Page 118 of Notorious Park Avenue Prince

“Because by the time you were old enough to know what that was, it was gone.”

East eyed her warily. “Are you getting to the part where you tell me how we ended up back here and what all this means?”

“Well, darling, I would’ve thought it was obvious. Once the divorce papers are signed, we’re back in their good graces. Which means neither of us will need your father’s money—well, whatever will be left of it.”

“Neither of us?” His words were careful, but I could see the way East had scooted to the edge of his seat. “Are you saying?—”

“That your trust will be reinstated. You were set to receive it on your twenty-first birthday, and that’s passed, so Marcia will have you sign a few things so you can access it when it becomes available.”

East’s lips parted. “When will that be?”

“I don’t imagine your father will contest the divorce, so it should be a few weeks, but no longer than a couple of months.” She gestured for Marcia to hand her the paperwork for East to look over.

“Fifty million dollars?” he said, looking at the document.

“I know it’s not what you were expecting, but it should help you get started once you graduate.”

Did she just imply fiftymillionwas chump change? I almost fell off the couch, and King would’ve had to catch me.Shit, fifty million was probably pennies to him too. Maybe I needed to get out of the restaurant business.

As East casually flipped through the rest of the paperwork and signed what he needed to, I wondered if his mother noticed he was about to jump out of his skin. Outwardly he was so calm, so nonchalant, but this new development was one he hadn’t seen coming, and I knew if she hadn’t been sitting beside him, he would’ve been jumping up on the damn couch and whooping up a storm. The car ride home was going to beloud.

As East set his pen down and handed the documents to Marcia, he settled back on the couch and looked over at King and me. He was trying hard to bite back a grin, but when King and I couldn’t help but smile at him, he lost the battle.

A dejected East just wasn’t the guy I knew, and this week had been a series of lows for him. Then again, it’d given us a glimpse at the vulnerability he’d buried so deep. And getting beneath those layers had opened our eyes to the man now desperately trying to keep his emotions in check. It had given us a chance to discover that there was more to James Easton than what was on the surface. True emotions that he kept hidden away from most, but had, for reasons I was sure he wasn’t quite ready to admit to yet, shared with me and King.

“Perfect.” His mother clasped her hands together and leaned in for East to kiss her cheek. “Do keep in touch, James. Perhaps get yourself a new phone, since yours doesn’t seem to be working.”

She and Marcia rose at the same time, but before she could get far, East said, “Well, wait, since I’m here, wouldn’t my grandparents like to see me?”

“Oh, they’re not here. They’ve gone to Nantucket for the month.” She smiled at King and me before sweeping her dress around her slender frame. “Lovely to meet you both, and safe travels, my darling.”

I glanced at King, confused as to whether her exit meant she wasn’t coming back or if that was a normal thing rich people did when they were done with company.

East wasn’t the least bit affected by the ten minutes she’d graced us with her presence, bounding to his feet. He swiped a couple of canapes and bolted for the door like he was about to burst, and I could only chuckle as we followed.

It wasn’t until he’d climbed into the back seat—another shock to my system—and we joined him that he let out the loudest whoop I’d ever heard.

“Hell yes, fuckers! I’m back!”

FORTY-FOUR

east

I WAS RICH, bitch.

The universe had realigned and the worldfinallymade sense again.

Thank. God.

For a moment there—a very brief moment—I’d been contemplating how I was going to afford a good therapist to help me understand and process how to live a life I was unaccustomed to.

But there was no need for that now. Not with the gift my grandparents had so graciously bestowed upon me, and itwasa gift. Something I wouldn’t have appreciated a week ago but now realized I was incredibly grateful for.

Maybe this was some kind of life lesson. To teach me whatnotto do to piss away the millions of dollars in my bank account. Though I’d think not being a dirty cheat would be common sense for staying out of jail.

Well, that and not being caught.

“Okay, so where are we going to celebrate?” I said as Manhattan's skyline came into view. There was no way I was staying in tonight, not with the news I’d just received and after aweek of TV watching and drinking my sorrows away, I was antsy for a night out.

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