Chapter 3
Channing
“How was your latest run-in with the sexy-as-fuck billionaire?” I met the curious eyes of my best friend in the mirror in front of me. Salome Clarke owned the salon a block over from the antique shop. We’d run into one another several times on our way to and from work and struck up a friendship, as well as a stylist-client relationship. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my hair, or my secrets.
I made a face at my reflection and told her, “He was surprisingly less awful than the last time we were in the same room. He didn’t treat me like I was the hired help this time. For all his faults, I can’t deny that he really seems to love Winnie and wants to do what he thinks is best for her.”
Salome lifted her pierced eyebrow and swung her long braids over her bare shoulder. She was a knockout. Before she decided she wanted to be her own boss, she’d made a name for herself in the modeling industry. Sometimes her beauty still took me aback, even though we saw each other at least once a week.
“What’s best for that girl is for someone to get her away from that wicked witch disguised as her grandmother. Lady Halliday won’t rest until she fully indoctrinates your niece into the one percent.” Lady Halliday was the snarky nickname my sister came up with for the stern matriarch when she first started sneaking around to date Archie.
I blew a wet piece of hair out of my face and silently agreed. “The funny thing is, I don’t think he likes his mother any more than I do. But she’s the only family he has left, aside from Winnie. He tolerates her nonsense because he doesn’t have much choice.” And he was never home. He was chained to a desk, building the Halliday brand bigger and stronger to appease the woman. He hardly had to deal with her because he was so busy at her behest.
Salome snipped at the ends of my hair and frowned. “Isn’t there an unclaimed Halliday out there in the wild somewhere? Why doesn’t Win drag him home and give his mother a real project?”
I laughed and looked down at my phone when a text message flashed on the screen. Win bought Winnie a new phone, but she was grounded and could only use it for an hour a day. She told me he let her quit ballet and drop the courses for the cotillion. However, she had to find a new activity to fill that time, and whatever she picked, she had to stick with it for a full year. She messaged me every day asking for recommendations. It was obvious she was looking to connect with something her parents might have loved doing.
I tried to recall the different things Willow enjoyed when she was a teenager, but it was difficult. Our family wasn’t destitute, but we weren’t anywhere near what one would consider wealthy. We lived a comfortable life. My dad was a fisherman and my mom ran a bakery. I didn’t grow up with everything I wanted at my fingertips, but I never felt like my childhood lacked anything. My parents let Willow and me try, and subsequently quit, a variety of things throughout our youth. Willow decided when she was seventeen, going on eighteen, that what she liked most was Archie Halliday. The two met when our mother sent her on a rush delivery to the Halliday estate. She encountered Archie by chance, and once they started talking, there was room for little else in my sister’s life. I couldn’t tell Winnie that, considering how badly her parents’ love story ended. To divert her attention from the past, I kept throwing out random suggestions for activities she might like, hoping something would stick. Today I suggested she try working for the yearbook committee or the school newspaper. I thought she might enjoy photography since it was a way to preserve precious memories. Things she was sorely lacking.
I looked back to the mirror and noticed Salome was waiting for an answer about the missing Halliday brother.
“There is a half-brother. He’s young. I think he’s only in his early twenties. Supposedly, Colette and Win only learned about him when he was mentioned in the will when Win’s father died. Win’s always working, so I believe he was in the dark. But Colette doesn’t let anything having to do with that family slip by her. Winchester Senior had a year-long affair with a woman who worked for one of their properties. He left the kid a substantial number of shares in Halliday Inc. and a shit ton of money. He would’ve become a multimillionaire overnight if Colette hadn’t taken him to court as soon as she found out about him. She seemed pretty well prepared for a battle that was supposed to be a surprise. I’m sure she was beyond furious when the court ruled in the kid’s favor. Win has never mentioned him publicly or privately, but Colette never misses a chance to remind everyone he is not a Halliday. He will never be welcome in her home.”
“She is such a miserable bitch.”
I chuckled because Salome wasn’t wrong. I blinked as she fluffed the long layers that framed my face. The new blond highlights brightened up my whole look and made the strawberry in my hair color stand out. When my bestie finished playing with my style, I always felt extra pretty. She would never let me leave her salon if I didn’t feel like a solid ten. She always said that I was a walking, talking representation of her talent, so I had to serve self-confidence and sex appeal.
“Winnie mentioned that Colette is pushing Win to get married. It’s a regular revolving door of social elites at their estate these days. Apparently, he hates every second of it, but Colette won’t stop. According to my niece, he’s been arguing with Colette every day. I’ve only seen him lose his temper a couple of times. She must’ve finally tripped over his bottom line.” I was used to being the target of his anger. It was a novel experience to know it was directed at someone more worthy of his wrath for once. When Salome removed the protective cape, I shook my head and lifted my hair off my neck. “I don’t think he’s interested in marriage regardless of the woman or the matchmaker. I’ve known him since he was an Ivy League college student. Even back then, he was more focused on school than he was on dating.”
It was honestly a shame. Win was very handsome and distinguished now, but when he was younger, he was straight up HOT. He was still tall and lean with a swimmer’s build. Back then, he wore his dark hair long, and it curled cutely at the ends. There was a roguish charm about him that was like catnip to anyone when he was young and still had a hint of recklessness. When he was in his early twenties, his stormy gray eyes were clear and bright because the world gave him everything anyone could ask for and he hadn’t experienced a great loss yet. These days, those silvery eyes are as sharp as the blade of a knife. They cut through all opponents with no remorse. Nowadays, his hair, while still dark and thick, sported a trendy, short style with silver and white strands scattered throughout. He wasn’t fully salt and pepper yet, but the day was clearly coming. Win was still an undeniably attractive man. If he wanted to find a wife, he could rely on his appearance alone to get the job done. Especially when that face came attached to not just a historical family legacy, but also a generational wealth few would ever experience. The only reason Win was single was because he wanted to be.
The beads and charms threaded throughout Salome’s hair clicked and jangled as she moved to sweep up around the chair. Our years of friendship meant she wouldn’t let me pay her. We usually traded taking each other out for drinks or dinner as compensation, but I still wanted to leave her a tip. I transferred her money via an app so she couldn’t refuse like she always did.
I joked as she reached for a hug, “Do you want me to see if I can get you on the long list of potential bachelorettes? Don’t you think it would be nice to marry a billionaire?”
Salome snorted a laugh and pulled on the ends of my freshly cut hair. “Something tells me that even if Win fell in love with me at first sight, Lady Halliday would find a million-and-one reasons to keep me from marrying into her distinguished family. I don’t think a woman like her is interested in diversifying the family bloodline. I’d end up like Meghan Markle.”
I couldn’t hold back a laugh at the comparison. “You’re probably right. Winnie’s half Halliday, and that’s barely acceptable to Colette. I wouldn’t want anyone I care about to have to live under the same roof as that woman. That’s a fate worse than death.” I shuddered at the thought as my friend laughed off the silly suggestion. Win wasn’t Salome’s type, even if he was handsome and rich. She preferred artistic types. She liked men with creative passion and drive. Win was an iceberg. I was pretty sure the only thing that ever got him hot and bothered was the smell of money or closing a big business deal. “I’m off today and tomorrow. Text me if you want to grab dinner or a drink when you’re done with work.”
The stunning woman gave me another hug and promised to let me know if she was free in the next few days. I hoped Win would let me see Winnie more regularly, and I could introduce her to my friends, and maybe even the other members of our small family. My father didn’t have any interest in anyone other than himself, and I was no longer in contact with him. My mother, on the other hand, would benefit greatly from getting the chance to meet Willow’s daughter and see that she was growing up so well. All her doctors and caretakers told me it would do wonders for her mental state. After my sister died, and the Hallidays did everything in their power to wipe my family off the face of the earth, my mother had a major psychological breakdown. She’d always struggled with her mental health. When she was a young woman, she’d been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Medication and behavioral therapy helped for a while, but once the family fell apart, so did she. It was a condition Willow and Winnie both dealt with in varying degrees because it tended to run in families. The illness was yet another reason for Colette Halliday to blame my family for the misfortune that befell her own.
When I stepped out of the salon, it was raining. I swore and held my purse over my head to preserve the fresh cut and color. My apartment was fifteen minutes away. My options were to run, call for a ride, or find somewhere to wait out the weather. I picked the third option. I ducked into a coffee shop just as the sky turned dark and it started to really pour. I shook myself like a dog at the entrance and glanced down when my phone rang. There were raindrops on the screen that blurred Win’s name. I frowned deeply, thinking the only reason he had to reach out was Winnie. He wouldn’t call me unless it was an emergency.
I found a seat where it wasn’t too busy, wiped the phone on the leg of my jeans, and answered his call.
“What’s wrong?” I tried to sound calm, but I could hear the tremor of anxiety in my voice. “Did something happen with Winnie?”
Win didn’t answer at first. He cleared his throat and told me Winnie was fine. I could picture him shifting into serious business mode by his tone. “I want to discuss something with you. I’m in the city on business. Can we meet up?”
“Does it have to do with Winnie?” I couldn’t imagine anything else he would want to talk to me about in person.
“It involves Winnie in a roundabout way.”
I sighed and looked around the coffee shop. “Why can’t we discuss it over the phone? Why does it have to be in person?” I had a hard time controlling my emotions when I was in the same room as Win. It was hard not to be overwhelmed by his oppressive aura. He made me defensive without even trying and we never brought out the best in one another. It always felt like a losing battle when we were face-to-face.
“It’s a sensitive subject. I don’t want you to hang up on me without hearing what I have to say.” Win sounded calm and reasonable. I couldn’t explain why I suddenly got goosebumps and an icy shiver ran down my spine.
“Fine.” If I didn’t agree to meet him now, he would corner me and force me into a conversation in the future when it was inconvenient for me. There was no denying a Halliday when they wanted something from you. “I’m at a coffee shop near my apartment.” I told him the name and cross streets. “I’m only staying until the rain stops. You have until then to find me. I have no intention of letting you back into my place until you agree to let me see Winnie regularly.” It was petty to say that. We both knew I couldn’t keep him out of anywhere he wanted to be. I felt like I needed to establish some sort of boundary, or I would be completely powerless against him.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Wait for me.” There was no mistaking that he was giving me a direct order.
I wanted to leave out of spite. Instead, I ordered a drink and waited impatiently for Win to arrive. Absently, I wondered if he’d ever been in a local coffee shop before. He seemed more the type to drink specialty imported stuff that the average person couldn’t afford. I laughed to myself, trying to picture him drinking something with whipped cream and candy-flavored syrup. He would never do anything as undignified as licking whipped cream off his face. Actions like that should be reserved for low-life, common folks like me.
I wrapped both hands around the coffee mug and watched as a black SUV pulled to a stop in front of the shop. Several men in dark suits climbed out and Win followed shortly after. He said something to the tall, stern man who was always next to him, and a hurried conversation ensued. I wished I could read lips because both men looked annoyed by what the other was saying. There was another nondescript man standing next to Win who was rapidly texting. It was the tensest entourage ever. Eventually, Win won the argument and walked into the shop and toward my table. He was by himself, which must’ve been what they were fighting about. Win never went anywhere without his security detail or his assistant.
He looked at the table, then at me, and frowned. I waited for him to complain about the location or the cleanliness, but he said nothing. He stared at me for a long, drawn-out moment. His fog-colored gaze was so intense I had to battle the urge to squirm in my seat.
“What’s going on? I can’t imagine anything dire enough that you would lower yourself to meet me on my home turf. That isn’t your style at all, Chester.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and reached out so he could tap the tips of his fingers on the table he looked unwilling to touch a moment ago. “I have a business proposition for you, Harvey.”
I couldn’t hold back a bark of laughter. “Seriously. What do you want to talk to me about? Is Winnie really okay? Please tell me you’ve seen the error of your ways and realize it’s much better to let her have a relationship with me than to fight me every step of the way.”
He gave a slight hum of acknowledgement. “I think there is a way for you to be more present in Winnie’s life, while I make sure that your interactions are appropriate and won’t harm our niece.”
I scowled at him and set the coffee mug down with enough force that some of the liquid inside splashed onto my hand. I shook my fingers, secretly hoping the droplets would land on Win’s pristine white shirt. “You want me to have supervised visits?” I bristled at the thought. He considered me immature and unreliable, but he had to know I’d never do anything that would put Winnie in danger. Considering his lack of trust in me, it made sense for him to view supervised visits with Winnie as a reasonable compromise. No doubt he wanted me to come to Halliday Cove to see my niece. My stomach turned at the thought.
“I’m considering something slightly more binding and beneficial to both parties than supervised visitation.” He paused and his gaze sharpened on mine. “I want you to agree to a contract marriage with me, Channing.”
It was a good thing I’d put the coffee cup down, because I would’ve dropped it. My jaw fell as if it were unhinged, and a thousand buzzing bees swarmed in my head. I lifted a hand and banged on my ear, thinking there was no way I’d heard Win correctly.
“Contract marriage? You want to marry me?” I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “In what world do you envision something as insane as that? Have you been working too hard lately? Has your mother finally driven you beyond the brink?” I laughed so loudly that several people in the coffee shop turned to look in my direction. I put a hand over my heart and used the other to wipe away tears of mirth and disbelief.
“You aspire to be in Winnie’s life, and I can make that happen. I want my mother to get off my case about getting married. Anyone else will want a sizable payout. All you want is time with our niece. You’re the lesser of all evils at this point.” He really sounded like he was in the middle of a business negotiation. There wasn’t a single ripple within his icy fa?ade. He made it seem like his suggestion wasn’t the most outlandish thing I’d ever heard in my life. “You’ve been married more than once. What’s adding another one to the list?”
It took every scintilla of self-control I possessed not to throw my coffee into Win’s indifferent face.
“I loved both the men I married. I feel the opposite way about you, Chester. And as much as I long to be part of Winnie’s everyday life, there is nothing on God’s green earth that will get me to agree to being legally tied to you or living within spitting distance of your mother. You must realize how heartless it is to use Winnie as a bargaining chip for something like this.” I laughed again, but this time there was no humor in the sound. “I don’t know why I ever expect you to have human feelings.” I stood and glared down at the unfazed man. “Never. I will never agree to marry you. With a contract, or without. I value myself more than that.”
I stepped around him to get away from his insulting offer, but his hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me to a halt.
A frigid shiver raced up and down my spine as our eyes locked. “I had a feeling you were going to react like this. You’ve never been able to see a golden opportunity when it’s right in front of you. I wanted to start by asking, but don’t think for a second that I won’t force you to do what I want, Harvey. This is the simplest, most effective way to get us both what we want.” He had the audacity to sound like he was doing me a favor.
I reached down and pried his fingers off my arm. I tried to calm my racing heart so I didn’t smack him. Not only was his security detail nearby, but I wouldn’t put it past him to press charges for assault. He played dirty.
“What happens when Colette finds out about your brilliant plan? She won’t do anything to you because she needs you to keep Halliday Inc. afloat. But me…” I pointed at my chest. “Can you even imagine what she’d do to me? We both know what she drove my sister to. If I agreed to your ridiculous idea, your mother wouldn’t rest until I’m buried next to Willow. No, thank you. I need to be alive to make sure Winnie knows how the other half lives and doesn’t lose herself completely to you god-awful Hallidays.”
I practically ran to the door. It was still raining outside, but I barely registered the weather. I was jogging at full speed toward my apartment. I clearly heard Win call after me, “Remember that you knowingly decided to do things the hard way.”
I always knew he was a ruthless man.
But I had no idea just how brutal he could be, until I became his target.