Page 92 of High Stakes

“Bella, what’s going on?” Cal repeats.

“He also asked me to give you this,” he says, holding out a brown envelope. His face is full of guilt as I take it. “I think once he cools off, he’ll rethink this, but right now, he’s angry and there’s no talking sense into him.”

I open the envelope. It’s a solicitors business card with a name scrawled on the back. “What’s this?”

JP shifts uncomfortably. “He wants half the shop.”

I inhale sharply, gripping the back of the couch to stop myself collapsing. “No,” I whisper.

“Why would he do that?” Cal demands, wrapping his arm under my arm and supporting me to sit down.

“The guy on the card is your point of contact if you have any questions.”

“I have plenty of questions,” I manage to say.

“Aiden won’t see you,” JP confirms.

“He’s a coward,” I whisper.

“He’s upset and angry. It’s best you go through the contact than approach him yourself” JP warns. “And if you need anything, call me,” he adds, turning to leave. “For what it’s worth. I’m sorry it ended like this; I thought you were it for him.” And he leaves.

I choke on a sob and Cal crouches before me. “Bella, talk to me.”

“You told him about the baby,” I say through tears.

He frowns, “He said you told him?”

I shake my head and his eyes widen. “Oh shit. Bella I’m so sorry. He made me think you’d told him.”

I force a sad smile, “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I should have.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Aiden

The thing about anger is it drives me to work harder in my businesses. And after the last few months of distractions, I’m relieved to be back doing what I do best. It’s been over two weeks since I last saw Bella. And this time has been much easier to stomach, mainly because I have no guilt weighing me down. Having my solicitor, Drake, as the go between, as also helped because I haven’t hadto see her.

Drake sighs, and I already know I’m not going to like what he’s about to tell me. “Bella would like tosellthe entire business to you.”

I frown, “She only started the business because of the money I gave her.”

“She doesn’t want to be partners in business.”

“I don’t give a shit what she wants. I have no idea how to run a cake business,” I snap. “I want half because I put money into it.”

He sighs again, irritating me further. “Technically you weren’t investing, Aiden. We both know the reason you gave Bella that money and it wasn’t to invest.”

“As I understand it, she hasn’t got herself a solicitor, Drake, so this should be easy. Get her to sign the damn papers.” I slam the phone down just as JP enters.

“Problem?”

“Bella won’t sign the papers.”

He shrugs, “I don’t blame her.”

“If it wasn’t for my money, she wouldn’t have the shop.”

“If you hadn’t of tricked her, you wouldn’t have paid her,” he counters.

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