“You should have heard him, Mia. Knox was such an asshole.” I press the phone to my ear and drop onto the edge of the bed.
It’s just past midday. I have the day off from work to get ready for the engagement party. A request from his highness, who, by the way, didn’t even come to bed last night.
“Wait a minute,” Mia says, her tone dripping with disbelief. “You’re telling meKnox Vale—as in one of the hottest men in New York,Knox Vale—put your ex, Chadnobody, no-good Holloway,in his place? Told him you’re worth the bestdiamonds money can buy and basically said he had his chance, blew it, and you did better?”
My scalp tightens, heat prickling along the back of my neck. “Yes, that’s what happened.”
“So, why are we upset?” Mia’s voice crackles through the phone, full of amusement. “You do realize Knox sounds like he just stepped out of a romance movie.”
I roll my eyes and rub a hand over my face. “Mia, you make it sound like he made some grand romantic gesture. It wasn’t. He was just marking his territory like a caveman with a better wardrobe.”
She laughs, the sound bright and unbothered. “Be that as it may, Chad totally deserved it. He had it coming. And it wasn’t okay for him to show up at the restaurant.”
She has a point. “He meant no harm.”
“Your dad just died, Isla. You’re in a vulnerable position. Not that it matters now, but he shouldn’t be asking for a second chance.”
Her words land harder than I expect.
Maybe it’s because she’s right. And because every mention of my dad still feels like pressing on a bruise that won’t heal.
I swallow the lump rising in my throat. “You’re right. He caught me off guard. He just showed up out of nowhere, and I wasn’t ready for any of it.”
“Of course not. Have you thought about what you’re going to do?”
I pull in a slow, steady breath. “I have to see him.”
“Despite Knox’s warning?”
“Yes. It’s Chad. He’s like… family. I’d feel awful leaving things the way they are.”
She sighs. “What are you going to tell him? It doesn’t sound like you’d want to give him a second chance, even if Knox weren’t in the picture.”
“No.” The word sounds strange outside my head. “My answer would have been no. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about him.”
“Isla, you’re definitely a better human than me.”
I chuckle softly. “You have a heart, Mia. I’m sure you’d do the same thing.”
“No, I would not.” I can almost see her shaking her head. “The way Chad left you is unforgivable. I would never speak to him again.”
Lord. I’m so conflicted. “I hear you. I guess I need closure for myself.”
“Just… be careful. What about the other thing we talked about, the forfeiture clause?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
“At least you have a plan now. And the engagement party will give you a chance to observe more of Knox’s world.”
“Yes. I think it will.”
“I’m excited about going to the Astoria.” Her voice brightens through the phone.
The Astoria is an invite-only association for the world’s elite. The kind of place people like me dream about. Ihavedreamt about it. Now, my engagement party is going to be hosted there.
But I can’t share Mia’s excitement. Still, I say, “It’ll definitely be an experience.”
“It will.”
