Page 71 of Forbidden Mistress

Her absolute acceptance of my decision, regardless of what it is, makes me burst into tears. I hadn’t even known it was coming, but all of a sudden, I’m blubbering nonsense about how fucking crazy the last few weeks have been and how thankful I am for my roomies. Haley leans over and pulls me into her arms, hugging me tightly.

“Shhhhh,” she says, rocking me gently. “It’s going to be okay, Cassie. Everything will work out.”

I pull back, tears still streaming down my face. My eyes feel swollen, and my nose is dripping so badly I can barely breathe. “But you don’t know that. You can’t possibly know that.”

“Hey, Cassie.” She tilts my chin up, so I’m looking at her. “It’s going to be okay because we’re going to make it okay.”

I nod, sniffing loudly. “I’m sorry, I’m not usually this emotional.”

She pulls me back into another hug. “It’s the hormones. I’ve heard they’re brutal during pregnancy.”

Great. Perfect. Only nine more months of being a complete emotional wreck.

“I think I’m going to head up to bed. I’m exhausted,” I say.

Minutes later, I’m in bed, curled under the covers. I don’t even take off my dress, brush my teeth, or remove my makeup. I’m just too tired to deal with any of it. Hart completely ignoring me is absolute agony.

But as I drift off to sleep, it’s not Hart I dream about…it’s Liam.

Chapter 29

Betrayed

The next afternoon, when I get home from class, I find a private spot on the patio at Hill House and call Lucien’s office. I feel a little guilty invading his personal life like this, but I knew him as Lucien before I ever knew him as Hart. It’s not like I’ve never interacted with him as Lucien in the real world.

Besides, this is important.

Lucien’s assistant answers the phone on the second ring.

“Hey, Sara,” I say. “This is Cassie Fitzgerald. Can I please speak with Lucien? It’s really important.”

She hesitates on the other end of the line. “Cassie, hi. I’m sorry, he’s still out of the country. How important are we talking? Because his reception is spotty at best. It’s been days since he’s even checked in with me.”

I blink. Is she talking in code? Still out of the country? I spent the night with him three days ago…

“Uh, um. What?”

“Yeah, he’s in Nepal. Hiking in the Himalayas for the past two weeks. But I can take a message. He’ll be back in the office next Monday.”

My brain stutters to a halt. What? Is that the story he’s given his office, so he could escape to Pasadena guilt-free? “Hiking in the Himalayas,” I repeat like an idiot.

She laughs. “I know, right? It’s this crazy thing he does every year. Picks a different mountain range. If you can find his social media accounts, he posts some amazing photos. Well, when he can get reception. Some of them are unreal.”

I frown. Posting actual pictures sounds a bit too elaborate for a lie.

“W-when did you say he left town?”

Before she can even answer me, I’m on my phone, hunting down his social media, and sure enough, there are dozens of pictures of him hiking in a country that’s on the other side of the planet from me. All dated and definitely real.

“He left two weeks ago,” she says. “Do you want me to—”

“Great, thank you,” I interrupt, hanging up.

I stare at my phone, completely mystified. How could Lucien be in the Himalayas for two weeks and also in a hotel room with me just a few days ago?

My heart starts to thud in my chest, and I feel a panic attack coming. Bile burns at the back of my throat.

A dark realization starts creeping in. Could it be that the man I thought I’d been fucking is someone else entirely? It would explain how oddly formal and confused Lucien was when I met him that day at his office.

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