“Did you help him sell the property to D & L Factories by agreeing to keep it quiet and therefore allowing them to prematurely break ground?” A mic came very close to her lips.
“Not at all,” she said, working to maintain short, hurried steps. The crowd moved with her.
“Why did you lie and say he was your fiancé?” another asked.
Justine pinched her lips closed, not wanting to discuss the frustrations she’d had with Gramps. This wasn’t his fault.
“Why did you say you were engaged when you weren’t?”
“You seem capable of finding a man yourself,” one added. “Why not do that instead?”
Stupid question. Next.
“Do you think Burke is in love with you?”
Her face flashed with heat. She nearly stopped walking altogether at the blow. “I’m not sure.”
“But you weren’t engaged,” a guy with thick glasses said before shoving the mic toward her.
“No.”
“Did you meet his family? The Bentons?”
“Did you know he was a billionaire when you started dating?”
“No,” she said.
“No, you didn’t meet his family or…”
The unmistakable squeal of screeching tires tore from the parking lot at her back.
A collective gasp rose over the crowd.
“It’s the Bentons,” one said.
“It can’t be,” another chided. “That car only fits two.”
“Not theentirefamily, you moron,” someone grumbled.
“It’s a Stingray,” another guy blurted. “That’s Zander’s car.”
Justine’s heart pumped out of rhythm as she spun around. The car, a cherry red Stingray, screeched to a sudden, impressive stop. Two doors burst open at either side in unison, and half of the crowd rushed toward their newest guests.
She caught sight of him as he stepped out of the car, looking confident in a black suit as he tore off a pair of shades.
“It’s Burke!”
A few more reporters darted toward the lot, leaving Justine with a smaller audience as she watched Burke head her way.
“Did you and Justine work together to sell the falls out from under the city?” one reporter asked.
“No,” she heard him say.
The crowd scurried directly in front of him, walking backward as he strode toward Justine on the walkway.
“Did you intentionally court Justine to remove roadblocks for your buyers?”
“No,” he said again. “Please move.” He made a shooing motion as he looked over the crowd until his eyes locked on hers across the way.
