“And there’s the issue,” Logan interrupted. “You’re paid to make sure my son stays safe. And today, you failed.”
The reminder was a dagger to my heart, because Ididfeel like a failure in this scenario, but worse than that was Logan’s way of drawing a line between us.
You’re paid to make sure my son stays safe.What a way to remind me that I was nothing more than the hired help playing wifey. If that was truly how he saw me, then that meant what we’d shared wasn’t real, no matter what my heart kept insisting.
“In fact, I’m starting to question your motives for this position,” Logan said, his voice turning even chillier.
Anger started to seep over the sadness as I processed what he was actually saying. “Mymotives?” He offeredmethe job, not the other way around.
He shrugged. “You’ve gotten very…comfortablehere.”
I stormed closer to him. “What exactly are you insinuating here?”
“Your camp idea made it clear to me. You’re trying to get Noah out of the picture so you can secure your position in the Ashford family.”
There it was. The idea was so absurd that all I could do was gape at him. But when the sheer befuddlement wore off, I was angry…and hurt. There was no bigger insult to me than suggesting I’d jeopardize a child’s safety to cozy up to his trillionaire father.
He had a post-nuptial agreement drawn up. Like he had been ready for this thing to fall apart all along. Even if we never got around to signing the stupid thing, it had been on his mind.
“You really think that,” I said flatly.
“I recognize the signs,” Logan said. He started to pace. “I’ve been through this before. I can’t believe I didn’t catch on sooner. You’re a nomad looking for a place to put down roots, and what better spot than in my home, right? No more sharing a bed with an absentee roommate. No more wire hangers on a shitty coat rack.” He gestured around the grand room. “This must be paradise compared to what you’re used to.”
I jabbed my finger at him, my voice slicing through the air. “Youneed to stop talking. Right now.”
It was all I could come up with in the face of what were the most horrible insults I’d ever endured. Calling me a social climber was bad enough, but even suggesting that I’d use Noah to advance myself made me feel dirty.
Logan ignored me. “Noah was a chess piece, to get where you wanted to be. Now that you’re on the board, you need him out of the way so you can get me where you want me. Enter: camp.”
I felt like my bones were crumbling, like I couldn’t hold my body up without major effort. In another life, I’d be up in his face, yelling about how wrong he was, and what an asshole he was to even suggest that I had ulterior motives.
But all I could do was shrink into myself, because if that was the way he saw me, then I never really knew him at all.
And heclearlynever knew me.
I was waiting for the next blow. I was so hurt that the fighter inside of me was missing in action. I was drained from the trip to the hospital and weak from the unexpected takedown by Logan. I had no idea what to do or where to turn.
I couldn’t believe he could think such horrible things about me.
“I’m done listening to you,” I said. “There’s no point in talking about it now.” I pointed over my shoulder. “I’m going to…” I trailed off, because there were no safe spaces for me in the Ashford residence now.
“I think we both agree that this is no longer working,” Logan said.
Didwe both agree? Because up until a few hours ago, everything seemed great. Now, though…yeah. After what he’d said—after what he clearly thought of me—there was no way we could keep going with things this way.
“So what now?” I asked.
“You should probably gather your things.”
I almost raised my hand to my cheek because his words felt like a slap.
“Hold on…you’reserious?”
He clenched his jaw and nodded. “I’ll have publicity work on timing for a press release announcing our separation and divorce.”
“But…” My world tipped into freefall.
It felt totally alien and horribly familiar all at the same time.
