making me dizzy.

  “Isla’s here?” The hope fills my tone. Margaret is probably wondering what the hell is going on. Why didn’t Isla just come up on her own? She has her own black card.

  “She is. Can I send her up?” There isn’t a chipperness to Margaret’s tone, which sets off an alarm for me.

  “Of course, yeah. Send her up.”

  “Will do.” Margaret hangs up and I set the phone down.

  It takes my sluggish brain a few seconds to remember that I probably look and smell like hell and that Isla will be here in a minute.

  I race to the bathroom, ignoring the bile in my throat, and down a swig of mouthwash. I don’t have time to brush my teeth. My hair is haphazard but that’s okay. At least I changed into athletic pants when I got home last night and I’m not wearing a crinkled, slept-in suit. There’s nothing more pitiful than that.

  I’m just spitting the mouthwash out when the ding of the elevator sounds in the distance, so I hurry out of my bedroom and down the hall into the main living area.

  Isla stands there looking pretty much how I feel. She has bags under eyes and her skin is sallow. Her hair hangs limp around her face rather than looking like shiny mahogany. But more than anything, the look in her eyes is what devastates me. She looks dead inside, devoid of emotion, which is nothing like the woman I love. And the fact that she’s looking at me that way scares me the most.

  “Why didn’t you just come up? You know you don’t have to get Margaret to let you in.”

  She ignores what I say and walks further into the room, holding out her hand in front of her like she wants to give me something. “I just wanted to give you this.”

  I reach out and open my hand and she drops her engagement ring into my palm. I suck in a breath and my head whips up to meet her gaze.

  I step closer. “You have to let me explain.”

  She steps back. “I don’t have to do anything.”

  “Isla, what you heard… it’s not what you think.”

  She wraps her arms around herself like she’s cold. “Did your dad want you to marry me?”

  I inhale a shaky breath. “Yes, but—”

  “Is there something he wants from me?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “There’s nothing else to know, then. You’re free to do what you want now.” She turns to leave, but I reach for her upper arm and spin her around.

  “It’s true that that’s why I originally tried to get close to you, it is. And I feel terrible about that. But that is not the reason I asked you to marry me. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.” I hope the desperation in my tone makes her believe me.

  “Then why didn’t you say that to your dad when he asked if you had feelings for me!” she screams. The dam holding back her emotions breaks and her heartbreak shines.

  Fuck. I swore I never wanted to be the cause of her hurt.

  “Because if he knew how I felt about you, he’d only use it against me, and I won’t let you be a pawn in his sick game.”

  She throws her hands out to the side and my hand drops from her arm. “I’m already a pawn! The least you could have done was told me!”

  I push my hands through my hair out of frustration. “You don’t understand. You don’t know what he’s capable of. Even I’m not sure. I was protecting you.”

  She scoffs. “By asking me to marry you?”

  I shake my head. “Partly. But I asked you because I love you. I want to spend the rest of my lif
e with you.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Her eyes well up, but she doesn’t cry.

  “Please, Isla, I’m telling you the truth. I love you. I never lied about my feelings for you.”

  “But you lied about everything else. So many times. How many more confessions am I going to hear from you before I learn that you’re a liar? I’m an idiot.”

  “Fuck!” Her eyes widen in fear. Shit, I have to get myself under control. “You know everything now. I swear.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I don’t think I could trust you anymore, or your feelings for me.”

  “Isla.” I move to step toward her, but she steps back with her hand extended out, halting me in my tracks.

  “Don’t.” She shakes her head and takes a few more steps back.

  “Please,” I beg, my own eyes welling up with tears. This can’t be it for us.

  “I don’t want to see you anymore, Garrin. Please leave me alone. I’m going through enough right now after losing my father. I can’t take any more heartbreak.”

  She turns and rushes out to the foyer and out of my life.

  The grief inside me is all-encompassing, and I fall to my knees on the floor, head in my hands. For the first time since my mom died, I cry for all I’ve lost.

  45

  Chapter Forty-five

  Garrin

  Every day since Isla left my apartment feels like a decade. I want to pick up the phone and call her or show up at her work, but every time I’m close to doing so, I remember the look in her eyes when she asked me not to contact her again. The pain. The devastation. The disappointment.

  I’ve been in a worse mood than usual lately, so much so that even Roslin asked me about it. It’s not public knowledge that our engagement is off. Apparently, everyone believed Isla left because she was ill the night of the engagement party, and she must not have announced it to anyone except Everly and her mom. Otherwise it would be all over the social circuit.