“I’ll get going now. Another meeting to get to,” Sabato says diplomatically.
“Great. Talk with you later.”
Gabriella’s smile widens as we approach each other. Her skin’s glowing—probably had another spa treatment or something—and she’s in a gorgeous red dress that flatters her dramatic coloring. Her makeup is a bit dark, but she pulls it off.
But then, she can pull off anything. That’s why Sebastian Jewelry’s marketing team decided to make her the brand spokesperson two years ago.
“Why did you come to the party on Saturday?” I ask, half hoping she denies it.The Hollywood Newscould’ve Photoshopped everything, and I want to believe my ex isn’t totally indiscreet and tactless.
“I’m doing very well. Thanks for asking.” She finger-walks my shoulder playfully.
I shrug off her touch. “This isn’t funny, Gabriella.”
She lets out a soft sound of irritation. “Why are you acting likeIdid something wrong, when your wife’s the one who sent the invitation?”
“What are you talking about?” Luce had no reason to invite Gabriella. She stresses about causing negative publicity for me, and having my ex-girlfriend at the party would definitely cause a stir. “She didn’t send you anything.”
“Then it was you, I guess.”
That makes even less sense. It’s my motto never to think about or bring my exes into my current relationship, and Christoph knows it.
She shrugs. “It isn’t important who sent it. What’s important is that I got it.”
I’m going to see who I need to fire for the screwup. “You still didn’t have to come.”
“I was curious. Did Sebastian Lasker really fall in love with Lucienne Peery at first sight? The Sebastian I know isn’t capable of that.”
Curious, my ass. “You could’ve asked. I haven’t blocked you on my phone.”
“I know, but you wouldn’t have told me the truth.”
My temper starts to fray. I open my mouth to give her a piece of my mind, but she raises her hand.
“I’m not calling you a liar, but sometimes we deceive ourselves, believing what we want to believe.”
“So?”
“So I wanted to see for myself. I can’t say I like Lucienne because I was—well, still am—fond of you. You’re one of the best boyfriends I ever had. But you do seem to like her.”
“Of course.” I try not to get too irritated with Gabriella for coming to the party to check on something that obvious. “She’s my wife.”
She chuckles and pats my shoulder. “That isn’t why, but you just keep right on thinking it is.”
Chapter 31
Lucienne
I work through lunch at my desk with Karen. There are so many tasks that have to be completed before the launch can happen, and other than me, she’s the biggest champion for this collaboration within Peery Diamonds,.
“The timeline’s too tight now,” she says. “Hae Min is taking too long to make decisions, and we can’t do this.”
“I know.” I try to speak calmly, but my voice is too tight with frustration.
She taps her chin with her index finger. “Can we select another partner?”
“That might delay us more.”
“But it’s a sunk cost. Maybe the realization that they aren’t the only ones we can work with might get them off their butts.”
