Secret Revenge: An Enemies-to-Lovers Billionaire Romance

13. Emily

My attempts to steel myself only left me sleepless. Every time I closed my eyes, I had vivid dreams of Travis Ross.

I had too much going on in my head, and so I called Michael to distract me.

“Yeah… I’m home right now,” Michael said. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much,” I replied. “I am having a rough day, and I really need to clear my head.”

“You wanna come over?” Michael asked. I could hear the worry in his voice.

“Err, sure,” I replied. “If you don’t mind?”

“Never. See you soon.” The call ended and I hailed a passing taxi. Michael’s house was less than half an hour away from Jonathan’s office and the traffic was somewhat nonexistent at this time of the evening.

Jonathan’s words kept ringing in my head. Men like Travis only see women as playthings, and you should be very careful with your heart. I don’t want to see you getting hurt…

While part of me agreed with him, I had no proof to justify his words or fears. Despite my best efforts to see Travis negatively, he had pleasantly surprised me at every turn. I hated that I could not convince myself of his terrible personality lurking beneath the surface. It felt like I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.

In our admittedly brief conversations and time spent together, I had never seen Travis disrespect anyone, or act like a jerk. He didn’t throw his money around, and he spoke kindly to others. His words and actions were always measured and polite. It tore my mind to shreds that everything he did made me more attracted to him.

As marvelous as the sex was, I could not deny enjoying the time we spent together. I felt tremors between my legs as I sat in the cab, imagining some residual piece of Travis was still stuck deep inside me.

I hated how conflicted I was about him. Though there was a world of truth to Jonathan’s reasoning, and I felt inclined to agree with him, I could not deny that Travis was a kind man. If his kindness is nothing but an act, then he is one brilliant actor.

The cab pulled up to the curb outside Michael’s apartment building and I rode the elevator to his floor. He opened the door on the first ring and stood in the doorway looking me over.

“You look like shit,” he said after a few moments, and went back into the apartment.

I followed him, shutting the door behind me. He plopped onto the couch and picked up the remote, lowering the volume on the TV. “So, what’s up? How did it go at Ross Industries?”

I sat down on the couch beside him. “I wasn’t able to get into the server room today, but I saw it during the tour. It’ll take some time for me to become familiar enough to go in there without raising eyebrows.”

“Yeah, I understand.” Michael turned to me. “Hey, no rash actions, okay? We have a few weeks for you to insert yourself properly. You don’t need to make a move so early. If you see an opportunity, you should take it, but nothing reckless or ill-advised.”

“Yes sir,” I replied, giving a mock salute. “Say, can I stay here for a little while? I really don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Sure,” Michael replied. “You can have the guest room.” He glanced at me again. “What’s really going on, Emily?”

I groaned. “I don’t know, really. I’m just wondering if we’re doing the right thing going after the Ross brothers. What if they’re really trying to do some good in the world like they claim? I mean, I have a big reason to hate them, and I do. But I’ve just been thinking. Everything I really know about them is based on their dad, and he’s a different person from his sons.”

“Hey, it’s fine,” Michael said softly. “I guess we’ll find out how clean or dirty they are soon enough. Until then, take it easy and get your head in the right space.”

“Thanks Mikey,” I said, hugging him. “You’re the best. You know that, right?”

“I try,” he replied with false modesty. “Hey, I have a job this weekend. A photography gig for a wedding. Would you like to come with me? I think playing my assistant for a few hours is exactly what you need to help you clear your head.”

“Mhmm, sounds tempting,” I said. “So, what’s in it for me?”

“The way I see it, you should be the one paying me for the service.”

“Nice try,” I said, getting off the couch. “Where can I find spare towels? I need to take a bath.”

“Good call,” Michael replied sarcastically. “Bathroom, left side drawer.”

That weekend,I arrived at the wedding venue with Michael about two hours early to set up our equipment. I looked at the beautiful decorations lining the venue and felt the urge to barf. The flowers and orderly arrangement of tables, the sheer work that must have been done just for two people to say some words they didn’t mean sickened me.

I had no appreciation for weddings or love. Both seemed ridiculously pretentious to me. I saw how my parents were before my father lost all his money. I remembered us being a pretty nice family where everything was great, and there was a sense of love between the three of us.

Unfortunately, my father lost everything thanks to Ross. Everything we thought we loved disappeared like mist on a sunny morning. My once-loving father turned into the biggest asshole in the world and became borderline abusive.

It got me questioning the true meaning of love. Did it only mean something when everything was great, discarded at the slightest hint of tragedy? I watched tough circumstances change my dad from a loving father and husband into a monster. I never wanted to experience what my mother went through, so I protected myself from the foolishness of love and marriage.

As the wedding began, I didn’t think about the fleeting moments where everyone laughed and smiled for the flash of a camera. I watched Michael take pictures of the beautiful couple and thought morbidly about how in the next five to ten years, both of them would be at each other’s throats. This happiness they once shared would become a distant and unimportant memory in their minds. They would turn on each other, hating themselves and their kids, and fighting over property in a nasty divorce. No, I don’t want any of that in my life, thank you.

The venue filled up as guests poured into the reception area. I kept up with Michael as he tried to cover every guest who entered the venue. I held a bag with equipment like batteries, extra lenses, cameras, and other accessories he needed.

I looked absently around the hall, admitting how beautiful the guests looked in their lovely dinner gowns and perfectly trimmed suits. My eyes swept past a well-built man laughing with the bride, and I returned my attention to them.

I froze as Michael called out to me for a different SD card, staring at the tall, handsome man, who was chatting a little too cozily with the bride. Travis. I hadn’t recognized him at first because I had not expected him to be here.

I was immediately filled with bitter jealousy as I heard the melodious laughter of the bride float across the room. I had never felt anything so vile. I burned with rage as she set her gloved hand on Travis’ arm, his biceps bulging through his expensive navy blue pin-suit.

Oh no. This is bad.

I watched with disgust as he guffawed at something she said. I felt irritated to my bones. Why was he laughing like that? What did this woman possess that I didn’t? What right did she have to amuse him so easily? I clenched my fists so tight, my hands went numb. I looked around, confused. Couldn’t anyone else see how inappropriate it was for both of them to connect so easily with each other? On the day she was marrying another man?

At least, I assumed it was another man. If Travis Ross were getting married, it would be all over the papers. And grooms weren’t supposed to see the bride before she walked down the aisle, right? I fought rising panic at the prospect that he might have been engaged this entire time and was now about to marry someone else. I hadn’t even thought to ask if he was seeing someone seriously in our limited conversations. I’d just assumed…

“Emily?” Michael called loudly, snapping in front of me. The sound of his fingers broke me out of my thoughts, and I turned to him frowning. “Give me a new SD card, Emily. Jeez, what’s wrong with you? What’s got you so upset?”

“I… I…” I stuttered and searched through the bag for the SD card. I found it and handed it to him. He shook his head and followed the couple he wanted to take a picture of.

“Come on,” he called after me.

I followed a little slowly, scanning the crowd for Travis and the beautiful bride. I could still taste bile in my mouth, and I regretted feeling like that. Surprisingly, I couldn’t find either the bride or Travis by the rose bush where they had been talking. I scanned the area and caught a glimpse of them stepping behind a hedge.

Without hesitation, I dashed through the crowd of party goers in pursuit of Travis and the bride. I got to the edge they had just rounded and stepped into a maze with a low wall. I felt my irritation climb again as I remembered my hatred for marriages.

Where could they both be slipping off to so surreptitiously during her wedding? Was Travis an unbelievable bastard like I’d thought? Or was he the groom and Michael and I had somehow missed the news?

I weaved slowly through the maze in pursuit of them, intent on finding out what they were up to. To think that I had recently started believing in Travis’ goodness. All for what? To find him getting cozy with a bride-to-be at her very own wedding venue?

I felt nervous and upset. I hated to admit how strong my feelings for Travis were, but the jealousy I felt at the thought of him being with someone else was undeniable. While I was working double time to bring down his company, a part of me had hoped he was as good as he seemed.

I heard soft voices coming from behind a hedge wall, and I crept alongside it until I could peek slowly around the corner., I expected to see them in a compromising position, but I found them talking, hand in hand. I leaned against the wall as silently as I could and prepared to eavesdrop. The bride handed something to Travis and I leaned in closer to see what it was. It caught the sunlight and I saw that it was a diamond engagement ring. What the hell?

“You never took it back,” the woman said, smiling a sad smile as she dropped the ring in his open palm.

“Wow,” Travis said. “I didn’t think you still had it. You should have sold it or something. Anything. At the very least, it would have been compensation for you.”

The woman laughed loudly. “You know I never needed any of that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Travis sounded crestfallen. “But still?—”

“Travis,” the lady said, cutting him off, “I forgive you for everything that happened back then.”

“I don’t know Barbara,” Travis replied. “I don’t know if I deserve to be forgiven.”

“You always were a wonderful partner, Travis,” the bride said, placing a hand on Travis’s shoulder. “It’s too bad you never got to see that about yourself.”

I was reeling from anger at this point. The two of them had a very important relationship that I hadn’t known about.

What the hell?I had no idea why I was so upset, but my anger burned so red hot, I felt the ground under my feet would burn and turn to molten magma.

I had come out for this gig with Michael to clear my head of thoughts of Travis and get a hold of my emotions. Unfortunately, I ended up more confused than before. It was driving me insane. I wanted to scream out my frustration as Travis and Barbara hugged each other.

Feeling angry and confused, I stomped back towards the wedding, hoping not to get lost in the hedges of the maze.