Chapter 22 Phoenix
PHOENIX
Her smile is still in place. Her posture still elegant. But her dark, beautiful eyes have gone cold and flat. The warmth that was there before has been replaced by something I can't read.
She sits down beside me, and I lean close. "Everything alright?"
"Perfect." Her voice is light. Too light. "Just freshening up."
My instincts prickle. Something's wrong. Something happened in those ten minutes, and I don't know what.
Before I can press further, she turns to Marcus.
"Marcus." Her smile is radiant. Deadly. "I've been wanting to ask you something all evening."
He looks up from his wine, surprised and flattered to have her attention. "Of course. Anything."
"How long have you and Phoenix been planning this dinner?"
It seems like an innocent simple question. But the way she asks it makes my spine stiffen.
"Oh, months," Marcus says, settling into the familiar territory of logistics. "You wouldn't believe the coordination involved. Schedules, venue—"
"And when did you decide Phoenix needed a girlfriend for it?"
The table goes silent.
Marcus freezes, his wine glass suspended halfway to his lips.
"I'm sorry?" he manages.
"A girlfriend." Jade's smile doesn't waver. If anything, it grows sweeter. More dangerous. "For the optics. That's what you called it, right? 'Phoenix really came through. A month ago he didn't even have a girlfriend—now look at us. The optics are perfect.'"
My blood turns to ice.
Marcus sets down his glass with exaggerated care. "I'm not sure what you—"
"I overheard you in the hallway." She tilts her head, dark hair spilling over her shoulder. "On your phone. You sounded so pleased. So I'm curious—was this always the plan? Find Phoenix a woman to trot out for investors? Make him look stable and settled?"
The investors exchange glances. Ellen Teo’s eyebrows have climbed toward her hairline. Richard is frowning, his gaze moving between Jade and me.
"Jade." My voice is low, controlled. "Let's discuss this later."
She turns to me, and for a moment I see the full depth of her fury. It’s banked like coals, ready to ignite.
"Oh, I think we should discuss it now." She addresses the table, her voice carrying effortlessly. "Since everyone here seems to be in on the joke except me."
"There's no joke," Marcus tries. "You misheard—"
"Did I?" She laughs softly. "The timing is just coincidence?"
The silence is suffocating.
"I have to say, I'm impressed." Jade picks up her wine glass, swirling the burgundy liquid with casual elegance. "The dress. The diamonds. Parading me around like a show pony. You really thought of everything."
"Jade—" I reach for her hand.
She pulls away. "Don't."
The single word is sharp enough to cut glass.
Richard Teo clears his throat. "Perhaps we should—"
"Oh, please stay." Jade's smile is all teeth now. "I'm sure you're all very interested in Phoenix's investment strategies. Tell me, is acquiring women like acquiring companies? Due diligence, cost-benefit analysis, return on investment?"
"That's enough." My voice comes out harder than I intended.
"Is it?" She meets my eyes, and what I see there makes my stomach drop. Not just anger. Not just hurt.
Triumph.
She's enjoying this. Enjoying watching my carefully constructed world crumble around me.
"I'm just trying to understand my role here," she continues. "Am I the girlfriend? The prop? The proof that Phoenix Crawford isn't just another soulless tech bro with commitment issues?" She gestures around the table. "Because everyone here seems very invested in the answer. Pun intended."
Ellen Teo lets out a nervous laugh that dies immediately.
Marcus is sweating. Actually sweating. "Phoenix, maybe we should—"
"Yes." I stand, my chair scraping against the floor. "We should go."
I reach for Jade's arm, but she rises on her own, smoothing down the emerald silk with deliberate slowness.
"It was lovely meeting all of you," she says to the table. "I hope your investments work out. Though I'd suggest some additional due diligence on your partner's honesty."
She walks toward the exit without waiting for me.
I look at Marcus, at his pale face, his panicked eyes, and feel something dark and violent rise in my chest. Later. I'll deal with him later.
Right now, I have to deal with her.
I follow Jade out of the restaurant, into the cool night air. She's already halfway to the car, her heels clicking against the pavement like gunshots.
"Jade. Stop."
She keeps walking.
"Jade."
I catch up to her, my hand closing around her elbow, spinning her to face me. Her dark eyes blaze with fury, her chest heaving beneath the emerald silk.
"Get your hand off me."
"Not until you listen—"
"Listen to what? More lies?" She laughs bitterly. "I heard enough in that hallway, Phoenix. I know exactly what I am to you now."
"You don't know anything."
"I know I was a business expense." Her voice cracks, just barely, before she steels herself again. "I know everything—the check, the plane ticket, the beautiful house—all of it was just setup for tonight. For your precious investors."
"That's not—"
"Take me to the airport." She pulls her arm free. "I'm done. I'm going home."
The words hit me like a physical blow.
No.
No.
She's not leaving. Not like this. Not when I've waited so long, worked so hard, finally have her exactly where I want her.
I look at her—this magnificent, infuriating woman in her emerald dress and her diamond earrings, her dark hair wild in the night breeze, her eyes full of fire and betrayal—and I make a decision.
"Fine," I say calmly. "I'll drive you."
She blinks, surprised by my easy agreement. "You will?"
"I said I would, didn't I?" I gesture toward the car. "Get in."
She hesitates, searching my face for the trap. But I keep my expression neutral, my body language relaxed.
After a long moment, she walks to the car and slides into the passenger seat.
I get behind the wheel and start the engine.
She thinks this is over. Thinks she's won. Thinks she can just walk away from me and fly back to her empty apartment and her useless blog and her mother who poisoned her against me.
She has no idea.
The airport is south. I turn north.
She doesn't notice at first. She's too busy staring out the window, arms crossed, radiating fury.
But after ten minutes, she frowns. Looks around at the darkening landscape.
"This isn't the way to the airport."
"No," I agree. "It's not."
"Phoenix." Her voice sharpens. "Where are we going?"
I don't answer.
"Phoenix. Turn around. Now."
I keep driving. The city lights fade behind us. The road narrows, winding up into the hills.
"What are you doing?" Real fear creeps into her voice now. "Where are you taking me?"
I glance at her—at this woman who just destroyed my business deal, humiliated me in front of everyone who matters, tried to walk away from me like I'm someone she can simply leave.
"Somewhere we can talk," I say.
"I don't want to talk. I want to go home."
"Too bad."
She reaches for her phone. I'm faster—my hand closing over hers, plucking it from her grasp.
"Give that back."
"No."
"Phoenix, this is insane—"
"Probably." I tuck her phone into my jacket pocket. "But you're not leaving. Not tonight. Not until we finish this."
"Finish what? There's nothing to finish! You used me. End of story."
"That's not the end." I look at her, letting her see the full weight of what I'm feeling. The anger. The desperation. The obsession I've barely kept leashed since the moment I first saw her. "That's not even close to the end."
She shrinks back against the door, her dark eyes wide.
"You can hate me," I continue, turning my attention back to the road. "You can scream at me, hit me, call me every name you can think of. But you're going to hear me out first."
"And if I refuse?"
I smile. It's not a nice smile.
"Then we'll be at the cabin for a very long time.”