Page 75 of Broken Rivalry

My father sighs. “She had… conditions, Ethan. Conditions that involve you.”

“Who?” I ask breathlessly, already knowing the answer but hoping against hope that I’m wrong.

“Poppy Donovan.”

“You’re lying.” But my tone lacks vehemence because I felt from the moment I woke up that something was wrong with Poppy. I just didn’t know how bad it was.

There’s a pause, and I can almost picture my father’s smug expression. “She came to my office, Ethan. Brought that damned box I’ve been chasing. Said she wanted to close the chapter. To move on. And she made me promise to keep you away.”

I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me. “Why would she do that? She hates you.” That’s just one of his antics to mess with my head, I realize.

“Yes, she does, but she knew I was her only option.”

“You are trying to break us up. You never approved of her.”

“Quite the contrary, actually,” he replies with satisfaction in his voice. “As I told you, she brought me the box and knew she was outmatched. She is smart; I’m not that opposed.”

“No!” I hang up, frustration mounting. I dial Poppy, but deep down, I sense she won’t answer. And she doesn’t. “Poppy, it’s me,” I start, then halt. Pouring my heart out on voice mail feels futile. “Seems you’re occupied. We’ll talk later.”

I put the phone back on the table and glare at it. My father’s right; without my passport, I can’t go anywhere, and even if I go to the US embassy, it will take the better part of a week to get a new one anyway.

I slam my fist down, battling a surge of emotions. My father’s deception, Poppy’s silence—it’s overwhelming. Without my passport, I’m trapped. And the realization that Poppy might’ve overheard my conversation with my father dawns on me. She thinks I’ve betrayed her.

A knock interrupts my thoughts. The man from earlier peers in, clearly puzzled. I gesture for him to wait a moment, then dial Cole. “Need your jet. Now.”

He groans, “Dude, it’s early. And why?”

“I need you to send your jet to get me in Switzerland.”

“In Switz—” I hear him grunt, probably standing up. “What the hell are you doing there?”

“The project with FIFA is moving along.”

“That’s awesome, man!” His voice has lost a little of its sleepiness.

“Yes, no…” I pause, feeling the urgency. “I need to leave now.”

Cole chuckles. “You’re loaded. Rent one.”

I glower at the wall and at the foolishness of leaving all my papers in the plane’s safe. “You need your ID for that, and mine is in my father’s jet.”

“Okay, I know I’m only waking up, but bro, you don’t make any sense.”

I roll my eyes, not in the mood to retell the whole story that’s probably a lie. “My father—” I stop myself, frustration bubbling. “He’s pulling one on me, forcing me to stay here, and I’m worried about Poppy. She’s not answering her phone.”

I hear Cole rumbling around in the kitchen and the unmistakable sound of the espresso machine being turned on. “You know, there are ways to stay connected, even when she’s not answering. Ever thought of installing spy software?”

“I…” I hesitate, searching for the right words. “You didn’t actually do that, did you?”

“No?”

“Cole! That’s creepy, dude. You remember the predator behavior we discussed?”

He snorts. “My girl, my problem.” Then, a bit resigned, he adds, “And for the plane, even if I want to help you, I can’t. I’m still in deep shit for the Ibiza party bus of last year. I’m not allowed to take the plane more than twice this year because my father seems to think I need to be less impulsive.” He snorts again. “I only have one trip left, and I’m keeping it in case of an emergency.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “This is an emergency, Cole!”

“Nope. I mean an emergency with Eva being stubborn for much longer.”

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