My brows furrowed.
“Already?”
She nodded, eyes dancing. “He says he doesn’t need to wait till next month anymore. He’s ready to sign. That is after I convinced him like you wanted. He even mentioned possibly inviting your parents to the council banquet next month.”
I looked down at the floor for a second.
Fuck.
That moved faster than I thought.
“With this, you’ll be in the big books once again, and your investors will come running back to you, including Wescor.”
I didn’t expect Mellors to be this eager.
Although, the partnership was only meant to be the first public move–to test the waters, to show the Wescor and Belinzo crowd and the other import lords that I wasn’t radioactive. It also meant that my plans were almost at its climax.
Which meant I had a shorter time to pull out cleanly than I thought.
Which meant-
T
“…Why aren’t you smiling?” she asked, her voice suddenly softer, her face dropping into a frown.
I looked up, forcing a half–smile I didn’t mean.
“Just thinking about how quickly things are moving,” I muttered.
June walked closer, her hand reaching to adjust the collar of my shirt with a wide smile on her deep red lips.
I barely held myself still. I didn’t want a repeat of what happened the other day. Kasmine couldn’t see us like this ever again. She might never forgive me if she does.
“You’re going to be the man everyone talks about after tonight, baby she whispered. “This will change everything.”
She paused, then added, “And I’m glad I’m the one beside you when it does.”
I didn’t respond.
Because in the corner of my mind, all I could see was Kasmine and I finally having the life Lafways wanted.
But, one more plan had to be set in motion.
‘June?‘ I called, and she hummed a response, her hands still straightening out my sleeves as she tilted her head upward to look into my eyes. “There is something else I want you to do for me.”
Her eyes lit up, hopeful, like a child catching the glint of a long–awaited gift. She thought I was about to hand her the future she kept fantasizing about. The one where she played queen beside me.
“I want you to make a press appearance tomorrow,” I continued, “Talk about tonight’s deal. About what your father did.”
1/2
Chapter 225
Her face brightened with the kind of pride I hadn’t earned–and didn’t want.
I need you to make it clear that this move had nothing to do with s getting married,” I said, slicing straight through the balloon she’d been inflating. “Tell them that Mellors made this decision because, I’ve earned it. Not because of the engagement. It’s about my work. Not the ring. Not the fucking engagement. Just. My. Work.“.
Her smile faltered. She blinked once, slowly, her lashes fluttering like the wings of a bird that had just realized the cage was still locked.
“My business stays separate from my personal life,” I continued, “I don’t want anyone thinking I used this marriage as a fucking elevator to get where I’m going. This win is mine. Do you understand?”
A beat of silence.
For a second, I thought she might protest, but the look in her eyes shifted, the wheels turning in her mind.
I saw uncertainty slipping into her features like a draft under a door she thought was sealed.
“That’s… what you want?” she asked softly, like maybe she wasn’t sure anymore what part she was playing in this grand
performance.
“Yeah,” I said, “Make sure the press knows. This isn’t about us. This is about what I’ve built. What I bled for. Nothing else.”
She hesitated—of course, she did. This wasn’t the fairy tale ending she had been dressing herself up for.
I know she thought I’d ask her to make a press appearance, announcing the role she played in helping me solve my crisis.
Funny.
But like every time before, she swallowed it. She never argued. She folded herself into the lines I gave her.
“Okay,” she finally said, nodding. “I’ll make sure it’s clear. It’s not about us. It’s all about your hard work.”
“Good,” I said in an even tone, “I want this to be clean. You understand?”
She stepped closer, her hand lingering on my arm as if seeking comfort, but I barely felt it.
“Go downstairs,” I told her in a quieter voice, “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
She didn’t say anything more; she just gave me a smile that I knew she thought was comforting before slowly walking away.
Chapter Comments
Visitor
feel bad for june and jake. they need to move on
VIEW 1 COMMENT >
POST COMMENT
61
<SHARE
