Page 80 of Accidental Fiancé

She huffed at him. “It’s barely blackmail. It’s two million dollars. That’s practically petty cash to him, and besides, that’s not the point. Julian only paid up because he knew I could blow his lie apart.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Maggie asked me directly.

We couldn’t talk this out now in front of everyone. Not when I wasn’t ready to tell them the truth. I had to word this as carefully as possible.

“It was easier to pay her than to stonewall her. I wanted things to go as smoothly as possible this week, so paying her and not making a big deal of it seemed like the better idea.” I scowled at Chloe. “You could have held out for more. I would have paid it just to shut you up, not that your accusations hold any merit. Instead, you couldn’t hold your wad, and now, all you’re getting is two million. Happy?”

Her smug smile was hard to take. “I’m notunhappy.”

“You should have told me,” Maggie said, her voice cracking. “I deserved to know.”

Chloe taunted me. “She’s right about that, you know.”

“I should have,” I admitted to Maggie. “That was my mistake, and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you.” Was I proposing for real this time? I checked in with myself. There was no part of me that didn’t mean exactly what I said. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Maggie Bryant, come hell or high water. I added, “If you’ll let me make it up to you forever, I mean. If that’s what you want.” A messy proposal, if ever there was one.

Maggie took a quick breath, her eyes lining with tears. “I don’t know about that.”

“Maggie—"

She pulled her hand from mine and stepped back, her eyes never leaving me. Then she turned and ran, my family clearing a path for her, concern on all of their faces.

I started to follow but Yaya’s iron grip caught me. “Let her have a minute, Julian.”

“I have to go talk to her.”

“That woman needs to be able to think, to breathe. You’ll do her no favors by crowding her.”

“If I don’t go to her now, I will lose her forever.”

Her cheeks lifted with her smile, lining her face with decades of past joy. She let go of my wrist. “Very well. Go on.”

I nearly ran ahead, but Yaya’s knowing smile unnerved me, stopping me in my tracks. “What was that about?”

“She needed a minute, and you would not have argued with me if you did not love her. By holding you back, she gets her time, and I learn whether this drama was worth it.”

“Yaya—"

“Now go.”

Chapter 29

Maggie

Everybody knows.

While I dressed, that was all I could think about. Everyone knew what I had done, whatwehad done. I had never been a liar. Not really. Not before the reunion. But I was backed into a corner.

No. I made a choice. I could have taken Chloe’s bullshit for a night and been done with it. Instead, I blew up an entire family’s yearly reunion. I ruined everything. For Julian, for Piper. For fifty or so members of his family downstairs. It was all my fault.

Except for the things that were Julian’s fault.

Why in the hell didn’t he tell me about Chloe blackmailing him?

The door handle jiggled but I had locked it. Two knocks came before Julian’s voice asked, “Can I come in?”

“No.”

“Maggie, we need to talk.”

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