Chapter 11
T ourists thronged the Pier, their excited chatter and laughter creating a backdrop of white noise as I waited. The summer sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the boardwalk and turning Lake Michigan into a shimmering sheet of gold. I clutched the railing, the metal warm beneath my fingers as I rehearsed what I would say.
“I’m Alfred Hertz’s daughter.” No, too abrupt.
“My family owns Hertz Media Group.” Too boastful.
“There’s something I haven’t told you about who I am.” Maybe.
Nothing felt right. How do you tell someone you initially approached them as a pawn in your rebellion against your parents? That your relationship began as a scheme?
I touched the book pendant at my throat, drawing strength from it. Whatever had started this, it wasn’t that anymore. What I felt for Leonard was broad and undefined.
As if summoned from my nightmare, the CEO strolled down the Pier. His black suit a terrible shroud, and his stern expression a foretaste of what was to come if he didn’t like what I said. That sharp gaze cut over the crowd, taking in the people around him.
The moment it landed on me, it was as if the sun broke from the clouds. Those harsh lines softened, his lips twitched, and the fire in his eyes turned hungry.
I watched Leonard approach, his confident stride parting the crowd effortlessly. Gone was the stern businessman from his office - his tie was loosened, jacket unbuttoned, a more relaxed version of himself emerging as he neared me.
“Little author,” he greeted, pressing a kiss to my temple. His arm slid around my waist, a casual claim that sent warmth spreading through me.
“You look different, Americano,” I observed, leaning into his touch.
“I’m not at work anymore.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Here, I’m just a man meeting the woman who’s been occupying his thoughts.”
The simplicity of his statement made my heart race. This was what I stood to lose with my confession.
“Shall we walk?” he suggested, guiding me away from the railing.
We strolled in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes, his hand warm against the small of my back.
“I can’t believe how fortunate I was that you stole my drink,” he mused lightly, tugging me close as we stopped to look over the lake.
“About that—” I took a deep breath. “That was on purpose.”
Leonard chuckled. “I figured that out, Anna.”
My heart faltered.
“But I’m so glad you did, because otherwise, I would have been too involved in work to notice.” Leonard’s fingers lazily traced up and down my spine. I leaned into him, leaching comfort from his presence.
“I haven’t been honest about who I am,” I breathed. “I haven’t told you who my family is.”
That touch continued to trail over my skin. “And I didn’t look. I could have, you know. The license plate would have told me, but I didn’t.”
“You’d do that?” I squeaked, turning sharply to face.
“Mhmm, I like to know what I’m up against, but not in this case.” He cupped my chin and brushed a finger over my lips. “Do you know why?”
I shook my head, words failing me.
“I wanted to know you, Anna.”
Oh, crap! This was harder than I could have imagined.
“You don’t know me,” I whispered. “And that’s what scares me.”
A low growl rumbled in his chest. “You’re wrong. I do know you, but whatever details are missing, they’ll only round my opinion, not change it.”
“Hold that thought,” I pleaded. Here it goes. “My name is—”
“Annaliese!” a voice called out.
I froze. My heart stopped in my chest. No. No! Why the hell was he here?
Paul jogged over, a malicious glint in his eyes. “I thought that was you.”
Leonard pulled me beside him, keeping his body between me and Paul. Always my valiant protector, but right now, it was Leonard who needed protecting. Paul was a ticking bomb, and he needed to leave—immediately!
“Ah, and I see what dirty secret you’ve been keeping,” Paul scoffed, looking Leonard up and down. While he was almost as tall as the CEO, there was a difference that transcended physical build.
“I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you need to leave,” Leonard said. The tone was even and steady, but there was a distinct violence simmering under the surface.
“Yeah, and her parents are going to be thrilled when they find out she’s been sneaking around with the man who’s undermining their family’s business deals.” Paul shot me a look. “What were you thinking?”
“That this is my life, and none of your business,” I snapped.
“Ah,” Paul laughed. “Not quite, seeing as our parents are discussing our impending nuptials.”
Bile slithered through my stomach. “That is not happening.”
“Yeah, pretty sure it is. When you turn twenty-five, you and I are going down the aisle.” Paul shifted his gaze to Leonard. “You know she’s only nineteen, right?”
“Twenty! I turned twenty in April, you prick.” I fisted my hands at my side, but a sudden rush of cold fell over me.
Leonard took a decided step to the side. “You said you were in grad school.”
“I said I would be, if my novels didn’t take off.” But reality swirled around me like a tornado. This was it, this was how it all fell apart.
“Yeah, and—”
“Shut up.” Leonard pointed a finger at Paul. To me, he added, “What is your last name?”
“Hertz. I’m Alfred Hertz’s daughter—but I didn’t know about the business deals until after I met you!” I said.
This otherworldly thing between us, it wasn’t going to be enough to save us.
Leonard's face transformed, the warmth draining away as his expression hardened into something unrecognizable. The man who had held me tenderly moments ago vanished, replaced by the ruthless businessman I’d glimpsed in flashes.
“Hertz,” he repeated, the word like ice.
“Yes, but—"
“The man who’s been trying to destroy my reputation in this city.” His laugh was hollow, devoid of humor. “The man who’s been working with the mayor and city council to block my acquisitions.”
Paul smirked, clearly enjoying the spectacle. “Awkward.”
I turned on him, fury coursing through me. “Get out of here! This doesn’t concern you.”
“Oh, but it does,” Paul said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “The Hertz and Preston families have been planning this alliance for years.”
I moved to shove him, but Leonard stepped to block my path. “Your father has been investigating me. What part have you played in that?”
I balked. “I didn’t!”
Leonard shook his head. “He’s been spreading rumors about my business practices to scare away clients. The problem is, he wouldn’t know half the things he said if he didn’t have a spy planted in my organization.”
“It wasn’t me,” I cried. “I only wanted to date someone my parents wouldn’t approve of to prove a point! I wanted to show I wasn’t their creature, and I wouldn’t play by their rules—that I wouldn’t marry someone like him!”
I jerked my thumb at Paul.
“Your sire called me ‘a cancer on this city’s business community’ in the Journal last week,” Leonard snarled.
Paul smirked, clearly enjoying the unfolding disaster. “Oh, this is rich.”
“Shut up,” I snapped at Paul before turning back to Leonard. “I didn’t know about any of that when we met. I swear.”
Leonard stared at me for half a second, before moving away.
“Leonard, please!” I tripped after him, but Paul shot in front of me, blocking my path.
Leonard never looked back.
My heart cracked, pain pooling through my body.
Paul’s triumphant smirk faded as I shoved past him with enough force to make him stumble.
“Leonard!” I called, racing after his retreating figure. The crowd on the pier seemed to thicken, bodies becoming obstacles as I pushed through. “Leonard, wait!”
He didn’t slow his stride, his broad shoulders cutting through the throng with practiced ease. By the time I reached the spot where he’d disappeared, he was gone, swallowed by the sea of tourists and locals enjoying the summer evening.
“Are you going to tell your parents, or shall I?” Paul sneered.
But I couldn’t deal with that right now. My phone was in my hand before I realized I’d reached for it. My fingers trembled as I typed.
Me: Please let me explain. It wasn’t what you think.
The message showed as delivered but remained unread. I stood there, clutching my phone, the book pendant heavy against my throat. Around me, life continued—children laughed, and couples strolled hand in hand down the street.
“Answer me,” Paul snarled, moving close.
I swatted his hand away and pointed a finger at him.
“Leave me the fuck alone, Paul, or I swear I’ll kill you,” threatened and shot past him.
Mercifully, he let me go.
I stumbled to my car, tears streaming down my face. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. I’d planned to tell Leonard everything myself, to explain that what had started as rebellion had become something real and precious. Now that chance was gone, destroyed by Paul's smug intervention and the weight of family histories I hadn't fully understood.
The drive home passed in a blur. I tried calling Leonard twice, but the calls went straight to voicemail. My text messages remained unread, their blue bubbles lingering like accusations on my screen.
The drive home was a blur of tears and traffic lights. My phone remained silent, the screen mocking me each time I checked it. Leonard hadn't read my message. He was shutting me out completely, and the pain of it was physical—a hollow ache in my chest that made it hard to breathe.
When I pulled into my family's driveway, I sat in the car for several minutes, trying to compose myself. The pendant felt heavy against my skin, a reminder of what I'd lost. With trembling fingers, I traced its outline, the tiny golden book that had come to symbolize something I hadn't expected to find.
Someone whom I could see myself being with—for real.