I could see how she might think that. Once upon a time, so did I. “You’ve misjudged him. But I’m talking about the people who work at C.C. and will lose their jobs. I’m talking about myself and the humiliation you’ll put me and my family through. I don’t deserve to have my life ruined for your vindictive bullcrap.”
“Mr. Cole is responsible for this. Not me. So I suggest you talk to him.”
I shook my head. There was no getting through to this crazy woman. “He’s not a bad man, Nancy. And as much as I feel for you and the loss you’ve been through, I can’t believe for one moment that this will make you feel any better.” This book, hurting me, none of it would bring her sister back. “Why can’t you just let it go and move on?”
“You lose your sister like I did, then tell me all about moving on.”
I sighed. What she really wanted was the rest of the world to suffer with her. That’s what she wanted. “Then good luck to you, Nancy. I hope the damage you’ll do to thousands of people is worth it.”
“Fifty thousand dollars, Lily. That’s what it’s worth to you.”
“You’re trying to bribe me?” I seriously couldn’t believe it. And I had to wonder if she’d made the same offer to those other women. After all, Max had said he couldn’t understand why those women had turned on him.
“I’m giving you a chance to do what’s right and some money to start over,” she said. “Because he’s using you, Lily. He’s going to toss you aside when he’s done. That man is sick. A fucking evil bastard.”
Whatever. “Goodbye, Nancy.” I hung up the phone and dialed Max again. I couldn’t lie; my conversation with this woman had shaken me hard, and I needed to hear his reassuring voice.
My call went into voice mail again for the fifth or sixth time, which only deepened my worry. Where was he? Why wasn’t he answering my calls?
Regardless, I had a phone call of my own to return from my brother, John, who I’d now seen had left two messages on my phone and a text. I scrubbed my hands over my face, probably smearing my mascara all to hell.
“Okay,” I picked up my phone, “let’s do this.”
I dialed and John answered right away. “What the hell is going on over at C.C.?”
He’d probably seen the news. “I honestly don’t know, but I need you to help me tell Mom and Dad about the book.” It was coming out soon and they needed to be prepared. “You have to keep them out of my hair, John. I can’t deal with everything else and them.”
“Fuck. You’re not coming out against him, are you?”
“No.”
“Don’t do this to yourself, Lily. The guy is using you.”
Why is everyone saying that? “You don’t know him like I do.”
“You’re right. I don’t know him at all. But what sort of fucked-up asshole would ask my sister to hang out with him when he finds her—and excuse me for saying this—but revolting? Does this make any sense to you?”
No, it didn’t. It didn’t make any sense that Max wanted to be with me. But he did.
“He’s your boss, Lily. He has no business fucking around with you in the first place.”
Oh, my God. “I know. I know it looks bad. I know you think he’s a monster, but you’ll just have to trust me. He’s not. And I know what I’m doing.” Didn’t I? “And right now, I’ve got to go and deal with hordes of angry customers. So will you help me or not?”
“Fine. I’ll talk to them, but don’t blame me when your life falls to shit.”
Why would I blame him? “I’ll be fine. Now go play with your stupid porn.”
I hung up the phone, fuming. I knew John loved me, but why couldn’t anyone believe me that Maxwell Cole wasn’t going to screw me over.
Lily, do you really even believe it yourself?
Shit. I shoved my hands through my hair. I don’t know anymore. I don’t know.
Danny was in our apartment when I got there just before eight o’clock, and I couldn’t have been happier to see her. If anyone would know what was going on at C.C., she would.
“I don’t have a clue,” she said, standing with me in the kitchen, wearing a cute little white summery dress, mixing up a batch of powdered vitamin water, which meant she was expecting to have some fun tonight with her boyfriend. I’d finally figured it out. Sex hydration. “That doesn’t make sense.”
Great. “But something is definitely happening.” I kicked off my heels and stood barefoot on the kitchen floor. My feet ached as badly as my head. “The customers are freaking out. Everyone’s talking about jumping ship.” At least, that’s what I’d overheard at the water cooler. “And Max is nowhere to be found.”
Danny looked at me. “Maybe the rumors are only half true—they’re getting ready to sell, but not to B&H. Maybe Max knows about the hostile takeover, decided to scrap the IPO, and is going in another direction. But that doesn’t make sense either. Because why would they sell? They’re number one.” She shook her large water bottle, turning the liquid blue. “Unless something big is going to happen and…the company is going to tank and they know it? They’re saving what they can.” She shook her head. “Nope. You know what? I don’t have a fucking clue. And I know you don’t want to hear this, Lily, but you might want to get your résumé tidied up.”
Dammit. This really sucked. And I couldn’t believe Max would just sit idly back and let his company self-destruct.
Unless, he’s the one who’s behind all this. After all, Danny had been right about something coming that might “tank” the company.
No. He wouldn’t sell out. And he would’ve told me something was coming.
Would he really? He hadn’t bothered to tell me anything so far.
Saturday morning, an insistent buzzing at the door woke me up. I staggered to answer it since Danny hadn’t come home from her boyfriend’s yet.
“Miss Snow?” said the man, shoving a giant bouquet of red roses at me.
“Uh. Yeah.” I took them and held up my finger. “One minute.”
“No need for a tip, ma’am. It’s already been taken care of.”
I thanked him and closed the door, going into the sad little beige kitchen to set the flowers down. I took out the card, which read:
I’m sorry. I know this has ruined our plans. But it has to be dealt with. – M
I stared at the card, wondering what the hell it meant. Our plans for the weekend? Our plans not to have everything explode in our faces and ruin our lives? What?
I wouldn’t have to wonder for very long.
After the flower delivery, I went for a stress-relieving run, only to return to seven news vans parked outside my building. The moment I came around the corner, I was mobbed by intrusive cameras shoved in my face and screaming reporters.
“Is it true you’re dating your boss, Maxwell Cole?” “Has he ever called you ugly?” “How does it feel to date a man with such an unusual fetish?”
I was speechless. Utterly speechless.
Panicked and sweaty from my run, I pushed my way inside my apartment, closed all the curtains and got on my laptop. The front-page news was my deepest fears times ten. It was something I couldn’t have fathomed. Not in a million years.
Pictures of Maxwell Cole and me leaving his house together, in his car, eating breakfast on his deck, making out in front of the fire at his beach house in Hawaii. Worst of all, there were multiple shots of him and me having sex on the beach.
No. No. No. Someone had taken great care to photograph us together and knew exactly where we’d be.