Page 4 of Forbidden Game

Crap.

I let out a groan.

“Wait, it’s not what you think. I’m not being disinherited.” He holds his hands in front of his body, defending himself.

My fingers quickly type this man’s name into the search engine.

“You’re not listening to me.” Parker snatches the tablet from my hands.

“I am.” I reach out to grab it back, but he tucks it under his ass. “Parker, stop being a child. The story drops in less than fifteen minutes. I need to notify the rest of the team, and you need to alert your family that this is going to be everywhere.”

A wave of panic rolls over his sea-blue eyes before hardening with determination.

“I’m not being disinherited.”

I huff and sit back in my seat, crossing my arms. “All right, then why is this man saying otherwise?”

“Martin is one of the board members for Covington Hotels. His son has also been working there the past two years and making his way through the company.” He begins to play with the two cartilage hoops in his ear, a nervous habit. “They don’t like the fact that I’m blocking their way because I’m supposed to take over the CEO role from my father eventually. They’ve been trying to discredit me and force my hand. Turns out, I’m quite the threat.” He grins at me, but when I continue to scowl, he drops it.

“So, what you’re trying to tell me is that they’re spreading the lie of your disinheritance in the hopes that you will be disinherited. Like some sort of twisted manifestation bs?”

It’s an unhinged explanation, but a lot of the people around Parker tended to be a little unhinged.

“Probably.” He picks up his bright blue phone and begins tapping away.

Parker is trying to hide it, but I can detect some unease leaking through the wall of confidence he normally wears.

I lean over and tug my tablet out from under his ass.

“I’ll get a denial statement out and work with some of the papers to get our side pushed as soon as possible. I don’t have to remind you not to interact with anything you see online, do I?”

“And risk you putting me in technological isolation again? No. I’ve learnt my lesson.”

“That’s what you said last time.”

Last time being a month ago when he went out clubbing and photos were plastered all over social media of girls taking body shots off him, to which he responded online as being a “team player.”

My fingers fly as I tap out an email to a few news stations and bloggers informing them that we deny the allegations.

“Mister Covington and Miss Lake, we are pulling up to our destination.”

Francis’ warm voice temporarily breaks through the puzzle I’m trying to sort in my mind. The story is set to go live in just a few minutes, and I don’t need this to distract from the shoot. It’s a major collaboration on the line.

I toss my phone and tablet into my handbag before pulling out some mints and popping one in my mouth. I hold one out to Parker.

“Do not breathe a word about this once we get inside. You’re English, not Parker, for the next few hours.”

He plucks the mint from my hand and crunches it between his teeth with an eye roll.

“Stop freaking out, Syd. The shoot is going to go perfectly. The camera loves me; I’m hot.” He pulls his signature cocky grin before slipping his LED mask over his head and turning it on. The bright blue light shines back at me, and my nerves calm just a little.

When Parker becomes English, it’s a lot easier to deal with him.

The car rolls to a stop, and I hop out while Francis opens the door on Parker’s side. My eyes scan the area for any waiting paparazzi, but nothing obvious stands out.

The second we step inside the building, I feel my phone vibrate once, and after a few more steps, it vibrates again. By the time we make our way into the studio, my handbag is vibrating like a massage chair on steroids.

Once I make sure Parker is settled with the makeup crew and that he isn’t at risk of wandering off, I pull my cellphone out.

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