For the briefest moment, I wonder if he did it to put Gabriella in a sympathetic light, then dismiss the idea. Not even Roderick would sink to that level, and I can’t imagine Sebastian doing it.
But he might’ve gone to the Hae Min Group behind my back for her, not caring about the effect on me or the milestones I’ve set. He took all the Sebastian Peery collaboration docs to review, so he has to have seen the marketing plans and launch timeline.
“Did you contact people at Hae Min and ask them to use Gabriella for the launch?” The question slips from my lips before I can catch myself.Damn it!I shouldn’t talk about this with a splitting headache and emotions running high.
He jerks back and stares at me like I took a swing at him. “What are you talking about?”
“They don’t think proceeding with the collaboration is possible if she isn’t part of the marketing campaign. Which makes no sense, because they were initially okay with using Korean celebrities to promote the products. They implied there was some outside pressure, and I didn’t do it. That leaves you.”
“I don’t give a damn what model they pick as long as it’s the right person for the job.”
Is he just explaining his position or over-protesting to hide the fact that he’s the one who did this? But he has to know the liaison from Korea would tell me everything, so why would he be lying? I can’t sort my thoughts out, and I hate it that I can’t trust him. “Maybe you think she’s the right person for the job.”
“How did you get that from what I just said?” he demands.
“By using my brain,” I shoot back, then put the empty glass I’ve been holding into the sink. I need to leave before I say or do something I’ll regret.
He takes my arm and stops me. “What’s wrong with you? Do you want to fight? Is that it?”
“No. I don’t want to talk to you right now about how important Gabriella still is.”For you.
He looks at me like I’ve sprouted mushrooms from my head. “What the hell does that even mean? You’re the one who brought her up.”
“And you’re the one who’s in love with her and keeps throwing her in my face.” A vague voice in my head whispers that the accusation is unfair—he couldn’t have done anything about the photos, including the one from earlier today at the Aylster. But the stubborn and pissed-off part of me says that it’s his fault for letting her get close to him.
“What?” He couldn’t look more horrified if I’d told him I like to snack on roadkill to add a little variety to my diet. “I’mnotin love with her.”
My heart pumps harder, pulsing blood through my veins painfully, like poison.Lies, lies, lies. “Stop treating me like a fool, Sebastian. You told me you were in love with her before we got married.”
“What…” He stops. “Damn it.”
“If you want to lie, you need to remember what you’ve been saying.”
“I’m not lying. I’m not in love with her.”
“But you said you were in love… Oh my God. So you’re in love withsomeone else, but were dating Gabriella? That’s…” I struggle for a suitable word, but give up. It isn’t worth it, not with the headache. “Wow. You’re just as bad as all the other guys I’ve known. Actually worse, because you wouldn’t stay faithful to the woman you love, even before you were forced to marry me.”
Sebastian growls in frustration. “There was no one to stay faithfulto.”
Contempt curls my lip. I try to tug my arm free, but his hold is impossible to shake off.
“Okay, look. I lied about being in love with someone when we talked about it,” he says. “I was upset and wanted to be a dick. I’m not in love with anybody, especially not Gabriella.”
Am I supposed to just nod and say, “I believe you about your previous lie”?
“I would never have married you if I were in love with another woman.”
That’s the least convincing part of what he said. My life taught me better. “But you love Sebastian Jewelry. You’d do anything to avoid handing over thirty percent of the company. Besides, the contract says you can end the marriage after five years, so all the love of your life has to do is stick around for that long.”
“My family is the one who can’t afford to give up the shares, not me. I’d never choose Sebastian Jewelry over a woman I loved.”
Would he really, though? The words coming out of his mouth sound romantic. Something I might hear in a movie. But this is real life.
“You don’t have to explain anything.” All the fight drains out of me, and my whole body goes limp. I’m too mentally drained to stay here and have this talk. I just want to take a hot shower and sleep.
But he’s still holding on to my arm. Guess he won’t let go until he hears what he wants to hear. But I don’t want to lie to him and say I believe him or that I understand. I’m not my mom, who always looked the other way.
So instead, I say, “You can see her if you want. Stop twisting around trying to justify your lies. I’ve had enough of that in my life.”
