Chapter 1
1
All warfare is based on deception.
THE ART OF WAR , SUN TZU
Just Desserts WhatsApp Group. 15.05EST.
Astrid
Bella, you’re panicking, aren’t you?
Sienna
Are you? Are you okay?
Paige
A little panic is understandable.
Bella bit her lip. She was very much trying not to panic, but as she let herself into her brand-new apartment with absolutely huge floor-to-ceiling windows that beckoned her towards them with a display of Central Park that most Americans would give their right arm for, it was safe to say that her current state was absolutely and undeniably one of panic.
What on earth had she got herself into?
Astrid
Are you in yet? What’s the flat like?
The serviced apartment was amazing. Bella was hardly a stranger to wealth, but this? She turned around in a circle, taking in the modern kitchen, laundry facilities and near futuristic amenities. The apartment had a voice-activated home assistant, and twenty-four-hour access to a concierge who had already let her know about a delivery waiting for her. Her family had country money, old money. But this? This was city money. Urban. Luxurious. Modern.
She placed her bag on the kitchen island and took in the minimalist design that defined elegance. A buttery soft caramel leather sofa set bracketed a fireplace, the surround a modern concrete strip against the clean white walls. A large cream sheepskin rug sat on hardwood flooring that warmed the grey tones of brushed chrome furnishings.
It should have looked cold and uninviting, but it was easy to imagine herself curled up on the sofa covered in a blanket, or bare toes curling in that sheepskin. In a daze she wandered towards the door off the living area and entered a bedroom that stopped her in her tracks.
Her phone buzzed from messages flying back and forth between the girls, but Bella barely noticed. At least half were from Astrid who was also in New York and trying to find time in a very busy schedule for them to meet up.
Here too, floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of Manhattan that was breathtaking. Winter’s dusk painted the sky in remarkable shades of pinks and early evening purples. A few stars were out already, peeking down on the snow-covered rectangle of Central Park stretched out in front of her.
Of course, the position comes with an apartment , Tejvir Nayak had informed her eagerly during their second interview over video conference. His willingness to hire her had surprised her, even though Paige – who had finessed Bella’s CV with something bordering on ruthlessness – had insisted that she would be a shoe-in for it.
Having applied for the job in between Christmas and New Year she’d not expected to hear anything until mid-January at the earliest, so it had been quite the surprise to find a reply waiting in her inbox the following morning.
‘He’s desperate,’ Astrid had announced gleefully .
‘I wonder why the previous person left,’ Sienna had asked.
‘Does it matter?’ Paige had intervened.
Not. One. Bit. Bella had decided.
Tej Nayak had been affable and laid back to a point that nearly caused Bella concern, but as the job was simply a means to an end it hardly mattered. In fact, Tej had been almost more excited about the apartment she would be staying in than the role of communications director she would be filling.
You’re gonna love it . And just wait until you try the shower, her new boss had said affably, while Bella wondered if that was entirely appropriate. It has everything you could need. And if it doesn’t? Then let me know, and we’ll get it for you.
Paige
Have you seen him yet?
Him. Her target. Chase Miller. The cheating scumbag who had betrayed his wife and an unknowing Astrid. Bella wandered towards the incredible view, barely seeing the wintery magic of New York stretched out beneath her. And just like that, panic melted like ice beneath the salt of her fury.
It had been hard for her to be angry with Olly, which she knew was crazy. The girls’ outrage at his behaviour had soothed a wound she’d been hiding from the world. Hidden, because Bella Carmichael didn’t get angry. Didn’t cause a fuss, or make a scene.
And even though Olly had stood her up in front of nearly four hundred of their closest friends and family… she knew he hadn’t meant to. Well, no… he absolutely 100 per cent had meant to, actually. He’d done so because it was easier to leave her to clean up his mess. And he’d known she’d do it. Because that was what she did.
But she also saw how he would have struggled to tell her that he couldn’t go through with it. How it all would have become too much for him. But Olly was different to Chase Miller. Because there was absolutely no justification for what he’d done. None whatsoever.
Bella
I haven’t met him yet. But I promise, when I do, he’ll rue the day.
Sienna
Oh, I love it when you talk posh like that.
Bella smiled, taking the affectionate teasing from Sienna exactly as it was meant.
Astrid
Have you figured out what you’re going to do to him yet?
Perhaps if she’d known Bella for longer, Astrid wouldn’t have even asked the question because Bella had everything short of a PowerPoint presentation on how she was going to ruin Chase Miller. She had ordered a copy of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War , and decided that the book of military strategies and tactics was perfect to help her get even with Astrid’s ex. She’d filled an entire journal with research she’d done during the awkward Christmas she’d spent with her family and sister… and Bea’s new fiancé.
Bella swallowed, hating herself for feeling mean about her sister. Bella would never begrudge her sister’s happiness. But Bella couldn’t help but remember how she and Olly had announced their engagement. How her parents had oohed and ahhed over her engagement ring.
Her father had seemed rather impressed by Olly, who she’d met at a charity gala for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She’d known of Oliver Prendergast, of course. You couldn’t be female and not know of him. And while on the surface the son of the famed British actor had been exactly what she’d expected – 99 per cent charm – there had been something deeper that had called to her. He was educated, bright, witty. He’d made her laugh and when he’d asked for her number, she’d given it to him.
Over the next few months they’d met up when he was visiting New York, or when she was near California and they’d fallen into a long-distance relationship. And the glimpses she got of the real Olly, the one behind the mask, were enough to make her believe that they had something special.
Then his father had died and he’d seemed so lost that she’d wanted to be there for him. Bella hadn’t minded making the preparations for the funeral, managing his family and bringing them all together. So then when Olly had asked her to marry him, it had felt like the natural progression of their relationship. She’d honestly thought that he was ready, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And she had what she’d always wanted: her person. Someone who would stand by her. Who would keep her. Who would choose her.
But she’d been wrong. And now her sister was embarking on the life that she’d always wanted and Bella hated how hard that was to watch. But she’d shoved her hurt behind a locked door, and taken Bea, who deserved every damn bit of happiness coming to her, into her arms and told her truthfully how happy she was for her.
Only her mother hadn’t looked wholly convinced. But when she’d tried to ask Bella about it, Bella had shaken it off. Because she was fine, wasn’t she?
So, it had been a blessed relief to be able to beg off the family festive joy a little and focus on exactly what would be the perfect karmic comeuppance for a man like Chase Miller. And while her family thought that she was prepping for a job interview, which she had been, she’d also been working out how to make a man like that hurt.
Because it wasn’t through his heart. He clearly didn’t have one.
No. It was his ego. His reputation. His standing in the art world.
Bella
Oh yes, don’t you worry about that. I have a plan.
* * *
Chase Miller had a headache. One of those take-me-out-back-and-kill-me-now kinds. It had, perhaps, been stupid to try and ‘smash it out at the gym’, even though sometimes that did actually work. Especially when the headache was hangover-related. Which it was. But the gym had not worked today, he reluctantly acknowledged as he swallowed down an entire bottle of electrolyte water.
Sweat stuck his vest to his chest, and his gym shorts to his ass in a unique and distinctly uncomfortable way. He just needed to get back in to his apartment, and then he could drown under the weight of the, as promised, impressive jets of water in the en-suite shower. Man, Tej really did love talking about that shower.
And he had not lied. It was an excellent shower.
He massaged his temples as the elevator rose from the basement gym to the lobby, where the doors slid open. Eyes closed, he heard someone shuffle their way into the elevator, just as his phone began to ring because, thanks to Tej’s insistence, the entire building was wired for Wi-Fi. Chase bit back a groan, accepted the call and tried to ignore the walking pile of boxes next to him.
‘You are not allowed to scare this one off,’ Tej announced by way of a greeting.
‘This one what?’ Chase growled. It was the third call he’d fielded from his old friend/new business partner that day.
‘You can thank me later.’
‘Thank you?’
‘You’re welcome,’ Tej announced with glee.
‘No, wait. What?’ Chase asked as he dug a thumb into his throbbing temple and fielded the cell and his water bottle in the other hand. ‘Who?’
‘The new director of comms. She starts Monday.’
Chase let out a scoff. ‘Shouldn’t I have had some say in hiring?’
The mountain of boxes next to him shifted their weight from one high-heeled foot to the other.
‘Yeah, well. We didn’t really have time to fuck around, my friend. We’re opening in just three months, and your last hire quit.’
‘Before I could fire her,’ Chase pointed out.
‘And this one can start tomorrow. So there.’
‘Name.’
‘Bella Carmichael.’
Chase frowned. Why did he recognise that name? Did he? Or was he just so hungover his brain was playing tricks on him?
‘She’s—’
‘A pampered princess socialite,’ he remembered now.
The boxes shifted again.
‘She has a degree in Business Management and Communication from Harvard.’
‘They all have degrees,’ Chase ground out. ‘Isn’t her father something big in aerodynamics?’
People like Bella Carmichael didn’t have dads, like his. They had fathers . Mothers. Maters and Paters .
‘How can you remember that, and not my birthday?’ Tej asked defensively.
How could he not? The day he’d landed back in the States, the papers had been filled with headlines about the Redondo Runaway Groom, or something like it. The damn catchy alliteration had stuck.
Miles of column inches had been full of speculation as to why the groom had disappeared – many laying the blame at bridezilla-Bella’s feet. Someone had knocked together a guestimation of how much the entire wedding had cost. It was a mind-numbing amount of money, even to Chase, who had at one point been considered to be one of the most sought-after contemporary artists around the globe. And certainly inconceivable to the son of a mechanic and a librarian.
The black-and-white pictures of the abandoned reception at the Californian vineyard had felt almost crime-scene worthy; slashes of white silk rippling in the wind from ribbons tied on the backs of empty seats, an ornate flower garland arbour where the bride and groom should have stood.
He and Annalise hadn’t had anything like that. Jesus, they’d had a registry office and his best friend as a witness. At the time it had felt urgent and romantic and fucking idiot that he was, he’d thought he was the luckiest guy on the plant.
No. Chase knew exactly who the luckiest guy on the planet was. The Redondo Runaway Groom. Chase could only imagine what kind of bridezilla could scare off a fiancé on the day of their supposed wedding, despite the volume of scrutiny they were under. Clearly, the guy had made a lucky escape.
And now Chase was lumped with that very same bridezilla.
‘Does she even have any experience?’ Chase demanded. ‘Why does she want this job, huh? So that she can swan around New York saying she works at the Nayak Gallery?’
‘Dude,’ Tej exhaled. ‘There are genuinely worse reasons.’
‘No, there aren’t,’ Chase bit back, knowing that it wasn’t true. He wasn’t quite sure why he was so adamant that he didn’t want her working there.
His mind’s eye flashed him a black-and-white photo of her on her supposed wedding day. The camera had caught her mid-turn, hair in some sleek updo, lace slashed across her torso, the delicate arc of a shoulder blade highlighted in shadow. Her face, pure elegance. Even in the midst of such chaos. Her grace had somehow infuriated him. Because surely, she couldn’t have remained so calm if she had even an ounce of feeling for the person who had betrayed her?
He hadn’t.
‘Jesus, Tej. If she can’t even hold down a groom, how is she supposed to hold down a job?’
‘Okay. Enough, bro. You’ve got your grump on, I get that. And usually I’m amenable to that, given… you know. But now you’re just being mean.’
Being scolded by Tej was like being scolded by your favourite school teacher, or your grannie. As someone who was almost singularly good-natured, it was the verbal equivalent of, ‘I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.’
What was worse was that Tej was right. Chase was being mean. He had absolutely no idea what kind of person Bella Carmichael was and he – of all people – wasn’t in a position to make assumptions.
Chase began to mumble something about a headache, but Tej pressed on.
‘She is qualified for the position, she does have experience, I do have faith that she is what we need, and I think that you will both work excellently together. And since she’ll be living next to you, I expect you to be on your best behaviour.’
Chase’s gut tightened as he side-eyed the boxes in the elevator beside him.
Shit. Fuck. Shit .
He glanced at the floor numbers on the elevator panel and only his floor was lit up. His floor.
Their floor?
Oh God, this was bad.
‘Gotta go,’ Chase said, swiping across the phone’s screen and slipping it into the pocket of his gym shorts.
He bit his lip, mentally wincing. It was possible that the person behind the boxes, boxes usually used for moving things, like a person’s life into a new apartment, wasn’t the person he’d just been mouthing off about.
Possible. But horrifyingly unlikely.
The elevator arrived at the floor and the doors opened.
‘After you,’ he said, voice gravelly from the guilt lining his throat.
The boxes rippled. Was he imagining things? Christ, he hoped so.
But as the boxes passed him, he caught a glimpse of a high cheekbone and a sleek blonde chignon.
Fuuuuuck. He inwardly groaned.
He ran his hand through his hair as he followed in her wake. There was no shaking this off. Christ , what had he called her? A pampered princess socialite?
He kept his eyes firmly above ass level as she walked straight over to the door opposite his and put the boxes down to reach for her key.
‘Do you need a hand?’ he offered reflexively before wincing at the look she gave him as she straightened up.
‘No,’ she answered. And then, as if absolutely incapable of stopping herself, she added a ‘thank you’, that was as much ‘fuck you’ as humanly possible.
There were slight traces of red slashes across her sharp cheekbones and he could see it. Why she’d made such an impact on him.
She looked him dead in the eyes.
Complex and varied shards of grey slammed at him like an assault. The flecks of gold both hot as fire and cold as ice, reminded him of Turner’s Snow Storm . Movement, slashes of anger, defiance, determination.
And for the first time in nearly twelve months his right hand twitched. The itch as if from a phantom limb, taking him wholly by surprise. He rubbed the back of his neck to buy some time as he gathered himself.
‘Look, I’m s?—’
The door slammed before he’d even finished the word.
And yes. He deserved that.
* * *
Just Desserts WhatsApp Group. 21.36EST.
Bella
That man is a… you know what.
Paige
You can say it, Bella. We’re all adults here!
Sienna
What happened?
Astrid
My money’s on Bella meeting Chase Miller.
Bella
The man is a menace. The worst kind of snob. Mean and utterly undignified.
Astrid
Sounds like Chase Miller.
Bella
I. Am. Going. To. Make. Him. Pay.
Paige
Yes you are!!
Astrid
You go, girl!