Chapter 48
KAT
“Here you go,” Hazel singsongs, handing me one of the champagne flutes in her hand, and just in time too. I’m parched. I’ve met so many people tonight I’m excited to see some familiar faces as Emerson and Jace magically appear at my side.
“I don’t fucking think so,” Jace growls as he grabs the drink from my hand, dumping the liquid into the plant behind him.
“What—” I start but my words are cut off by the arrival of Tom and Grimm, both looking pissed but not at me.
And not at Jace.
No, they’re all looking at Hazel, whose innocent expression has turned into an accusatory glare.
Whoa.
She looks different.
Unhinged.
As if she’d just dropped some kind of mask. But why? She almost looks like…but that’s impossible. Heartbreak threatens to pull me under, the idea that my friend would want to harm me in any way souring my stomach, and I have to grip the edge of the table to steady me.
“Can I help you gentlemen?” she purrs, her voice startling because she doesn’t sound like her; she sounds like—oh my God.
No.
It can’t be.
She can’t be.
But as her lips curve up on one side, I know it’s true. The woman I believed to be Hazel isn’t Hazel at all. It’s Portia.
But why? Did Amelia know? Were they in this together? I look around but don’t see her. Did Portia slip something into my drink? Did she do the same to Amelia’s?
“Tom,” I hiss, only his gaze sliding to me as his attention remains on the woman in front of us, “where’s Amelia? She could be hurt.”
“Ozzy is with her; he called for an ambulance.” I gasp as Tom nods to my now-empty champagne flute. “What will we find when we swab that glass, Portia?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mr. Oakden.” She bats her eyelashes and my stomach rolls. “My name is Hazel.”
I want to kick myself for not seeing it, the differences between Hazel and Portia so glaringly obvious. Hazel was mostly sweet and quirky while Portia had been standoffish and often cynical…and I’d missed it.
For months.
I thought Hazel was grieving—that losing her sister had changed her and I felt that deep in my bones.
I’d be devastated if something ever happened to Colt.
But something didn’t just happen to Hazel. Her sister happened to her, and my friend paid with her life.
“But why?” I hear myself asking. “How could you do this?”
“Let’s move this conversation outside,” Tom murmurs. “There’s a detective outside that will be taking you in for questioning, and we don’t want to make a scene.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Portia spits out, crossing her arms over her chest. “How could I when my bestie is about to receive her award. I think you’ll find it very enlightening.”
The way she says it has dread slithering down my spine, and I look to Tom, but he’s locked in a wordless exchange with Jace who just says, “I’m on it,” before walking away.
“Are you all right?” Emerson says, her hand sliding into mine. She looks fierce, her shoulders back and the killer black dress hugging her every curve. This whole situation had nothing to do with her, but she’s shown up without question.
Loyal.
Confident.
I want to be her when I grow up.
The thought has me standing taller with a shake of my head.
I don’t need to be anyone else. I just need to finally be proud of being me.
I’m Kat Harrington, badass author of children’s books and romantic suspense, sister, friend, lover, philanthropist.
“We will start the presentation in just a minute; we’re just experiencing some technical difficulties.”
The announcement is made from the podium, but it’s Portia’s stance that steals the show. Her mouth is set in a hard line, eyes wild, and her hands clenched at her side. She looks furious, and the second Jace appears, I know why.
“Any other presents we should know about?” he says to Portia, a thumb drive in his palm before whispering something to Ozzy I can’t hear.
“That’s not mine,” she snaps but there’s a lazy smile that slides over Jace’s lips.
A knowing one.
“No? So, the little slide show you put on here to expose her wasn’t you? You made quite the impression on the tech guy. Oh, and we found that neat little social media blitz you had planned too.” Leaning in, he adds, “But we won’t be letting that happen.”
“I’m going to go check on Royce, make sure everything is all set for the real presentation,” Ozzy says, excusing himself as my head spins. I didn’t even know Royce was here. Tom said he was supposed to be running everything today from the office.
As if sensing my distress, Tom dips his head, speaking low into my ear. “Samson said that while they were en route to the hospital, Amelia was making comments about Hazel alluding to a big surprise today.” Pulling back, he grins. “Always have a plan for the backup plan.”
He might think that answers everything, but now there’s just a migraine blooming behind my eye with all these unanswered questions.
“Hell of a plan,” Jace muses. “Incapacitate your aunt so she can’t sound the alarm, drug Kat just enough that she’d seem heavily intoxicated while accepting the award with your little smear campaign rolling in the background.
You’d get everything you wanted. Ruin her career and reputation while slowly slipping into the spotlight yourself as a victim in all this.
You’d garner sympathy from the community and step into her success without doing any of the work yourself. ”
I gape at Jace but everyone else wears a hard and furious expression.
Except Portia whose eyes spark with amusement while her lips twitch the slightest bit.
“Emerson, will you please take Kat to one of the side conference rooms to freshen up?” Tom looks at Grimm and there’s no real exchange, just a nod of understanding as Emerson leads me from the table with Grimm on our heels.
I can’t believe this is my life right now.
“Hell of a plot twist,” Emerson deadpans as we disappear down a long hallway, her eyes widening innocently when I turn to her. “What? Too soon?”
My mouth hangs open as Grimm grunts out his disapproval, and because there’s nothing I can do, I laugh because she’s right—it was a hell of a plot twist.