A choice that wasn’t a choice at all because Trent wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t marry me.
Not to save me or even to save himself. Not after Savannah. Not after the way his entire life detonated because he’d married the wrong person for all the wrong reasons.
Meanwhile, my father, who was meant to be the ultimate protector in my life, was treating my marriage like a transaction with a deadline he needed to meet by close of business. I didn’t stop moving until I was outside.
I needed to breathe. No, I needed Trent. No, not him. Alex. I needed—God, I didn’t even know, but I knew one thing with absolute certainty. This wasn’t just fallout anymore. It was war.
“Westwood and Sons,” I said breathlessly to the first driver I saw when I reached the bottom of the staircase.
The same guy who’d brought me here flicked a glance at the door, like he wasn’t sure he should take me, but when my dad didn’t appear, he seemed to relax. I didn’t even remember getting in the car, much less the drive.
The only thing I was truly aware of was the sensation of my pulse drumming in my ears and the sick churn in my stomach. By the time the elevator doors opened on the executive floor, my throat was tight, my palms cold, and I felt like I was unraveling.
Without knocking, I pushed open the glass door to Alex’s office, stepping directly into a meeting I should’ve told them I’dbe interrupting, but I couldn’t have stopped myself if I tried. Three heads snapped toward me as soon as I entered.
Trent was the first to react. He stood so fast, his chair screeched back and his coffee sloshed violently, the dark liquid cascading across the conference table. He didn’t even notice. His eyes were on me, wide, sharp, scanning me like he assessing every inch for injury.
“Charlotte?” His voice was low and rough, like I’d scared the living daylights out of him.
Alex rose halfway, bracing his palms on the table. “Jesus, Char. Are you okay?”
Nate didn’t bother standing. He just exhaled loudly, running a hand over his face, and muttered, “Dad got to you first, didn’t he?”
CHAPTER 22
TRENT
Chaos. The second Charlotte walked into the room looking like someone had scooped her insides out, that was what the three Westwoods descended into. Absolute, complete chaos.
Alex and Nate immediately fell into one of their patented flame-out arguments, sharp, fast, and overlapping, like they’d been rehearsing it since childhood. Jameson and Sterling were the same way. Callum too.
Coming from a family where we’d been only two children, the way the four San Francisco Westwoods and the seven in Chicago could argue had always blown my mind. Usually, I lost track as soon as they started, but today, I didn’t even try to keep up.
Alex and Nate didn’t matter to me right now. Instead, my eyes stayed on her. Charlotte stood just inside the door, frozen in place, her face pale under the fluorescent lights.
Whatever Douglas had said to her must’ve been catastrophic. Strangely, as I looked into her eyes, I knew our fake relationship was officially over, but I hadn’t expected a fake breakup to actually hurt.And yet…
As she told us, her voice shaking, that he hadn’t given her many options but to proceed into a marriage with Gregoryimmediately, I felt something in my stomach drop. Though I didn’t really know why it was such a shock.
Deep down, I’d known this was coming.
I’d been preparing myself for the fallout ever since we’d been called back to Chicago. Alex hadn’t given me full details on the phone, just saying we needed to get here immediately. Now, however, I knew why.
While Charlotte and I had been gone, Douglas Westwood had been busy. Real busy.
Alex dragged both hands down his face, pacing behind his desk. “I know you were only in Texas for a week, but Dad has been moving full speed ahead with the Gregory match. All the paperwork is drawn up. Gregory has already signed. I found out about thirty seconds before I called you. It’s all done. The only thing they still need is your signature, Char.”
Charlotte blinked, her expression crumpling at the edges. “He what?”
“He’s been planning this for months,” Alex said, looking miserable about it. “It wasn’t just talk to scare you. He’s serious. The estate lawyers have everything ready to go. Shit, I’m sure Gregory is choosing your wedding dress as we speak.”
She turned to me. Again. Not to Alex or Nate, but tome, her eyes wide, stunned, and hurting, and my chest tightened until I could barely breathe.
The fake dating scheme had always been on borrowed time. We’d all known that it was a stall, at best, but I’d been so focused on how to turn our “breakup” into something I could use back in Texas, a clean reputation reset, that I hadn’t thought about what Chicago would demand of us. Of her.
This city was their kingdom and Douglas was very much the king. I had no sway here. My hands were tied.
Nate shook his head. “Does it matter? You’re already the CEO. Lottie can just say no and the contracts Gregory signed won’t mean anything.”
