Marrying My Billionaire Boss

by Lee, Nadia

  Desperation pierces through me. I have to make her understand or I’m going to lose her. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  “How did you think I’d feel when I found out?” Her voice is thick with hurt.

  “I was going to…” I can’t even complete that and say I was going to tell her, because I was merely thinking about it, and not even that seriously. I don’t want to add new lies to what I’ve done. I clear my throat.

  “You weren’t going to tell me until it was convenient for you, is that it?” she says, tears shining in her eyes.

  “Evie…” I rake my fingers through my hair. I don’t know what to say to fix this. The longer I stay silent, the more she slips away, but if I say the wrong thing, it’ll be the end of us…

  “You know… Let’s just go back to the house,” she says after a while.

  “Okay.” Dread is spreading through me. I notice she didn’t say “home.”

  I text Court and Yuna to cancel the dinner, telling them I’m sorry. The drive is silent. The urge to say something is strong. However, I know from experience that this is the time to shut my mouth and come up with a plan. The wrong words can dig an even deeper hole. But what’s the right thing to say? This is uncharted territory, and all my negotiation and management skills are useless.

  When we’re home, Evie goes straight to the bedroom. I follow, but then stop when she turns to me. “I need to rest. I’m tired.”

  I search her face and note the tightness around her mouth, the sadness in her eyes. “Evie… I’m sorry,” I say, because it’s the only thing I can say.

  She raises her eyes to me for a moment, but nothing changes in their depths. “Okay.” She looks away and walks inside.

  My hands flex and unflex, but ultimately, I can’t stop her. Or even reach out and hold her hand. This feels like a richly deserved punishment, and maybe forcing things would only make it worse. I remind myself Evie’s also pregnant, and she needs the time to process and regroup.

  Instead, I go to my home office and call Pattington.

  “Yes, Nate?” he says, his voice inflectionless.

  “You remember that Bradley Brown I wanted you to look into?”

  “Yes.”

  Anger surges. “Make sure he can’t even get on a highway without getting pulled over.”

  Pattington grunts. “It’s a serious step to take.”

  “Yeah, well. I warned him.” The motherfucker knew what I wanted. He might’ve followed the letter, but not the intent. So fuck him.

  “Got it,” he says, and hangs up.

  I stare at the phone. The satisfaction I hoped for doesn’t come. No matter how much I punish Bradley, the damage has been done. And I know I need to do something to fix what’s broken.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Evie

  Sinking slowly onto the edge of the mattress, I cover my face in my hands. Nate didn’t follow me into the bedroom, for which I’m grateful. I need time alone.

  My father is a fraud. Always was. Although Nate didn’t say it, it’s clear Mom’s been lying to me all this time. And underneath the hurt, an ugly, angry recrimination is simmering.

  Why?

  There’s a small part of me that says I can’t believe everything Dad said. It also says the text could’ve been a setup. How could someone who’s driven to squeeze money out of me be stupid and careless enough to show his hand so soon?

  But does it matter? It doesn’t change the fact that I’ve been lied to, especially by the two people who I’ve had such faith in…

  I think back on my time with Nate. He told me he trusted me. But Dad’s right. You don’t lie to people you trust.

  I’m an idiot. I started to open up to Nate because I thought we could build a beautiful life together. But that isn’t going to happen, is it? How am I going to be certain of him now? It goes beyond trust. His treatment of me proves he doesn’t consider me his equal, just someone he has to shield with lies and omissions. What happens when he gets tired of that? Or he decides he needs somebody strong, not some weak, pathetic thing he has to protect all the time?

  The thing is, I will never be as powerful and influential as Nate. So where does that leave me? And our child? I place a hand over my belly and try to think…

  I can’t come up with a single answer.

  Finally, I pull out my phone and call Mom. I need to talk to her, hear her voice. She owes me an explanation.

  “Hello, Evie,” Mom says after a few rings. She sounds warm and affectionate, just like always.

  But I’m no longer overcome with love for her and all that she’s done. The knowledge that she weaved a stupid illusion about Dad all my life bubbles up like poisonous gas. “You lied to me about Dad.”

  A moment of silence. “Did Nate tell you?”

  I blink at the question, ugly emotions churning in my gut, my sense of betrayal growing a hundred-fold. “You told Nate something you never told me?”

  “What?” she says, now sounding utterly flustered, a liar caught in her own lies.

  “He never said a word about you, and I thought he figured it out himself. But I guess not. I guess everyone talked about it behind my back. Did you laugh too?”

  “Evie, hon—”

  “Don’t Evie, hon me.”

  “What did you expect? You had so little, and I couldn’t give you much as a child.”

  “What does that matter?” I demand, confusion and anger tearing at me.

  “I wanted you to have the idea of a nice father at least.”

  “So you lied when I called you and said Dad found me? You couldn’t tell your full-grown adult daughter that he’s really a jerk I should stay away from?”

  “Evie, I’m sorry. I just wanted you to have some good memories. Why is that so hard to understand?”

  Disappointment drips into me like drops of ink, dirtying my view of my life and people around me. Suddenly I’m exhausted. “I had good enough memories, Mom. You were enough for me. You didn’t have to lie,” I say quietly, then hang up, not wanting to deal with her excuses. I don’t have the energy right now.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Nate

  The rest of the week is sheer torture. Evie and I are living together, for which I’m eternally grateful. She doesn’t select my outfits, but she still makes me the shakes like usual. She even makes me coffee, goes to all the meetings and organizes my work schedule as efficiently as ever.

  But there’s the Great Wall. It isn’t made of pillows this time—because I burned them all—but it’s just as solid. And this new wall is sandwiched between two gulfs the size of the Grand Canyon. Evie doesn’t smile, and she’s often pensive. I tell myself it’s going to work out, because she isn’t the type to hold a grudge and time will make it better. But if I’m honest with myself, I don’t know if that’s really true. There are times when I’m tempted to just hold her and tell her sorry I am, but she looks so fragile and brittle that I’m afraid she’s going to shatter if I touch her wrong. And I’m not confident I’ll be able to put the pieces back together.

  Fuck. I call myself a thousand kinds of moron for causing the damned wall to come between us again. The worst thing is that I don’t know how to smash through it. When I look at things from her point of view, she’s right. I fucked up. I just don’t know how much longer I can stand this punishment or deal with the anxiety building inside me.

  I’ve rarely had things not go the way I want in the end. Hell, I was born lucky. Only the most ungrateful bastard could complain about being born into a family like mine, with billions of dollars, loving parents and relatives. That alone puts me ahead of ninety-nine percent of the world population.

  And no matter how it might look to outsiders, I’m happy to be married to Evie, I couldn’t be more ecstatic about our baby. But I know that unless I do something, I’m going to lose them both.

  And that is unacceptable.

  So on Friday, I ask Yuna if she can see me.

  You need to buy me lunch. I’m stil
l peeved you canceled on me and Court, she texts. It’s fine. I’ll buy her whatever she wants.

  We meet at a cute American bistro of her choice. She comes with two women tagging along—her mother’s assistants. Yuna calls them spies, but I think it’s sweet of her mom to be so protective. Yuna is a wealthy heiress, single, a perfect target for an unscrupulous man like Bradley Brown or some other fortune hunter.

  I groan when I see Court walk in. I didn’t realize she invited him. I only wanted her opinion. Court is not female, and therefore, can’t possibly understand exactly how Evie is feeling or know a way to fix this. He’s the friend I’d turn to when I need someone to drown my panic in twenty-thousand-buck-a-bottle whiskey.

  “Hey, man, what’s up?” he says.

  “What kind of greeting is that? Can’t you see something’s wrong?” Yuna tells Court, sitting down.

  I raise an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

  She makes circles with her index finger around my face. “It’s all over. Your expression says, ‘Something’s seriously wrong.’”

  I pull back, surprised I’m wearing my feelings so obviously. I’m harder to read than this…aren’t I?

  Then I think, Who cares? My life is a fucking mess. I run a hand over my face.

  “So she’s right?” Court says.

  I nod. “Let’s order, then we can get down to business.”

  She gets a cheeseburger. Court gets the bacon cheeseburger, since, according to him, life is better with bacon, while I order the day’s special because I don’t care that much about food. What good is bacon if I lose Evie and our baby?

  “So tell us what’s wrong,” Yuna says.

  “Not yet. I don’t want the server interrupting.” And I need a moment to suppress my panic over all that I stand to lose. Also to gather my courage before admitting what an idiot I’ve been.

  Giving me a dubious look, she chats briefly about her shopping for Ivy’s baby and Court’s grand plan for his honeymoon, which Yuna’s been advising him on. She’s all for an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora or the Maldives, and a private waitstaff.

  Finally, our lunch arrives. Yuna sets aside the top bun. “Gotta do this if I want to have fries.”

  Court steals the discarded bun. “More for me, then.”

  I push the food around on my plate. It’s a whole fish, and it looks baleful, as though even the dead fish is thinking, Dumbass. Liar. Screw-up. I stab its head with the fork. No more judgment from you.

  “Okay, so what’s wrong?” she asks, squeezing extra ketchup on her melted cheese. “We can talk now, right?”

  I nod. “If you were a woman, what would you require to forgive somebody?”

  Court chokes on Yuna’s extra bun.

  She gives me a bemused look. “Uh, I am a woman. And that depends.”

  “Sorry. Too much distraction and too little sleep.”

  “What did you do?” Court asks.

  He’s going to think I’m a fool after I tell him I ignored his advice and got into trouble. So will Yuna. Hell, I already think I’m an idiot. “You remember the thing with Evie’s dad?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Yeah. Well…she found out.”

  “Ouch.” Court winces.

  Yuna sighs. “Guess you didn’t tell her like Court told you to?”

  “She found out before I could,” I say.

  “Were you going to tell her?”

  I press my lips together, slightly embarrassed that the answer isn’t going to be affirmative. “I was thinking about it…”

  Court slowly shakes his head. “Dude…”

  Yuna heaves a sigh. “Not good enough. Nate, really, you should’ve just come clean from the beginning. Then none of this would’ve happened.”

  “I know that now. But can’t you give me some advice? I can’t ask Vanessa, because she’ll drag Justin into it.”

  “Why would she do that?” Yuna asks.

  “Because she tells him everything. And then he’ll try to fix it, but he’s a man, so he’s going to botch it. And God forbid Barron gets wind of a problem with my new marriage.”

  “Just make a grand gesture, like I did,” Court says. “Chicks dig that shit.”

  “You mean like crash a wedding and kidnap the wrong person?” I ask.

  My sarcasm apparently flies right over his head. He grins. “It worked, didn’t it? I got the girl.”

  “Not because your plan was smart.”

  “Hey, genius, what counts is the ending. I got the girl I wanted.”

  True that. Court one. Nate zero.

  Yuna is staring off into the distance. “I honestly don’t know, Nate. I’m not Evie, and I don’t know her well enough to tell you. You have to find somebody who knows her better.”

  Shit. Evie is close to her mom, but I can’t ask Mari. She’s probably pissed Evie knows the truth, and she’s never seemed that crazy about me. So who?

  “And you better choose this somebody wisely,” Yuna continues. “Do you know why we talk about second chances but not third ones?”

  “No.”

  “Because there are no third chances.”

  My mouth dries. My appetite vanishes too. “How…cheery.”

  “I know. I’m an optimistic type.” She grins. “Now tell me what you’d like for your baby. The tabloids say you’re shooting blanks, but I don’t believe that for a second.”

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Nate

  Yuna has a point. Back at the office after lunch, I make slow rotations in my chair, thinking. Who knows Evie really well and can help me out?

  Kim.

  She’s been Evie’s roommate and friend since Evie moved to L.A. She’s actually the one who referred Evie to me when I was looking for a new assistant. They’ve got to be close enough.

  I check my calendar. No meetings. I grab my car fob and leave the office. As I do so, I walk by Evie’s desk. She’s working on her laptop…probably drafting a memo we need for the children’s hospital in Chicago. She looks pale, her eyes distant. The determination to fix our marriage firms until it hurts my chest. I’m going to make her smile, going to make her happy, if it’s the last thing I do, damn it.

  “Nate, where are you going?” she asks, her voice remote.

  “I have a personal meeting,” I say, because that part is true. “I’ll be back soon.” I’m going to fill in the Grand Canyon-sized valleys between us, then demolish the Great Wall.

  Filled with anticipation and hope, I drive to Salazar Pryce’s downtown office, but Kim isn’t there. The receptionist says Kim’s on a long paid leave, courtesy of Salazar. Damn it. Should’ve called first, instead of rushing out.

  I call Kim, praying she didn’t take advantage of her time off to explore the Sahara or some other place with no cell phone reception.

  “Hello?” Kim says in a dulcet tone of a master assistant.

  Thank God. “Kim, this is Nate.” Then, in case she knows lots of other Nates, I add, “Sterling. Where are you? I need to talk to you, and it’s very, very urgent.”

  “I’m home, but I don’t know if I should,” she says.

  “So she told you.”

  “We texted, yes. And I’m going to see her later today to talk about the situation.”

  “Look, I know I screwed up, but I want to fix it.”

  Silence. She’s probably debating. She’s Evie’s friend, but she also works for my brother’s father-in-law, which means she’s sort of stuck in a bad place.

  “Come on.” Rein in your desperation. Desperation is never persuasive. “You’re the only one who can help me. Just a few minutes.”

  “I’m not going to plead your case to her,” she says finally. “I’m not your friend. I’m hers.”

  My shoulders sag with relief even as I spin the car around. “I know that. In fact, I’m counting on that. I’m coming over right now.”

  I drive to Evie’s old apartment. I already know the unit number from the HR file, which I read back when I was trying to lear
n everything I could about her.

  As I walk through the hall, a black cat trots over and mewls. I look down at the little thing, wondering whose cat it is or if I’m supposed to alert somebody in case it’s lost. Do they do Amber Alerts for lost felines?

  The door to Kim’s unit opens, and a guy comes out, jaw set and looking upset. I nod to him, sharing a bit of sympathy for his obvious frustration. On the other hand, I’m not going to get in the middle of it in case Kim’s having an issue with her boyfriend. Nothing ever good comes of that.

  I grab the door before it closes. The man glares at me with open hostility and the outright territorial instinct of a guy ready to defend what he deems his.

  “She’s not interested,” he says.

  “Great. I’m not interested either.”

  “Who are you?”

  Despite my current crappy situation, I can’t help myself. “Her potential roommate,” I say, and walk in, shutting the door in the other guy’s stunned face.

  “What were you two talking about?” Kim asks from her dining room, arms crossed.

  “He wanted to make sure I knew you weren’t interested.”

  She shakes her head. “Ugh.”

  “I told him I was your potential roommate.”

  Her eyes widen, then she laughs. “Good. For that, I’ll spare you some time.”

  “Great. Because I really need to talk to you.”

  She gestures me toward a chair. “Want something to drink?”

  “No, thanks. Actually…yes. Some water.”

  She brings me a glass of ice water and settles in the seat to my left with a glass of wine. “So. Tell me what happened.” Her tone says, Tell me what you did.

  So I do, leaving nothing out, because if I do she won’t be able to give me the advice I need. Besides, Yuna’s rather dire comment keeps circling in my head. Only second chances, no thirds.

  I can’t fuck this up.

  Kim leans back in her seat, half her wine finished. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  Everyone around me thinks that. And I wish I’d listened Court earlier. “Yeah. I know that now.”