“You did,” he said softly. “Perhaps you just don’t remember it properly, but don’t worry. These rings are only temporary. Evidence of an alcohol-fueled mistake. The courts will see it and when they do, you’ll come back to where you belong.”
“I don’t belong to you,” I said immediately, a shiver of dread rolling down my spine.
“You do,” he murmured. “Or at least, you will once this is over.”
The certainty in his tone hit me like a bucket of ice had been dumped over my head. It really sounded like he believed he’d already won. For just a moment, I imagined Trent here with me, how he’d react and what he’d do, and the way that thought alone made me breathe again told me everything I needed to know about who Ibelongedto.
I lifted my chin, straightening my spine as I held his gaze. Before Trent, I never would have stood up for myself like this, but now, I found it impossible to just let this entitled little snake think that he’d be getting away with whatever lies he planned on spinning to the courts.
“I never agreed to anything,” I repeated, firmer this time. My pulse thudded in my ears, but the words came out clean and confident. “I only met you, what, three times, four before this very conversation? We never discussed marriage. Hell, we didn’t get much further than the weather.”
Gregory’s eyes didn’t even flicker. Without any hesitation whatsoever, he stepped into my space like he had a right to it. “Don’t make this difficult, Charlotte.”
I stiffened but didn’t move back. I was sure he’d like it too much if I tried. “Make what difficult? You have no claim on me.”
“That’s what you think.” His voice softened, patronizing as hell. “Just sign the paperwork and get it over with.”
I sniffed against the tide of disgust that tore through me. “Absolutely not.”
“Come on.” He smiled like a man coaxing a frightened pet out of the rain. “Sign, and we can all move forward. Including your cowboy.”
I felt the blood drain from my face, but Gregory leaned even closer, his whisper brushing my cheek. “You think I don’t know who he is? Who he was with? Savannah, the baby, the scandal. That’s an interesting history, don’t you think?”
My throat tightened as I pulled back to stare at him, horrified, but not because he knew. Because he thought he could use it against us and maybe because he actually would.
“What do you think his investors will say when they find out he’s been keeping all these dirty little secrets? Rural Texas might not judge him, but the real money?” He flicked his gaze over me like I was the punchline. “They won’t be so forgiving.”
Images crashed through my mind of Trent on the ranch, laughing and talking about his breeding program with this bright, proud spark in his eyes. He’d earned his success and he was expanding into multiple states now through all these new partnerships he and Alex were entering into.
Not all those people knew about his past. Not all of them would be kind about it. Gregory’s smile sharpened, letting me know that he’d seen the flicker of worry cross my face.
“That’s the problem with men like him,” he said lightly. “They pretend to be steady but they’re always one bad headline away from crumbling, and with the unfortunate timing of your marriage, it wouldn’t take much to make him look like he’s completely unreliable. A man who trapped you after cheating on his ex. People will believe anything if it’s dressed up right.”
My hands started trembling. He was right about one thing, though, lies really were easy. Especially in the hands of someone like Gregory who was polished, educated, connected, and desperate. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the stories he could cook up.
“Charlotte?”
The voice snapped through the tension and I looked up to see Stella coming toward us. She approached quickly, her new sunglasses forgotten in her hand. As she looked at me, I knew what she was seeing. I was pale, shaking, and too stunned to hide it.
“Is everything okay?” she asked briskly, stepping between Gregory and me before planting her fists on her hips and turning on him. “Who are you?”
Gregory smiled at her, warm and polite. “Everything will be just fine. Good day to you both.”
Without telling her his name or saying anything else, he walked away as if he hadn’t just shoved me to the edge of a cliff and told me to look down. I stared after him until Stella’s hand touched my arm.
“What the hell just happened, Lottie?”
I shook my head. “I, uh, I need to go.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No.” My voice came out thin and glassy. “I just need to get back.”
“Charlotte.”
“I’m okay,” I lied, forcing a tight smile. “Really. I just need to go.”
I hurried out of the store, my vision blurring at the edges. Every step I took felt like it was bringing me closer to doom. Out on the sidewalk, the sunshine hit me like a slap, too bright and cheerful for someone whose life had just been turned upside down with a single threat.
