“Kind of the point in going together,” I push. This is not something I am going to let go of. “There is no reason we can’t make it known now.”
“We just can’t,” he argues. His eyes darken, and he grows aggravated. His brows are furrowed, jaw clenched tightly. “I’m not going to argue about this. This isn’t the time to be making our relationship status known. There are other more important things to take care of now, and telling people we’re married is not at the top of my list.”
Silence descends over the three of us as the doors to the elevator glide open to reveal a tall, leggy raven-haired woman wearing a scandalous red dress. She reminds me of Jessica Rabbit if she had dark hair. Big tits, small stomach, and all legs.
“Sorry I’m late, Matty,” she apologizes, her voice a breathy sigh. “Traffic was terrible.”
Matty? Who the fuck is this chick? She does not look like one of Vivian’s girls.
“No trouble.” Matthias smiles down at her. “We were just talking about transportation.”
“Oh, perfect.” The woman beams up at him, showcasing pearly white teeth, before her attention turns to me. “Oh, hello, you must be Leon’s date. Ava, right? I’m Serena.”
She holds out her hand for me to shake. I take it gently, resisting the urge to strong-arm her.
“Nice to meet you.” I give her a small, closed smile.
“Matthias told me he had a woman staying here, and I just couldn’t believe it,” she says, not unkindly. “How do you two know each other?”
“She’s a liaison from the Kavanaughs,” Matthias grunts. “Temporary house guest.” Serena nods her head, eyeing me before turning her attention back to Matthias.
“Well, shall we?” she asks, motioning toward the elevator. Matthias nods, offering her his arm before strolling away without even a glance back at me.
“Ava…” Leon whispers my name tentatively, like he is afraid I will spook and take off. “You ready?”
Swallowing back the despair welling up inside me, I shake my head.
“I realized I forgot something,” I tell him. “Leanna will kill me if I don’t bring it.”
Leon nods, simply urging me to hurry since we are already late.
I make a beeline down the hall toward Matthias’s room, making a sharp left into his office while Leon has his back turned.
The manila envelope is still sitting on his desk exactly where I leave it. Picking it up, I dump the contents out before grabbing one of his red calligraphy pens and signing my name on the dotted line.
If Matthias refuses to acknowledge me as his wife at the gala, to his date, then he will not have a wife. I thought the papers were a mistake, that he forgot to tell Ben he didn’t need them anymore.
Now I see it for what it really is.
If he doesn’t tell anyone we are married, there is no shame after our divorce. No need to explain.
No more games.
Matthias and I are done.
thirty-four
The drive is quiet. Maksim drives, his hands white knuckled against the steering wheel while Leon fiddles with his phone next to me. I tell him he can sit up front. I know he often gets car sick sitting in the back, but he tells me it would look odd if we aren’t both getting out of the back seat when we arrive at the gala.
Like a couple.
Meanwhile, the man I am actually coupled with is sitting in the back seat next to Jessica Rabbit’s sister. Not that it matters. Soon there won’t be anything between us, and he’ll be nothing but a faraway memory fading into the distance.
Maksim pulls the car up to valet, handing the young pimply faced boy the keys, then he comes around to open the door for us. Leon slides out first, straightening his jacket before holding out his hand for me.
Gracefully, I slip from inside the car and stare in awe at the red-carpet entrance to the building. Reporters line the roped off edges, snapping pictures, calling out names to get the attentionof their latest victims. They all want a story, one that will get them front-page headlines of the latest tabloid or gossip magazine.
My gaze catches Matthias smiling, his arm wrapped tightly around Serena’s nipped in waist as they pose together for one of the reporters. She clings to his arm, staring up into his face with stars in her eyes. She catches me staring and shoots me a wink.
