Why does this have to be my life?
I tried to keep my expression neutral as Imogen picked apart the seating arrangement. Camilla crept closer and closer to me, never forgoing an opportunity to touch me, run her fingers through my hair, or trail her nails across my arm. The worst? I couldn’t shrug her off. I was sure her father had told her I had called. I had to have that property. There was no way I could let Ivy be kicked out of her apartment.
The meeting that had dragged on was finally over. If it wasn’t for Ivy and the fact that I wanted to make sure Imogen didn’t do something completely crazy, I would skip all wedding-related events until the rehearsal dinner.
“I could use a drink,” Ivy said as we stood in the elevator lobby. “If you want a professional alcoholic beverage.”
I didn’t smile. “I can’t. I have an appointment.”
“Yes,” Camilla said loudly, coming out of the condo, “Evan’s a busy man. And you have a wedding to plan. Try not to ruin it.”
The elevator ride down to the ground floor was tense. I kept glancing over at Ivy’s profile. She stared straight ahead as Camilla wrapped her arms around me.
“Say hi to Daddy when you see him,” she cooed.
* * *
“Evan!”Orson Sutherland boomed when I went into his office. “I just heard from Camilla. It seems you’ve had a change of heart.”
This was it, wasn’t it? I could either lie and say that I was considering getting back together with Camilla in order to save Ivy’s home, or I could tell him to pound sand and have to confess to Ivy that I had ruined her life.
Fuck.But the answer was clear. It was a chance I had to take.
Of course, I told Southerland in my bestI’m a trustworthy investor. Please let my hedge fund handle your 1.3 billion dollar endowmentvoice, “We do have a history. A second chance doesn’t seem out of the question.”
“I’m delighted to hear it!” he said, patting me on the shoulder. “I knew you’d come to your senses eventually. Of course, I’ll need to see some evidence of this turn of events. But may I say, welcome back to the family.”
“Of course,” I told him, forcing myself to smile. “In fact, I was going to see if Camilla was free this afternoon.”
* * *
Camilla,of course, was free. I scowled as I read her excited text message in the elevator. Unlike Ivy, Camilla had no job, no hobbies, and no responsibilities. In truth, she had no passions except for spending my or her father’s money and trying to one-up her friends.
My cheating ex-fiancée was waiting for me in the lobby of the Sutherland Bank.
“Evan,” she purred. The gaudy engagement ring I had given her sparkled on her finger. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me.
“I’m so happy we’re back together!” she squealed, wrapping her arm around mine.
I’m doing this for Ivy, I chanted to myself.
“There’s a little French place that opened up nearby. Kaitlyn’s husband took her there after she told him she was pregnant,” Camilla said, leaning on me, tottering in her heels as we headed down the block. “You should see her. She’s as big as a cow already, but I bet Andrew gives her the best push present.”
Someone put me out of my misery.
“You have to buy me something nice when I get pregnant,” she warned me. “I don’t want Kaitlyn’s present to be better than mine.”
“Of course,” I muttered while silently thinking,As soon as that property is in my hands, you’re out in the street.
The café was decorated in cutesy black and white and pink graphics. While looking at the menu, I just knew it was one of those places that wasn’t going to give us enough food. Sure enough, when the server arrived with our orders, my plate contained a tiny piece of steak and three lettuce leaves.
“So cute!” Camilla gushed, taking pictures of her food. Then she wrapped an arm around my neck, made that atrocious duck face, and snapped our picture. “This is going straight on Instagram!”
I winced inwardly.
“Look at you two lovebirds!” a woman squealed. Imogen and her assistant, Tiffanie, strolled into the restaurant.
“I’m so happy you two are back together,” Imogen said. “You’re a love story for the ages.”
