So he put all the pressure on himself—their only son, the sole heir to their empire, and created a choice for his sister. A choice he never had.
Emily was floored.
Hisbackground check hadn’t revealed any of that.
“The only person who coddled us was our mother. Mostly because she wanted her ‘little assistants’ as she’d call us in the kitchen.” He laughed, a glimmer shining in his eyes. “We loved it. It was our excuse to escape our father’s wrath.”
“Is she to credit for your amazing cooking skills?”
“That, and more.” He became serious. “Cooking was always her way of bonding. She believed a meal was the most selfless thing you could give someone. It only turned out well when your heart was in it.”
Her world spun off its axis.
He cooked for her. Every day.
Feeling her eyes sting, Emily’s fingers busied themselves and another discovery came.
Blu-ray discs were tucked into the nearby cabinet. She pulled one out with a light chuckle.
“You liked fantasy movies?”
She saw his pupils waver but he stood his ground.
“Ilikefantasy movies,” he corrected. “Present tense. And I don’t think that’ll ever change. I have a habit of staying loyal to my fixations.”
Her heart flipped, but she teased a light, “Nerd.”
He huffed begrudgingly.
“I’m starting to think some stuff the public says about you is a lie.” She put the disc which looked like a relic back. “Is that what this is? A façade to scare people into thinking you’re the big bad wolf when you’re really not?”
He startled her when he pushed off the wall. His body hovered over hers in a flash, forcing her back to press against the cabinet. He peered down with little space between them. “I never scare people who don’t deserve it.” He said it like it erased the fact that he did so anyway. “And I could say the same for you, Golden Girl. Is that the real you? The perfect ray of sunshine? Because I’m starting to think it’s not. At least not entirely.”
“I’m whoever you think I am. It doesn’t matter what I say, you’re going to form your own opinions of me anyway, I’m used to it.”
He tilted her chin up with his index finger, making her breathing hitch. “Aw, don’t be mad. All’s fair in this industry, darling. You should know this by now. You’ve been a people pleaser your whole life while in entertainment. I bet it’s exhausted you, sickened you, hasn’t it?”
Her eyes became fiery, but she stayed quiet.
“We all wear masks in our lives. If not for protection, for respect or in your case, for love.”
She scoffed. “Don’t patronize me, I doubt you even know what it’s like to earn love.”
Shit.Why did she say that? Was it the embarrassment of him calling her out? Was he even?
God, how had such a heartfelt conversation taken such a turn for the worse? She was annoyed he’d burst another bubble of hers.
No,youburst it, you self-saboteur!
His touch fell away from her chin.
“You think you know everything about everyone just because of your tendency to read them. But the truth is, you fear that, don’t you? You fear not knowing so much you convince yourself that you do and?—”
“Careful,” he cut her off gruffly.
“What? Did I hit a sore spot?All’s fair, right?” Sarcasm laced her tone. “Look, I get it. You took over a company worth billions before thirty. That’s impressive, more than impressive actually. I can only blame that kind of responsibility for the fortress of walls you’ve built around yourself.”
Her gaze cooled. “But don’t think you can treat me like everyone else. You don’t get to toy with me, and you certainly don’t get to test me because you won’t like the end result.”
