Now, well, she’d been here a couple weeks and knew she was tempting fate with each additional day she stayed.
Sophie had texted her brothers and asked how soon they could get to New York. She’d told them everything and pleaded with them to help her with Nigel. Maybe that was still a coward’s way out to have backup, but she was desperate to hold on to the best thing that had ever happened to her.
Hopefully Vaughn and Kellan could be here tomorrow and Sophie could get all of her lies out in the open and tell Nigel exactly who she was and why she’d deceived him. She had to make him understand that every part of what happened between them was real—especially the part where she was falling in love with him.
Until all of this mess was over, Sophie wasn’t going to be able to relax. And now she had to watch out for more Miranda sightings. Perhaps she should stay in her office or, better yet, feign sickness and head to her penthouse where she could hide out until she could confront Nigel.
Either way, Sophie was walking a thin line and at any second she could fall off and get lost in her web of deceit.
* * *
Nigel had just eased into the back of his car when his cell rang. He’d spent twelve hours at the office today trying to formulate a game plan for some grand going away party for Seraphina. Of course, the event would be aired, but the show needed to be the grandest of all. A black-and-white cocktail party at the Waldorf? A luau in Hawaii? He wasn’t sure what would be the best, but he did plan on getting Roslyn’s take on several ideas.
As his driver pulled away from the curb, Nigel answered his phone without looking.
“Nigel Townshend.”
“Always so professional.”
He smiled at his sister’s teasing tone. “Aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon?”
“I’m in Morocco now,” she told him. “We just arrived after a couple days in Spain. It was beautiful, by the way, thanks for asking.”
Nigel laughed and settled into his seat. He dropped his head back and closed his eyes. He’d take even a second of relaxation at this point. Trying to figure out ways to save his show from plummeting into an abyss while losing one of their top cast members was quite stressful.
Which was just another reason he couldn’t wait to see Roslyn. She always made things seem better, brighter.
“So why are you calling your brother when you should be spending time in newly wedded bliss?”
“Are you alone?” she asked.
“I just left the office, so I’m with my driver.” Alarm bells went off in his head. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but I’m worried about you.”
“Me? Why?”
Ellen sighed. “You remember how I kept saying Roslyn looked familiar to me?”
“I do.”
“I don’t know how to tell you this,” she murmured.
Nigel sat up and gripped his cell. “Just say it,” he demanded. That trickle of fear down his spine had him on edge.
“Her real name is Sophie Blackwood.”
Blackwood. As in... Miranda’s late ex?
“She’s actually a famous designer,” Ellen went on. “I was watching one of my favorite YouTube channels on the plane and that was when it hit me. She has a massive following on her channel Dream It, Live It. I’ve watched so many of her design videos that I should have recognized her right off the bat, but she’s altered her look. She’s not a blond naturally and she doesn’t usually wear glasses.”
Nigel rubbed his forehead as his sister’s words settled in.
“Are you positive?” he asked, hoping she wasn’t, but knowing she was or she never would’ve called.
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
Nigel’s chest constricted. His driver continued toward Roslyn’s penthouse. No, Sophie Blackwood’s penthouse.
Why the deception? Because of Miranda? To get back at her for some reason? He didn’t know the answers, but he sure as hell deserved them...starting with why she had used him, going so far as to tell him she was falling in love with him.
Going so far as to sleep with him over and over.
Nigel clenched his jaw and willed himself to remain calm. He had to talk to Roslyn...or whatever the hell she wanted to call herself. He had to hear her side, though he couldn’t imagine there was a defense strong enough to make him forget what she’d done or warrant forgiveness.
“Nigel,” Ellen said. “Are you still there?”
“I’m here. I’m on my way to her penthouse right now.”
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I don’t want you hurt.”
Hurt? Yeah, he was, but bloody furious might be closer to his current mood.
“Will you text or call me later?” she asked. “I’m worried about you.”
“I’ll be fine,” he lied. “Thank you for telling me—you did the right thing. Go enjoy your honeymoon and we’ll talk when you get back.”
Nigel disconnected the call and immediately typed in Dream It, Live It in his phone’s browser. His heart sank when a smiling brunette popped up onto the screen. She casually leaned against the side of a pale yellow sofa. She wore a pretty floral dress with very little makeup and she was actually barefoot and holding a glass of wine. She had her head tipped just so and a perfect smile for the camera.
This was his Roslyn.
No. This was Sophie Blackwood with millions of followers. She was clearly a major success—and not at all in need of a job. Yet, she’d come to Green Room Media and infiltrated herself as a consultant, going so far as to sleep with her boss...and for what? Obviously something to do with Miranda, but Nigel didn’t know why he’d gotten involved in this family drama.
He clicked through the different thumbnail photos of the videos. She certainly did look different with all that rich dark hair.
Bloody hell. She looked sexier, more natural.
And he still got that tug of arousal when he saw that smile and those curves. No amount of betrayal could turn that off.
“Sir, should I wait?”
Nigel realized the car had come to a stop. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and reached for the handle.
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be,” he replied. “Just don’t go too far.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nigel had no clue what would happen once he confronted Ms. Blackwood. Right now she felt like a total stranger. He’d told her he wanted to get to know her more on a deeper level, but he’d had no idea he didn’t know her at all. He hadn’t even known her damn name.
Everything over the past few weeks had been a lie and Nigel wasn’t leaving here until he got the answers he deserved.
* * *
The guard had alerted Sophie to a visitor and Sophie granted him permission to come on up. She glanced around the penthouse and onto the balcony where she’d set up a late-night dinner. She knew Nigel had been working so hard.
She wanted to do something for him to let him know she admired the way he juggled everything. She also wanted to pamper him just a bit.
Vaughn and Kellan had reluctantly agreed to come tomorrow, so this would be the last night Sophie would have with Nigel before he discovered the truth. She just wanted one more magical evening with the man she loved before she potentially lost him forever.
A heavy lump of guilt settled in her throat. Time was running out and she would have to make the most of every moment tonight.
When the elevator chimed and slid open, she glanced across the penthouse as Nigel stepped out. He’d clearly been raking his hands through his hair. The stress of the show was getting to him. She offered a smile, but it dropped into a worried frown when he didn’t return the gesture.
“Rough day?” she asked.
“You could say that.”
Sophie crossed to the island bar and grabbed the drink she’d made for him.
“I thought you could start with a nice bourbon before dinner,” she told him, handing him the tumbler of amber liquid. “I’ve set us up over next to the balcony so we can still see the beautiful view, but not freeze.”
Nigel tipped back the drink and sat the glass back on the bar. He shoved his hands in his pockets, but remained silent. Work must have really kicked him down today. She’d never seen him so worn or quiet.
“I have good news,” she told him. “I got in touch with my brothers and they can be here tomorrow. I’d love for us to all do a nice dinner if you think you can leave the office early enough.”
She turned toward the island to start filling the plates with pasta.
“Your brothers,” he repeated slowly. “Would that be Vaughn and Kellan Blackwood?”
The plate dropped from her grasp and shattered onto the floor.
“And that would make you Sophie,” he added.
Sophie glanced over her shoulder. Nigel held up his phone to show her a muted video from her YouTube channel.
“I had no idea you were so popular until I discovered this,” he went on. “Sophie Blackwood, a YouTube sensation and brilliant interior designer.”
Sophie gripped the edge of the counter. “Give me a second to explain.”
“A second? Oh, I think you’d need much longer than that, don’t you? I mean, you’ve clearly been planning this for a long time.” He dropped his arm and shoved the phone back into his pocket. “How long would you have gone on with this charade, Roslyn?”
Tears pricked her eyes, but she needed to put up a strong front and not be seen as weak. She needed him to understand her actions, her reasoning. He understood family loyalty, didn’t he?
“That’s why I wanted you to meet my brothers,” she explained. “I wanted to tell you everything with them here so they could help me explain what we were up against.”
Sophie started to step toward him, but glanced to the shards of the broken plate near her bare feet.
“You’re going to cut yourself.”
Nigel muttered a curse under his breath and stepped over the mess, the broken plate crunching beneath his shoes. He gripped her by the waist and lifted her up and over, setting her down safely a good distance away.
Even in his anger, he was still a gentleman. How could she not be in love with him? He obviously cared for her or her actions wouldn’t have hurt him so much.
That sliver of information gave her hope. She knew he’d be hurt no matter how he discovered the truth, but she just wished she could’ve been the one to tell him. Now the betrayal seemed so much harsher.
“Who told you?” she asked.
Nigel shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. You’re the one who lied and used me.”
Sophie recalled the flash of red yesterday.
“Miranda,” she murmured.
“What?”
Sophie held his gaze. “Miranda told you, didn’t she? I saw her at the office yesterday.”
Nigel’s eyes widened. “You saw her and didn’t say anything? Afraid of getting caught?”
“I have valid reasons for everything I did.”
The muscle in Nigel’s jaw clenched and he propped his hands on his hips. “Miranda didn’t tell me anything, so clearly she doesn’t know you’re here.”
In that case, Sophie had no idea how he found out, but it really didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she’d hurt him. She had to find a way to make him understand why she’d done this. Would he believe her if she told him she’d give up the vendetta against Miranda for a second chance with him?
At this point, no. The shocking news was too fresh, the pain too raw.
“My father’s will left everything to Miranda,” Sophie started. “My brothers and I got nothing.”
“So you’re seeking revenge as some sort of poor little rich girl?”
Sophie swallowed and blinked back unshed tears. “I know that’s what it looks like, but the money has nothing to do with it. Miranda doesn’t deserve anything from my father. She just married him for the fortune—the ranch and all of its history mean nothing to her. She has my childhood home and everything else that should remain in the Blackwood family.”
Nigel stared at her from the slit in his lids. “So you came here to what? Find dirt on Miranda and then blackmail her into giving you back what you want? That sounds petty and childish.”
“No, it sounds like my brothers and I want our home back. We want to be able to keep that in the family,” she cried. “Miranda doesn’t care about Royal like we do. She has her own life, her own empire. My brother and his wife are expecting a child and we want to carry on the Blackwood legacy.”
Sophie stared at him, waiting for some sign that he understood where she was coming from. That he might get her loyalty wasn’t a bad thing even if she’d made a bad choice.
“And did you find what you were looking for?” he finally asked.
Sophie crossed her arms over her chest. “No. I didn’t find anything negative on Miranda. And I certainly wasn’t looking to fall in love.”
Nigel let out a humorless laugh and turned from her. “Don’t throw that word out, not now. You don’t know what love is. You don’t lie to the people you love and you sure as hell don’t deceive them.”
Sophie took a few steps forward, close enough that she could reach out and place her hand on his rigid back. He stiffened even more, but he didn’t turn to face her.
“I never meant to deceive you,” she stated. “When I applied for the job at Green Room Media, I wanted to talk to people, get some scoop against Miranda. I never ever thought I’d be working that closely with you.”
“Yet you did.” Now he did turn, causing her hand to fall away. “You got close to me. You slept with me and for all I know that was part of the plan.”
He shook his head and raked both hands over his messy hair. “Once you realized you’d be working one-on-one with me, I’m sure that just fit right into your deceit. I mean, who better to get gossip from than the CEO? No one in the company has spent more time with Miranda than me. Giving your virginity was above and beyond, though.”
“Stop,” she ordered, the pain slicing her heart too deep. “I never wanted to be with a man until I met you. I knew in the end you’d find out who I was, but by the time I realized I loved you, it was too late for there to be any easy way to come clean. I was afraid of ruining things between us, so I didn’t know how to tell you the truth. But you have to know that I couldn’t have given myself to you had I not fallen so hard.”
“All of this is so convenient,” he mocked. “You just land a job with me, have access to nearly everything regarding the show and you get a free trip to Cumbria. I can’t believe I was so naive not to trust my gut when I wondered if this was too good to be true.”
“We don’t have to be over,” she said, her voice softening as the gnawing ache threatened to constrict her. “I know you’re angry and confused and hurting. I also know I don’t deserve to ask anything of you, but I’m asking that you take time and think before you just throw me out of your life.”
“You think any of this is up to me?” he snarled. “I’m not the one who threw this all away. You did. You could’ve told me at any point over the past weeks who you really were, but you opted not to. Or, hell, at the very least you could’ve told me when you claimed you started falling in love with me.”
“Looking back, I see that,” she admitted. “But that would have meant letting down my family—choosing you over the promise I made to them. I told my brothers I would follow through and find the information we needed. I didn’t want to let them down.”
Maybe appealing to the side of family loyalty would get him to see she wasn’t a complete monster.
“I’m the same person you were with in Cumbria,” she told him. “I never lied to you about my feelings.”
“You’re not the same person at all,” he countered. “I didn’t even know your name.”
Shame consumed her and she nodded. “But you know my touch and you know I love you. If you think back to our time together, you’ll see that. You remembered what I said about that single stem, you know my food quirks, you know how well we mesh on a business level. We work together perfectly from every angle. Once you get beyond the shock and the anger, I hope you’ll realize that no matter what happens, I’ll always love you.”
He said nothing, just continued to stare at her. Sophie wanted so badly to reach for him, to have him wrap his arms around her and tell her that he didn’t hate her, that they would work this out.
But that was foolish thinking. His forgiveness was something she didn’t deserve.
“I don’t need to meet your brothers,” Nigel finally said. “Needless to say, you’re no longer welcome at Green Room Media and you’re no longer part of my life. So go back to Texas and deal with your family drama there, but leave me out of it.”
Without another word, he turned and headed to the elevator. Sophie watched as he stepped in and didn’t even look back at her. She kept waiting, hoping for something else, but there was nothing. He’d literally cut her out just that fast.
The moment the doors slid closed behind him, Sophie let the tears fall. She’d brought all of this upon herself. There was nothing to show for her efforts—no dirt on Miranda and no relationship with Nigel. She was literally going back to Royal empty-handed, alone and in worse shape than when she’d arrived in New York.
Sophie turned toward the kitchen and stopped when she noticed the broken plate. Clearly the only thing she was good at lately was destroying everything around her. She only wished her heart would be as easy to clean up as this dish.
Sixteen
In the five days since he’d seen Sophie, Nigel still couldn’t bring himself to go up to the penthouse of his own office building. The one space he’d always gone to for solace now held memories too painful to revisit.
He stared out the window of his office, watching the snow swirl around, remembering how the flakes would stick to Sophie’s lashes.
From Boardroom to Bedroom Page 13
