by Lee, Nadia
“Do you know Evie was attracted to you before, too? But she was never going to give you a chance.”
“Really?” I would’ve never noticed from her behavior back then, although a small part of me is happy that my topless act and drinking all that green goo weren’t in vain. “Why not? Because I’m her boss?”
“No. Because you have everything; she has nothing. Comparatively speaking, I mean. She was afraid—probably still is—that you were going to use your power against her.”
“She has my heart in her hands!” I protest, stunned and outraged. I don’t come across that badly, do I? “That means she has everything of mine.”
“Does she? Did you tell her?”
That makes me stop. I look down at my hands. “I…can’t remember.”
She sighs. “Nate, there’s this thing called timing. If you tell her now, how will she know it’s real?”
I shake my head. She won’t.
“You blew it. She’s had men tell her ‘I love you’ before, only to betray her in the end. You heard about her previous boss, right?”
I start to seethe. “That Chadwick guy?”
“Yeah. That Chadwick guy.” Kim’s smile is thin and humorless.
Maybe I should just murder him for hurting her. Would his figurative head soothe Evie?
“He totally messed her up. I’m actually surprised she decided to stay married to you, baby or not.”
“I’m glad she did,” I say.
But is she glad? Look how you screwed things up.
“I think you’re sincere. But you have to convince her. And I don’t know how you can do that. Because if you can’t find a way to allay her fears, whatever you have with Evie is over.”
Jesus. The magnitude of what I need to do sinks in, making my lungs tighten until I can barely breathe. But Kim has a point. I’m the one who lied, so why would Evie believe me now?
But how can I find a way to convince her?
Time stretches, with neither of us breaking the silence. Finally I say, “Thanks, Kim.”
Her expression grows sympathetic. Maybe I look as terrible as I feel.
“I should probably get going. Figure this out,” I say.
She gives me a small nod. “Good luck, Nate.”
I leave her apartment, processing what she said. Fucking Chadwick, and all the men like him. Ruining good women with their careless, selfish douchebaggery.
My heart aches. I know that Evie was once hurt so badly that she can’t even believe me when I tell her I love her. And I’ve been an idiot. I didn’t even fucking propose to her after our Vegas wedding. I should have. She deserved that. I also should’ve considered what else she deserved—a real wedding, a real honeymoon, the works.
How do I convince her what I feel for her is real? How do I let her know I’ll never do anything to hurt her, that everything at my disposal is hers?
A grand gesture, man, Court’s voice says in my head.
I need something so big, so unequivocal, so final that it’ll make her really understand that she’s the one with all the power in the relationship. And there’s only one way to do that.
My mind made up, I call Ken Honishi, the partner at the law firm Sterling & Wilson has on retainer.
It’s time I make a grand gesture.
Chapter Fifty
Evie
Nate doesn’t return from his sudden outing earlier. I wonder what he’s doing and what the personal meeting is about. Is he talking to Barron about my dad? Or is it something else?
I hate it that I’m continuously second-guessing him and wondering about his motives now. I hate it that the life I thought I could have with Nate was just an illusion, like Mom’s lies about Dad.
My hand rests over my belly. The baby…
I thought Nate and I could have a loving marriage, raising our child—or children—together. I thought our children would never know the piercing longing for a dad who was never around, or the ridicule from other kids, or miss out on common experiences kids have—school dances and field trips and more.
Maybe I’m just doomed to repeat the mistakes I made before. Chadwick seemed like a great guy too, even told me he loved me, only to betray me and make sure I would never find a decent job in Dillington. Los Angeles isn’t a small town, but Nate’s family is terrifyingly well connected and wealthy. It’s frightening what they could do if Nate turns his back on me.
Focusing on that isn’t helping you focus on your job. One thing at a time, Evie.
Shoving my churning emotions aside, I keep working until five. A few of my coworkers give me odd looks. They probably suspect something, but they don’t want to get in the middle of their boss’s personal issues. And if there’s a falling out between me and Nate, they’ll all side with him. They’d be stupid not to. And I’ll have to… I don’t even know what I’m going to do then.
Move back in with Kim? Will she want to have a roommate with a baby? Her boss is tight with Nate’s family. In fact, they’re in-laws.
Go back to Dillington? No. I can’t go back, since Chadwick’s still there and I’m probably still unemployable. Actually, it’d be so much worse now. Everyone in town who tsked and wagged their fingers at me would feel vindicated if they saw me tossed aside after having married my boss.
I grab an Uber to my old place and text Kim that I’m on my way. I feel like I need an impartial third party to help me process everything. I’m too close to the situation to be objective and logical, and everything that happened with Dad, Mom and Nate is spinning around in my head without offering any clear conclusions.
Kim’s waiting for me with a couple of fruit smoothies. “I figured you’d want this rather than wine.”
“Thanks,” I say as I walk in and plop down in a chair in the dining room. “You’re a goddess.” I suck down half the glass, then feel my eyes sting with tears. God. I told myself I wouldn’t cry like an idiot.
“Come on.” Kim sits next to me and rubs my back comfortingly. “What happened?”
“Dad happened, then kind of…unhappened. Then Nate. And then Mom.” I tell her how everyone lied to me, turned me into a fool. How happy I was that Dad came to see me, then the emotional crash when I realized he only wanted to use me. That Nate knew everything but didn’t tell me in order to help Mom perpetuate a lie she should never have started.
“Are you angry at Nate?” Kim asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I wish he hadn’t lied. I don’t know why he felt like he had to keep things from me, like I’m some idiot who can’t handle real life.”
“You told him how much you love your dad.” Kim’s voice is soft and gentle. “He probably couldn’t find a good way to tell you.”
“So what?” I say, suddenly pissed off that she’s taking his side. Shouldn’t she be telling me to kick Nate’s ass?
Kim shakes her head, but her dark gaze is far too understanding. “Don’t be angry with me, Evie. I’m trying to help you be happy. Answer me this before we go any further. Do you love Nate?”
My face crumbles, piercing pain radiating from my chest. “Yes.” More tears fall. “I do.” I wipe them away impatiently. “And that’s the problem. I’m in love with him. Why can’t I be in love with some normal, ordinary guy, the kind you see on streets all the time?”
“Because nobody falls in love with someone they think is just…ordinary.” Kim places her elbow on the table and props her jaw in her hand. “You fall in love with someone extraordinary. And in your case, that’s Nate. You have to overcome your fear of the power he has if you want to be with him. I mean, he’s a Sterling. He’s always going to be rich and powerful.”
I cry harder because she’s right. And I don’t know what to do about it. It’s so hard to think. I’m somehow more emotional. I wonder if it’s the pregnancy, but surely nobody becomes this overwrought because of a little hormonal fluctuation, do they?
Kim looks off into the distance. “Think of it like a Chinese emperor and his harem.”
“What?” Why are we going from Nate to some old Chinese emperor?
“I’ve been watching some Chinese historical dramas. The emperors in China held all the power, right? And the girls in the harem didn’t, of course…unless they could make the emperor fall in love with them. Then they had all the power, because the emperor loved them and would do anything for them.”
“What does this have—”
“Nate cares about you deeply,” she says. “He may even love you.”
I shake my head. “He just wants the baby. His family loves children.”
“Evie. No matter how much he cares about pleasing his family and wanting the child you created together, he wouldn’t stay married to you if he didn’t care about you.”
“But you said Barron’s traditional. And he’s still the head of the family, at least for social stuff. The baby—”
“Evie! We’re not back in the eighteen hundreds. None of that matters if Nate doesn’t want you, and he wouldn’t have stayed married to you to please Barron, either.” Kim purses her mouth. “No matter how much influence Barron might have, Nate doesn’t do everything the old man wants. He just goes along with Barron because they both want the same thing.”
That seems unbelievable. On the other hand, I’ve seen the steel in Nate when he dealt with the people who stole from the hospital in Houston. The contrary and mulish part of me says, “He lied.”
“Yeah, he did. But let me put it to you this way. If you found out that his mom was a horrible person, would you tell him immediately?”
“But she’s not.”
“Hypothetically. I’m saying if she… Let’s say she was unfaithful to his dad, and she embezzled some family funds set aside for charity. Would you tell Nate immediately or would you hesitate, wondering how it was going to impact him and his relationship with his mom?”
“Of course I’d tell him,” I say, feeling stubborn.
“Really?” Kim arches an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t hesitate? Even a little?”
“Well…” I squirm under her no-nonsense gaze. “Maybe I’d think about a good way to approach it.”
“Come on, Evie. Hesitation would be totally normal. It isn’t easy to shatter somebody’s world.”
I hate it that Kim has a point, even though I want to insist she’s wrong. “You’re supposed to be on Team Evie.”
“I’m on Team I Want to See Evie Happy.” She squeezes my hand. “I hate to see you drive yourself crazy like this. It can’t be good for your baby, either.”
I rest my palm over my belly. “I know.”
“Only you can decide what you’re going to do. I’m not telling you to forgive Nate if you can’t make yourself do it.”
Kim’s right. I need to find a way to let it go if I want to be with Nate. It’s just that it’s so hard to make that leap when it isn’t just me who might be hurt, but the baby as well.
Chapter Fifty-One
Evie
By the time I get home, it’s a little past nine. I toe my shoes off in the living room and lie on the couch, exhausted. I know Nate isn’t back yet because I checked the garage on my way in. What could be keeping him away for so long? Should I text him? I start to reach for my phone, then change my mind, not wanting to look like a needy, clingy wife.
I keep thinking about what Kim said. She has a point, even if I don’t like to admit it. The thing is, it’s easy to pretend I’m brave when it’s just talk. But when it’s for real? Risking everything is hard.
Love.
She’s right that I still love him, and Nate will always be powerful and wealthy. So my course is clear: I have to overcome my hang-ups if I want to be with the man I love.
Do I really think he’s going to be another Chadwick?
The deepest part of my heart says no. Chad never put my needs above his. Nate has done that more than once. And he probably couldn’t find a good way to destroy my illusions about my dad. To be honest, it’s partly Mom’s fault, too. She should’ve said something a long time ago. Or—at the very least—when I called to let her know Dad had reappeared. A petty part wants to lay all the blame on her, even though I know it’s unreasonable. She did what she thought best out of her desire to make me feel good about my parents when I was growing up. I can’t really stay angry at her for too long about it.
What do you want, Evie? To cling to your fear or to live your life with the man you love?
I hear the roar of Bugatti. Nate’s home. I sit up, my palms sweaty, my heart racing.
The door opens, and Nate walks in. I inhale deeply.
“Evie,” he says.
“Nate.” I gesture awkwardly in the general direction of numerous seats we have in the living room. “We should talk.”
He nods. “We should.” He comes to me, then crouches in front of my chair. He reaches out and holds my hands in his, his eyes bright and determined.
My pulse throbs hard with anticipation and a tinge of uncertainty.
“I’ve thought long and hard about what you said, and you’re right. I should’ve told you the truth. I should’ve treated you like an adult who deserved to know the real deal, no matter how unpleasant it was.”
“Thank you,” I say, touched he’s saying this, especially since I can tell he’s sincere. It soothes the frayed edges of my nerves.
“And I understand your fear of the power I have—what my money represents.”
I bite my lower lip. I didn’t know he understood, not really.
“So…” He takes a deep breath. “I decided to take it out of the equation.”
What? How can he just remove something that’s been part of him since he was born?
“I had a long meeting with Ken Honishi.”
“The lawyer?” I ask, my nerves growing taut. Is he talking an annulment? Custody of the baby? But how do either of those relate to—
“I signed everything I have over to you, Evie. All the money and the power it represents are yours.”
I stare. His words penetrate, my brain is translating them for me, but somehow they don’t compute. Nobody gives away billions of dollars!
When I don’t respond, he adds, “Literally everything. This house. The cars. All my clothes.” He gestures at his own outfit. “Technically I shouldn’t even be wearing these because they’re yours. Even my underwear.”
“Oh my God.” I’m shaking all over. Even my heart feels jittery. How could he do this? It’s crazy. Maddening. Humbling. And I know this is the man I’ll always love, till the moment I draw my final breath. “Take it back, Nate!”
He shrugs. “Can’t. You know Ken. He does impeccable work.”
“Tell him no.”
“It’s a done deal.” He takes my hand between his palms. “Evie, I love you. All that I have means nothing without you in my life.”
“But Nate, I didn’t… I never wanted this. I didn’t do it because I wanted your money.”
“I know, but that’s why I love you. You don’t care about any of that.”
He goes on his knees.
My heart is thundering, and it’s a miracle I can hear anything over the roaring in my head.
“I’m doing a terrible job of this, but I want you to know I love you,” he says. “Will you marry me?” He pulls out a four-leaf clover. “I made a loop. YouTube had a tutorial on how to make a clover ring, but I wanted to get one with four leaves for luck. Just in case. Took me friggin’ hours. I thought about a Tiffany ring, but then I realized spending your money to get you a ring would be wrong.”
Laughter and hot emotions swell like a tide. “You silly man. You didn’t have to do this.”
“I did, and I do. I want you to have peace of mind.” He smiles. “I also wanted to make sure you take me back. In case you didn’t know, I don’t draw salary for the work I do. So if you don’t take me back, I’m going to be homeless.”
“You won’t be homeless!”
“And naked.”
“That’s—”
“Left swinging in the wind. Like,
literally. Because I’m naked. You getting an image…?”
“Shut up.” Tears sting my eyes and nose. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
“Crazy in love with you. Evie, say you’ll marry me.”
“Of course I’ll marry you. I love you too much not to, and there’s no way I’m letting any other woman see you naked.” I extend my hand. “Put that ring on me.”
He slides the four-leaf clover on my finger. It fits perfectly. And I couldn’t have asked for a better proposal.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Nate
It’s our wedding day—with the proper ceremony Evie deserves.
No expense is spared. Well, she tried to spend some of the billions that are rightfully hers now, but Barron overrode her and decided to pay for it—with the attendant garish ice swans and fountains. He insisted on a yacht wedding, and I told her to just go with it because that’s easier than fighting, unless she really doesn’t want the ice swans and fountains.
Barron also included Mari in the planning. Evie and Mari’s relationship is slightly strained, but they’re working it out. Evie’s slowly accepting that her mom did what she did to protect her, even though part of her still resents the deception.
Although I could only afford the four-leaf clover ring, Evie gave me a stunning platinum band with onyx stones around it to cement our commitment. I admire the ring as I drink a celebratory brandy in my cabin. The sunlight reflects just so, making the band sparkle brightly.
Dane gives me a look. “What’s that ring? You aren’t even married yet.”
“We are married. We’re just doing the ceremony. And it’s from Evie. She gave it to me.” I grin. “She’s so good to me.”
Pure disgust crosses his face. “You’re pathetic. Pussy-whipped.”
“Wow. I don’t know if a guy who drives a pink car has the right to say stuff like that to another man.”
“That’s not my car.” He bristles.
“Uh-huh. Keep kidding yourself,” I say, taking half a step back. Dane has a mean right hook. I like my nose exactly the way it is, thank you very much.
