Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
I swear my vision flashed red for a second. “She said what?”
“Look,” Charli replied gently. “I know it’s just a rumour, and that things will die down after a while, but I got upset because I don’t want people to think I’m some homewrecker.”
I gripped her other shoulder, pulling her closer. “No one’s going to think that because I’m going to set them all straight.”
My attention went over Charli’s head—and almost like the conversation had summoned her—Steph appeared at the other end of the hallway, her face buried in her phone as she tapped out a text.
“Hey! You!” I shouted, and she looked up, eyes widening like a deer caught in the headlights. At least she had the common sense to try and flee. Steph shoved her phone in her pocket and turned on her heel, but I caught up to her easily.
“What kind of bullshit have you been spreading around this place?” I demanded.
Steph puffed up her chest and folded her arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, pull the other one. You’ve been lying about Charli and me. Are you actively trying to lose your job? You do realise her uncle is your boss, and he adores her. If he finds out about this, he’ll be well within his rights to let you go.”
There was a flicker of apprehension in her eyes, and I knew it was dawning on her how badly she might’ve messed up. Steph could be like that. She liked to talk shit but never expected consequences because she could just flutter her eyelashes, flash her pretty smile, and get away with things. She also tended to lash out when she was cornered, which was why her gaze narrowed on Charli, who’d come to stand beside me.
“You’d just love if I was fired.”
“I don’t want anybody to lose their job. I just don’t understand why you’d make up lies,” Charli said, her words low but firm.
Steph barked an irritated laugh. “Oh, quit acting innocent. You knew exactly what you were doing as soon as you turned up here. Pretending to be a damsel in distress to get Rhys’ attention. He’s a protector, and you know he can’t resist that type.”
“That’s enough, Steph,” I snapped, stepping forward and cutting off her view of Charli.
“God,” she scoffed, flicking her eyes to me. “You’re so good hearted you can’t even see when you’re being manipulated. It’s almost pathetic.”
“Don’t speak to him like that,” Charli retorted, moving by me to face Steph head on though her voice was still quiet and even. “What’s between Rhys and me began long after your engagement ended. There was no affair, and you know it. You need to move on.”
Several things happened at once. Fury flashed across Steph’s face, and she stepped forward, raising her hand like she might strike Charli. Seeing this, Charli reared back in shock, tripping over her own feet as she fell to the floor and started to tremble. I knew instantly that her PTSD had been triggered. Mam would often jump at loud noises or shake when she heard a male voice being raised.
“What the hell? I didn’t even—”
“Back the fuck up, Steph,” I quietly seethed.
“But she’s acting like I attacked her. I didn’t … This is ridiculous.”
“I said, back up,” I repeated with barely concealed rage, casting a furious glance her way before I knelt and cradled Charli in my arms. She was shaking, her eyes elsewhere, and I knew she was disassociating. I had to bring her back to herself, but the last thing she needed was other hotel staffers seeing her like that. Several had already gathered around to witness the drama.
Ignoring Steph’s pleas not to go to Padraig and tell him of the incident, I turned in the direction of my office. Once there, I shut the door behind me then lowered Charli onto a chair. When I went to grab her a glass of water, I swore under my breath. The boxes containing the special shipment I’d had sent from the States was sitting half opened on my office floor. It had been delivered that morning.
Charli was still lost in her own head, completely unaware that her Lladró collection currently populated my office. Ever since she’d told me about how Jesse was withholding it, I’d been determined to get the collection back one way or another. Yes, I’d promised I wouldn’t get involved, but that was before Piotr sent me a dossier of Jesse’s financial crimes. The idiot had been skimming from his own law firm for years, not to mention helping his criminal clients launder money. The FBI’s white collar crime unit had been investigating him for over a year, compiling evidence. As soon as I’d heard that, my gut twisted, fearing Charli might be unknowingly implicated in his crimes. It was common for spouses to sign documents without full awareness of what they were signing, and Charli’s profession as an accountant made her a likely accomplice.