A Deception of Massive Proportion: A Romantic Comedy (The Billionaire Club Book 3)

by Victorine E. Lieske

  Her stomach lurched, and she thought she would get sick. What was she going to do? Her hands shook as she tried to think of what she could say to Jalen. But there was nothing she could say that would make it better. She’d ruined his life, and any second now he would find out.

  As she neared the resort her phone buzzed and she looked down. It was a text from Jalen.

  Don’t bother coming to talk. There’s no longer anything to discuss.

  A numbness started in her fingers and worked its way over her body. Jalen knew. He’d seen the article and knew she was the one who wrote it. Riley wanted to scream. This was not how things were supposed to go. She wasn’t going to submit it. She wanted more than anything to take it back. To rewind and go back to last night, before she’d decided to type it up. If she could just have that moment back, she would do things differently. She wouldn’t have written it.

  Her ribs squeezed her, making it impossible to breathe. She couldn’t do this. How could she face him, after this? Yet, how could she leave, without saying anything? Each step she took brought her closer to him. Closer to the conversation she knew she had to have, until she stood at his door, her heart in her throat.

  She raised her hand to knock, but then hesitated, still unsure of what she would say. A trail of water ran down her cheek. She hadn’t even noticed how soaked she was. Tendrils of wet hair hung limp in her face, and she brushed them back. She could hear Sir Barks making a racket behind the door. So much for standing there, unnoticed. Before she could think about what to do, the door opened, and Jalen stood there, his Shadow costume on, mask in place. He took a step back, his expression hooded.

  “Can I come in? I need to talk to you.”

  Sir Barks yipped out a happy greeting, jumping on her pant legs. Drops of water hit him, and he stood back and shook them off. Jalen just stared at her, his jaw working. For a moment she thought he was going to say no, but then he nodded and took a step back, letting her inside. Maybe because she looked pitiful as a drowned rat.

  She crossed the room, then turned to him. Now that she was face to face with him, she had no words. What does one say to someone after lying to them and totally ruining their career? She balked, but forced words out anyway.

  “I didn’t mean to.” Oh, nice one. Out of all the things she could have said, that’s what flew out of her mouth? She wanted to die.

  He took a step toward her, his expression not hidden by his mask. “What exactly didn’t you mean to do? The part where you came here under false pretenses, lied about being sent by the temp agency so you could get close to me, or the part where you told the entire world who I am?”

  He’d never raised his voice to her before. She stepped back from him. “The last one,” she said quietly.

  He cringed and pinched the bridge of his nose like he had a headache coming on. “I can’t believe you. Why are you here? Why didn’t you just leave?”

  She twisted her wet hands together. “I don’t want things to be like this between us.”

  He glared at her. “Between us? There is no us. There apparently never was.”

  “That’s not true.” She took a step toward him, her heart hammering out a quick rhythm. “My feelings for you are real.”

  He stared at her like he didn’t know what to think. “How can they be real? You lied to me. About everything.”

  “No. Not everything.” How could she make him see? She didn’t lie about the important things. She told him things she’d never told anyone.

  Skepticism narrowed his eyes, and he moved closer to her. “Did you know who Shadow Walker was before you arrived?”

  Guilt choked her. She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Did you wear fake glasses and put your hair up so I would believe you didn’t know Shadow?”

  Oh, man. She dropped her gaze to the floor. “Yes,” she said so quietly she barely could hear herself.

  “Did you lie about writing novels to cover up the fact that you’re a tabloid reporter?”

  Dang, he’d figured that one out too? “Yes,” she choked out.

  “Did you lie about listening to jazz and classical music?”

  She snapped her head up. “No. I like jazz and classical.”

  “Oh, well. There you go. I guess you didn’t lie about everything.” His words dripped of sarcasm.

  She exhaled, her shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah. Well, sorry isn’t going to give me my career back.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes, and a lump formed in her throat. If she could just go back to last night, she wouldn’t refuse his request to turn around. She would have told him to his face that she loved him, scars and all. She would have confessed to him, told him who she was, and maybe, just maybe, he would have forgiven her. But it was too late. She couldn’t go back.

  She couldn’t fix what she’d done.

  Jalen turned from her, resting his hand on the desk. “Just go. I don’t want to see you again.”

  Riley wanted to tell him how she was feeling. How devastated she was. But she had no words. Instead, she closed the gap between them and rested her hand on his. The contact with his skin made her heart race. There was so much she wanted to say, and yet, so much she couldn’t. “Jalen,” she whispered.

  He hung his head. “Don’t.”

  It was just one word, but it tore her heart into a million pieces. He wasn’t ever going to forgive her. She’d stabbed him in the back. Betrayed him. Broken him.

  Tears streaked down her face as she backed away from him…from everything they’d been together. Even though it had only been a few days, she had fully given her heart to him. She loved him. Needed him. She wanted him more than she thought a person could want another person. Her heart was fully entwined with his.

  And he hated her.

  Chapter 25

  Jalen had waited for an eternity to hear Riley speak his name. To have her finally know who the man was behind his mask. Too bad when she finally said it, it caused unimaginable pain to stab through him.

  She left, the door clicking closed behind her. He stood at the desk, shaking, for far too long before his phone rang, and it snapped him out of it. He looked at the screen but didn’t recognize the number. He swiped to answer. “Hello?”

  “Mr. Carter, I’m from the Daily World News, and I’d like you to confirm the rumor that you are, in fact, Shadow Walker.”

  Jalen scowled. “No comment.” He hung up the phone. Two seconds later, another call came in. He put his phone on silent and tossed it on his bed.

  He stared at the back of his hand, still wet from when Riley touched him. Still tingling from the contact. He wasn’t sure how he resisted pulling her into his arms. His body ached to have her. To hold her. He needed her.

  But she wasn’t who he had thought. The woman he loved was an illusion.

  His phone vibrated with another call. This wasn’t going to stop. He was revealed to the world, and now he had to figure out how he was going to handle the concert tonight. He’d signed a contract. He couldn’t back out of it, even though he felt like someone took a knife to his gut.

  He tore off his mask and tossed it. Maybe the rain would continue. Maybe they would call off the concert, and he could leave. He didn’t want to have to face anyone right now. He wanted to curl up and die.

  Riley stood at the back of the massive crowd. The rain had stopped, and a light breeze made her wish she’d brought a jacket. The sun was setting, and the last concert of the event was starting soon. She should have left the island on the afternoon plane, but her heart wouldn’t let her. Not when she was so worried about Jalen.

  He was supposed to be the first act tonight. As the seconds ticked by, with no one coming out on the stage, she was concerned he might back out of it. What if he’d packed his things and left on the plane? What if he went into hiding now that his identity was revealed?

  She’d heard snippets of people talking about her article. Everyone had read it. Now they were waiting to see who would come out
on stage. The noise from the audience rose as the time to start the concert came and went. Riley nervously shifted from one foot to the other. He couldn’t back out. Everyone was waiting for him.

  The crowd hushed as someone stepped onto the stage. Riley almost cried with relief. It was Jalen in his full Shadow outfit. He walked to the microphone at the center of the stage. “Good evening everyone.”

  “Take off your mask, Jalen!” someone shouted. “Yeah, stop lying to us!” someone else called.

  The audience came to life, screaming and shouting different things that blended together into one massive noise. Some called him a liar. Others shouted to have him leave the stage, while thers booed. Several people held up cell phones to record what was happening.

  Jalen held up his hand, but the crowd didn’t settle down. He waited for a moment, but when it didn’t look like the shouting would stop he began talking. “I know by now everyone has read the article that came out this morning.” The crowd hushed to hear what he was saying.

  “And I will take off my mask tonight,” he said, pointing in the direction that the comment had come from.

  Riley’s chest constricted as angry shouts and screams filled the air. He was going to reveal himself. She’d forced him into this. This was all her fault.

  “But first, I want to tell you about myself.” Jalen unhooked the microphone and began walking the stage. “When I was ten years old I was badly burned in a house fire.” Everyone quieted down, the crowd going still. More people held up their cell phones.

  “I lost my parents in that fire.” His voice cracked, and emotion choked Riley, her eyes filling with tears.

  “Music was my lifeline. No matter what, I could turn to music, and it would be there for me. Whenever I was sad, I would sing, and I would feel better. I went into the foster care system and was eventually adopted by a wonderful family who taught me that my scars didn’t matter. They loved me, regardless.

  “But as soon as I went out into the real world, I was taught a much different lesson. It didn’t matter how talented I was. I was rejected, repeatedly. I was told by a top music executive, who shall remain nameless, that I had massive talent, but I would never make it in the industry because of my face.”

  The crowd sucked in a collective breath, and murmurs broke out. “You can imagine how devastated I was. I thought that was it. I would never be able to do what I was born to do, because of the tragic accident so many years ago that left my face marred and my parents dead.”

  “I love you, Jalen,” a woman shouted, and the crowd grew noisy again.

  He held up a hand in response to her. “And I love you too, random person in the audience.”

  Laughter broke out. Riley couldn’t help but smile through her tears. Jalen paused and the crowd silenced again. The mood turned serious.

  “I want you to know that I didn’t put on a mask to fool anyone. I put on my mask because I desperately wanted to be able to sing. I took a chance when I entered the American Superstar contest. I never wanted to hurt you, my fans. I wanted to be free to share my songs. That’s all I ever wanted. And now, it’s time for my journey to come to an end. I will sing for you tonight, but not as Shadow Walker, masked ninja. I’m going to sing for you as plain old Jalen Carter.”

  Riley held her breath as Jalen slowly removed his mask and skullcap. The crowd was so quiet, she could hear his footsteps on the stage as he walked to the side and tossed his disguise away. Then he put the microphone back into the stand and picked up his guitar, his blonde hair flopping down over his scarred forehead.

  He began playing. Riley wiped at her tears, noticing a few others in the throng of people who were crying as well. Was this really his last concert? Was that what he meant by his journey coming to an end?

  Riley slipped away from the mass of people. She didn’t want to hear Jalen sing his last few songs. It was too heartbreaking, knowing he was giving up his career because of her. She couldn’t stand to be there, watching him saying good-bye. Yet she couldn’t force herself to go too far. She turned around at the edge of the beach and watched him perform.

  He seemed tentative at first, but as the song progressed, he got into it and fed off the energy from everyone. He was right. He was born to be a singer. You could tell he loved everything about music and performing. And the booing stopped. The audience clapped and cheered. Only once in a while did someone call out that he was a liar. Jalen ignored those.

  He sang three of his hit songs. When the last one was finished, he picked up the microphone. “I hope you’ve enjoyed my last performance. Next we’ll get to hear from the talented Colby King.”

  Tears streamed down her face as she watched Jalen disappear behind the stage. This was it. He wasn’t going to perform anymore. He was done.

  And it was all her fault.

  Chapter 26

  The sound of Colby King’s song faded as Jalen walked the path back to the resort. Taking off his mask in front of all those people had been incredibly difficult. He hadn’t realized how dependent he’d become on it. But singing without it had been freeing in some ways. The crowd still went wild when he sang his hit songs. They clapped and cheered for him. At least, most of them did. He hadn’t thought it possible.

  He reached his room and unlocked his door. Sir Barks was ready for him, sounding out a happy greeting. If he was depressed, his dog always knew how to cheer him up. He reached down and scratched behind his ears.

  For a split second, he wondered if Riley was still in the room next door, but he shook his head and scoffed. Why would he want to know that? She was the one who lied to him, got close to him, and exposed him to the world. He should hate her.

  He sighed and plopped down on his bed. Even though she’d lied and pretended to be someone else, he still missed her. He should have his head examined. How could you miss someone who didn’t actually exist? She’d been a phantom. A made-up persona.

  Sir Barks curled up on the bed beside him. Jalen laid back and petted his dog’s soft fur and tried not to think about how Riley’s nose wrinkled when she laughed. Or how her lips curved down when she was sad. Or how they felt pressed up against his own.

  Sir Barks jumped down from the bed and went to the sliding glass door. He whined and wagged his tail. Jalen sat up and looked at him. “Really? You want me to take you for a walk on the beach right now? Everyone is there for the concert. There won’t be any room for us.”

  He wiggled his butt and barked, and Jalen sighed. “When you gotta go, you gotta go.” He clipped on the leash and slid open the door. Sir Barks ran out and down the deck stairs. Maybe if he stuck to the shadows, he wouldn’t be accosted.

  It was dark now, the bright lights from the resort fading as he walked further away from the stage and the buildings. A woman approached him and waved as she grew closer. He could see she wore a shirt with the resort logo on it, and as he neared, he recognized her as the owner, Kay.

  “Jalen, so nice to see you. How was everything?” She brushed a strand of red hair from her face.

  “The resort was fantastic, as always.”

  “And…how did it go tonight? I wasn’t able to catch your performance.”

  Even Kay had read the article, apparently. “I guess it went well. I had some hecklers, but I guess that was to be expected.”

  “Will you come back next year?”

  He shook his head, dread pooling in his stomach. “No. I’m retiring. I think that’s probably the best thing right now, with everything that happened.”

  Kay’s eyebrows pulled together. “Why? You’re very talented. I don’t think you should retire.”

  Sir Barks tugged on the leash, but when he didn’t move, he began sniffing the sand. Jalen stared at Kay. “It’s not really my choice.”

  “Of course it is. Your talent should be shared with the world. Sure, you might have some people who turn against you, because some people are shallow. But you might be surprised at how many people will want to hear you sing, with or without a mask.”
<
br />   He had been surprised that he didn’t get completely booed off stage tonight. “Maybe.”

  “How’s everything going with that young woman you were with? I thought I saw you two getting close.”

  He let out a bitter chuckle. “Yeah, she was just using me to get a story. She was the one who wrote the article.”

  Kay squinted at him. “Really? I’m sorry. I thought you two looked good together.”

  He shrugged, unable to think of something to say in response. He’d thought they looked good together too. Unfortunately, she ripped out his heart and stomped on it.

  “I saw her just a few moments ago, and she looked pretty distraught.”

  Riley was still at the resort? The hole in his chest grew at the mention of her. Pain stabbed through him. “She wasn’t who I thought she was.”

  Even as he said the words, he knew they weren’t really true. He’d seen her true personality come through. There were many moments when he knew she was being real with him. When she’d let her guard down and had told him things. Intimate things. The kisses they’d shared. When she wouldn’t turn around and look at him after his mask was ripped off. All of these things were real. He hadn’t thought about it until now.

  Riley had been telling the truth. Not everything had been a lie.

  Kay slowly nodded, sympathy in her gaze. “Maybe things aren’t exactly black and white. I hope you don’t think I’m being too forward, but I kind of have a sixth sense about these things. I hope you consider giving her a chance to tell you her side of things.”

  He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He nodded, out of politeness.

  Kay gave him a small smile. “For what it’s worth, I think you should continue your singing career as well. At least see what your fans say, before you decide.”

  He stared down at Sir Barks, who was digging up shells. “I’ll think about it.”

  She gave him a small wave. “Have a nice evening.”

  “You, too.” Jalen wandered off, away from the crowds, a little dazed by the conversation. How had they even begun talking about Riley? And why did he feel a sudden urge to go looking for her? He didn’t want to see her. He was still immensely hurt by what she’d done.