35. Rei
I added extra under-eye concealer to cover up my bad night’s sleep. I’d hoped to have dirt on Conrad by now so I could get him away from my company and start my marriage with Quentin off on better footing.
But the wedding was tomorrow, and Easton hadn’t turned up any useful information. All he’d given me were a few pictures of Conrad and Courtneigh in a lover’s embrace.
It didn’t surprise me that Conrad was sleeping with his assistant.
Sickened me, because of his abuse of power, but I didn’t expect much of Conrad at all anymore.
The fraternization was grounds for termination, but it wasn’t enough to ensure his silence.
Bringing it up would probably just make him mad.
So I kept hoping Easton would work a miracle, even though my wedding day was tomorrow. We were running out of time.
And yet time marched on at a punishing pace. I needed to hurry to make it to my New Year’s Eve brunch with Jada before the celebration with Quentin’s family this evening.
Finishing my hair and makeup, I rolled up to Bryce and Jada’s place around eleven in the morning with brunch food, a bottle of sparkling cider, and a few party hats. I even wore a sparkly blazer over my stretchy black matching set.
Jada greeted me at the door, helping me carry in all the party supplies. “Celebrating New Year’s at the other twelve o’clock was a brilliant idea,” she said. “You’re a genius.”
I set the bottle of cider on the counter and then curtsied. “Happy to be of use.”
Giggling, she sorted through the boxes. “I’m thinking we take the food to the dining room and make it fancy? Or we could sit at the coffee table in the living room and watch some trashy TV.”
“Would Bryce be on board for that?” I asked. “I know my goddaughter will love it.”
“They’re both over at the guesthouse with Glamma.”
My bottom lip pouted out because it was so sweet. “I love that for them. Does that mean it’s just the two of us for now.”
“It is! So...?” She gestured toward the dining room or living room.
“Living room,” I said, gathering up takeout boxes. “You know I can’t turn down a good reality show. And, I can follow them all online and get bonus rounds of entertainment. They get content deals, I enjoy drama that’s not mine, win-win.”
Jada laughed, saying, “I like the way you think.” We set up a little buffet for ourselves on the coffee table, turned on some show where the people get married in a ridiculously short amount of time (relatable), and dug into our food.
“How are things going with Quentin?” she asked, spearing a piece of candied bacon with her fork.
It looked so good I got myself a piece too. “I really like him,” I confessed, looking from the bacon to her. “I could see it going somewhere.”
She raised her eyebrows with a cheeky smile. “You mean other than marriage?”
I laughed and bumped my shoulder into hers. “You know what I mean. At first it was just about the inheritance clause, but now it feels more real. Which is weird to say this soon, but I have a feeling about him, you know?” I shook my head. “This is all so strange.”
“I get it.” She might be the only one who really did.
“How did he react when you told him about your past?” There was an extra question to that—did you tell him about your past?
My bacon seemed to get stuck in my throat, because I hadn’t told either of them the whole truth. I coughed and looked around for my mimosa, realizing we hadn’t poured any yet.
“I’ll get you some water,” Jada said, rushing to stand up.
My coughing had eased a bit when she came back from the kitchen with a glass of water and my phone.
As I took a sip and stopped coughing, she said, “Someone’s blowing up your phone. It was buzzing all over the island while I filled your cup.” She handed it over to me. “Everything okay?”
I turned my phone over to look at the screen, noting the case with a cartoon goose in sunglasses and a cowboy hat. It usually brought me joy, but my heart was already in my throat. There were several text messages in a row from Conrad.
My hands shook as I stood up from the floor. “It’s a work thing. Let me take this call outside.”
She nodded, looking concerned. “I’m here if you need me.”
I was already halfway across the living room and hurrying to the front door as I slid through the messages.
Conrad: Your mom just called me and said you’re getting married to someone she’s never met before named Quentin Thomas.
Blood drained down my spine so quickly, I couldn’t tell if the chill was from that or stepping onto the front porch. I stood on shaky legs and continued reading.
Missed call from Conrad Hale.
Conrad: I told you to get close to him to GET DIRT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Missed call from Conrad Hale.
Conrad: Call me right fucking now.
Missed call from Conrad Hale.
Missed call from Conrad Hale.
Conrad: I AM THIS CLOSE TO CALLING THE PRESS, DO YOU HEAR ME? I WILL PICK UP MY PHONE RIGHT FUCKING NOW AND TELL THEM EVERYTHING.
My fingers flew over the phone, pressing his contact card to call him. He answered before it even rang.
“What the fuck is going on, Rei?” he demanded, spitting mad.
“Conrad, you need to calm down,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t do anything rash before I had a chance to sign the deal with Quentin at our wedding.
But he roared, “Tell me now.”
Conrad’s outbursts had been concerning before, but his voice right now was chilling. No hint was left of the Conrad I knew before, and I fully believed he’d take everything he had on me to the press.
“You told me to get closer to him, and I did it!” I cried out defensively. “Why are you so m-mad?” My teeth chattered together, and my eyes burned with unshed tears. I could hardly force my lungs to suck in air.
“What have you found out then?” he pressed, sounding only slightly less furious.
“I think I’m getting somewhere,” I lied. “Just give me some time. He won’t trust me fully until we’re married.”
“Forty-eight hours. If you don’t have anything I can bring to the police by then, real or fake, I’m going to the press,” Conrad said.
Before I could reply, the line went dead.
Slowly, I lowered my hand from my ear until my phone hung like an anchor in my hand. Turning back to the front door, I walked inside and saw Jada sitting at the coffee table.
“Everything okay at work?” she asked, looking genuinely interested.
I opened my mouth to tell her the lie everyone says: “It’s fine.” But I couldn’t.
After losing my friend to suicide, I’d promised myself that I would do whatever it took to protect my employees. My twenty-year-old self hadn’t expected to have a friend like Jada. I couldn’t keep my promise to myself without violating my friendship with her. The woman I’d become knew better.
So I took a deep breath, sat beside her, and told her everything I’d been holding back.