“The clause that says you have to remain single for the duration of our contract.”
“We were together during our contract.”
“That’s different. I was choosing not to enforce it then, but I must insist on enforcing it now.”
“There was nothing like that in the contract I signed!” Angus growled.
Clara leaned back. “Don’t believe me?” She dug in her bag and pulled out an envelope. “How about you check that over and get back to me. In the meantime, this engagement is over. Penelope, you should pack your bags and go home. Oh, and you’ll be hearing from my lawyer. I don’t care if I win the case. I only care about ruining you financially.”
“Your lawyer is probably going to be too busy trying to keep you out of prison,” Penelope said.
Clara threw her head back and cackled. It was so cliché that Penelope chuckled with her.
“What’s going on?” Angus asked Penelope.
Penelope palmed Angus’s cheek. “Be patient and trust me. Okay?”
Angus nodded, but the puzzled look on his face remained.
Clara rolled her eyes. “I’ve got his contract. I’ve followed it. There is nothing to go to prison for.”
Penelope tilted her head. “Really?” She nodded, and Barb walked over and handed her a large file. “See, I kept wondering how you could get away with so much. It must have been the accountant in me that simply didn’t buy what you were selling. I’ve dealt with snakes like you. They all have one thing in common. Confidence and the honest belief that they’ll never get caught.”
Clara lifted an eyebrow and pursed her lips. “You’ve got nothing.”
“Actually, I’ve got everything.”
For a second, fear flashed in Clara’s eyes, but she quickly recovered.
“You see, I thought it was odd that your contract with Angus was so tight that there was no way out. It’s a service contract, which means he’s your client. The way you treated him, though, was more like he was your indentured servant. That didn’t sit well with me.”
“They had a lawyer look at it. That contract is solid.”
“You’re right. They did have a lawyer look at it, but let’s stop with the contract for a moment. We’ll come back to it later.”
Clara looked at the cameraman. “Turn that stupid thing off.”
Barb nodded, and the man shut down the camera. What Clara didn’t know was that they’d parked cameras other places, and those were still running.
Penelope continued. “When I got poisoned with Mexican Tea Oil and then my insulin was switched out, it dawned on me that those stalker letters only changed in tone when Angus began hanging around me. I got sick twice. I nearly died the second time. It made me curious as to where you traveled in the days prior to those incidents.”
Clara shook her head. “I don’t have to listen to these lies.” She turned, and two of the crew members stopped her.
“I think you’ll want to hear the rest.”
“Fine. It’s not like you have anything.” Clara turned and faced her.
“You traveled to Mexico right before my creamer was poisoned, and you were in Hawaii around that time. You were also in Montana the week my insulin was switched.”
“That’s a coincidence.”
Penelope nodded. “Okay, we’ll go with that.”
Clara crossed her arms over her chest. The woman had confidence in spades. “What else?”
“You made Angus sick. You exhausted him, and it was only to make him suffer. I didn’t like that.”
“So? He belongs to me. I’ve got the contract to prove it.”
Penelope slipped her hand into Angus’s. “No, he doesn’t. He’s free of you.”
Lines creased on Angus’s forehead, and his gaze became intense. “What?”
“I’m sorry. I wish I didn’t have to tell you this.” Penelope chewed her bottom lip and then directed her attention back to Clara. “You got careless. Barb had a friend in the transportation department do a little digging. Imagine our surprise when you were captured coming in and out of the PO box business where each of the stalker letters came from. I bet that hundred mile trek each way was a killer.”
Clara blanched.
Penelope held up a finger. “Oh, but that’s not the best part.”
A tall, burly man in an expensive-looking suit came walking into the great room.
“I’d like you to meet Paul W. Greer, Esquire. He has a lovely law practice in Atlanta, Georgia, and when we asked him for a second opinion on this contract, he said it has been null and void for the last two years. Since the day you began representing your good friend Timothy Gallows.” She lifted an eyebrow. “And that lawyer feeding Angus lies this whole time? He’s having a long conversation with the fine officers of the Los Angeles Police Department. I also hear he’ll be having a meet and greet with the California State Bar about his law license.”
Angus inhaled sharply and looked dazed. “What?”
“And then, to top off all the horrible things you’d done, you roped his best friend into helping you.” Penelope looked at Finn. “You should be ashamed. He trusted you, and you let this woman hurt him over and over again.”
Angus blinked as his gaze landed on Finn. “Finn?”
“I don’t know what she’s talking about,” Finn said, taking a step back as he held his hands up. “I wasn’t helping Clara.”
“Well, with the documentation, pictures, and statements I have in this file, I’m sure the district attorney in California will be happy to discuss with you the definition of aiding and abetting in an attempted murder. Because you helped her with getting my insulin switched out, which nearly killed me.” An officer took Finn by the arm, and he flinched.
Penelope walked to Clara. “Not only are you going to prison, but you’re going to spend the rest of your life compensating Angus for the breach of contract and paying him back for all the money you stole from him.” She smiled. “And also, you didn’t pay your taxes for the last four years. That wonderful accountant you had didn’t file your taxes, and all that money you paid him bought him a lovely home and memorable vacations. He’s getting a visit from the IRS, and so are you.”
Two more officers walked up behind Clara and took her by the arms.
Penelope grinned. “Let’s see how you like getting your wings pulled off, jailbait.”
The satisfaction of seeing Clara carted off by the police made Penelope’s heart dance. Angus was free. He could continue acting…or not. They could be together without interference from Clara.
Angus had given Penelope back her voice and had shown her she was worthy to be loved and loved well. Giving him this was the best thing she could have hoped for, aside from spending her life with him.
Chapter 52
Angus walked to the couch and sat down hard with his head in his hands. His heart hammered in his chest, and his thoughts were muddled. Shock. He was in complete and absolute shock. He’d heard every word that came out of Penelope’s mouth, but it seemed too good to be true.
Freedom from Clara. He was numb.
He’d spent years controlled by her. Wanting to get away and live his life without her around. Free. No more waiting for the next hammer to drop. No more cruel tricks or dealing with her hate. He was actually free.
His head began to swim, and the headache that had been building thumped behind his eyes.
Penelope knelt in front of him. “I’m so sorry about Finn, and if you hate me, I understand. I couldn’t let her keep hurting you.”
“I’m free,” he whispered.
“Yeah, you are.”
“Are you sure?”
Penelope directed his attention to the lawyer behind her.
Mr. Greer walked up to them. “Yes, Mr. MacLachlan, that contract wasn’t worth a dime. The moment Ms. Brighton began representing Timothy Gallows, she was in breach of the exclusivity clause. She was to be your exclusive agent. If you want, I’ll handle it and any subsequent lawsuits should you wish to
proceed with any.”
Angus nodded. “I’m really free.”
Mr. Greer smiled. “Oh yeah. You can do whatever you want now.”
He pressed his palm to his forehead. “I’ve got a headache.”
Penelope took his face in her hands. “You look like you need to lie down for a bit.”
“Aye.”
She dropped her hands as they stood, and he leaned on her.
“My head really hurts.”
With her help, he stumbled to his room and sat on the bed. It shouldn’t have been such a shock. He shouldn’t have reacted the way he did, but he’d lived under Clara’s thumb for so long that the idea of being free was almost impossible to comprehend.
He stretched out on the bed and covered his eyes with his arm.
“Angus, here,” Penelope said as she moved his arm to place a cold washcloth over his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
He choked on a laugh and pulled the rag off, squinting at her. “Upset me? Finn was helping her. I should have seen it. He was always pushing me to her, and he was trying to push me away from you the moment he got here.”
Barb walked in with a glass of water and aspirin. He leaned up and tossed the pills back, took a gulp of water, and handed the glass back.
“Thanks.” Penelope smiled at her.
Barb winked and left.
“Lie back down.” Penelope covered his eyes with the rag again. “This was a lot to deal with. I’m going to go and let you rest.”
“Please stay.” Angus slid his arm around her waist.
“Okay.”
“I’m in shock.” He pulled the rag away again and sat up. “How did you do that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I love you, and seeing her hurt you didn’t work for me. Barb and I hatched a plan about a week ago after she did her little stunt with Tom. Barb got a second opinion, and we dug until we knew she’d get what was coming to her.”
“I can’t believe you did it.”
“Once we knew about the contract, we knew there would be more.”
He palmed his forehead and grimaced.
“We can talk later.”
“Thank you, Penelope. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you enough.” He dropped back on the bed.
Penelope took the rag from his hands and laid it over his eyes again. She glanced at the cameraman and bent down with her lips next to his ear. “I have a few ideas, but if it’s okay with you, I’d like to wait until we’re married.”
Angus grinned. “Aye.”
“Now stop talking, or your headache is never going to go away.”
“I love you, Penelope Cooper.” He tugged her to him, and she rested her head on his chest. “I love you more than anything on this earth.”
Angus took a deep breath. Eventually, his headache eased enough that he dozed off. When he woke up, he was alone, and his door was shut. His first thought was to rush out and find Penelope, but he wanted to change clothes first. Once he was dressed in jeans and a pullover, he set off for the back patio.
The second he stepped out of his room, Barb stopped him. “You feeling okay?”
“Better than I have in years.”
She smiled. “You have a girl to propose to.”
“Aye.”
“We’re going to film it. I like the idea of the two of you nestled together. I thought your fans might too. I know it’s invasive, but if we don’t give them an ending, we might have a mob.”
Angus nodded. “I know. I don’t mind so much, and I don’t think she does either. She knows what I do for a living. She’s not going to try to make me chose. I can love her and acting. I’ll just love her more.”
“I knew you were smart.”
“Will you be my agent again?”
Barb cocked an eyebrow. “I’m a producer now.”
Angus turned on his best pout. “Please?”
She rolled her eyes. “Let me think about it.”
“All jokes aside. You should know up front that she’ll come first. My decisions will all be made with her in mind.”
Barb cast her gaze to the floor and nodded. “I said let me think about it.”
“But you’ll do it.”
She winked. “Go finish this show.”
“Aye,” he said and set off for Penelope with the camera crew following him.
He stopped at the door as his gaze landed on her. She was asleep on the patio, curled up in a chair with a blanket pulled around her. He stood and watched her for a moment. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember ever seeing a woman more beautiful than her.
Chapter 53
Penelope’s eyes flew open the moment her body began lifting out of the chair. After Angus had fallen asleep, she’d changed clothes and sat outside in front of the fireplace.
“I think I fell asleep,” she said.
Angus kissed her forehead. “You did.” He put his lips to her ear. “They’re filming. Just so you know.”
She nodded, and when they stopped moving, Angus was holding her, and she was sitting in his lap. “What time is it?”
“About six in the evening. I think we were both tired.”
She chuckled. “You were in shock, and I went from wired to barely able to hold my head up.”
Angus smoothed her hair back. “I know I’ve already said thank you, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
Palming the side of his face, she said, “You don’t have to keep saying it. I know.”
He inhaled deeply and then let it out slowly. So much sorrow ebbed from him. “I can’t believe Finn helped her. He was more like a brother than a friend.”
She placed the flat of her hand on his chest. “I’m so sorry.”
“Did you and Barb work together?” he asked as he tilted his head.
“When I returned from the hospital, I asked Barb about the contract. That’s when we started working on it. After Clara pushed you so hard, I was determined to get you away from her.”
Angus nodded.
She combed her fingers through the end of his hair, wrapping a lock around her finger. “You were so sick that first day. And then when you talked to Clara after that thing with Tom, it was like you were walking around with the world on your shoulders. Clara had to go. She’d meddled long enough.”
He tightened his hold on her and kissed her. “After we’re married, I’m going to need at least a week to give you a proper thank you.”
“I’m pretty sure I deserve at least two weeks.”
Angus chuckled. “I wholeheartedly agree.”
“Oh!” He dug in his coat pocket and pulled out a box.
Her heart fluttered as he opened it. Inside was a beautiful yet simple diamond ring.
“This little ring has been in my family for years. Duff was supposed to give it to Annis, but she didn’t want a diamond. She wanted a simple wedding band. So, it passed to me. It was my great-grandmother’s.”
“It’s so delicate and pretty.”
“Like you.” Angus took the ring out of the box. “Penelope Cooper, will you marry me?”
“Yes.” Yes! Yes! Yes!
The moment the ring was snug on her finger, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I love you.”
“Big wedding or small?”
“Small.”
“Fancy or plain?”
“Plain, but pretty.”
“Twelve weeks?”
“Seems about our speed.”
He plunged his hand into her hair and kissed her.
Her heart hammered in her chest at the thought of getting married in twelve weeks. To anyone else, it would be nothing short of impossible, but with Angus…it was almost too long.
“Would you be okay if we stayed a while when we get to Scotland?” Angus asked.
“We can stay as long as you want.”
He pressed his forehead against hers. “Thank you, Penelope.”
“My assistant manager has wanted to buy my business fo
r a few years now. She’ll jump at the chance. As long as we can take George, we can stay forever.”
Angus hugged her and buried his face in her neck. “You keep doing things for me, and I feel I’m doing nothing for you.”
“Promise to do the dishes, cook at least once a week, and make love to me every night.”
He leaned back and grinned. “Is that all?”
“Depends on how good a cook you are.”
“And the last one?”
“Well, if you aren’t any good at the last one, we’ll work on it until you are.”
Angus’s laugh was low and throaty. When he looked at her, his eyes twinkled. “Aye, my bonnie lass. You and I are going to have a lot of fun.”
“I have a feeling we are.”
Penelope balled his shirt in her fists and brought his lips down to hers. He’d love her, and she’d love him. It was a deal sealed with a kiss.
* * *
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Turn the page, and read the first chapter of Mending the Billionaire Scotsman now. Will Paige manage to change Penelope’s mind…or will she find a little magic in the Scottish Highlands.
Sneak Peek! Mending the Billionaire Scotsman Chapter 1
Fat drops of rain hit the window and rolled down as Paige Cooper waited for her business partner and best friend, Sarah Freeman. They’d agreed to meet for breakfast two doors down from their travel agency. The scent of coffee and fresh baked pastries filled the air of the small bistro and made her stomach grumble.
“Come on, Sarah, my stomach is about to cannibalize itself.” Paige set her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand, puffing a piece of hair out of her face. She looked out the window and settled her gaze on a palm tree across the street.
Her twin sister was getting married. In fact, Penelope had left two days prior to meet movie actor Angus MacLachlan’s family in Scotland. Paige could still see the hurt in her eyes when Paige adamantly refused to attend. It’s nuts. Paige had flung the words like darts.
Mending The Billionaire Movie Star (MacLachlan Brothers Romance Book 1) Page 26
