Page 141 of From You to Me

My intrigued gaze was focused on White, who hadn’t once looked up at us. Her eyes remained downcast as she fiddled with a thread on her pants.

I’d never seen her like this. I didn’t want to say it, but it almost looked sad to see her this way. Though, she was a cunning,manipulative bitch, so who knew what she had up her sleeve. Maybe this was all an act.

“My daughter and I wanted to apologize to you, J.J., and to you, Ms. May.”

My eyes shifted to him.

His forehead wrinkled further as he gave us a small smile. “You know the condition that we have succumbed. Although I knew our wrongdoings were going to come around to us one day, I knew the rest was because of a tip from you, J.J.”

Jay stared at him, not giving anything away.

Mr. Dorian continued, “I can’t seem to find the reason until my daughter confessed everything that went down between her and Ms. May.” He swallowed, casting his daughter a sad look. “My Cece’s been sick for a long time. She was fine, a beautiful kind daughter who was the light of my life. But she changed the day her mother left her. She couldn’t cope with it, and it destroyed her. She started creating personas in her head and playing make-believe to help her deal with it. She would go through phases of fixation, and I let her have it and gave her everything she asked for.”

Jay raised a brow as his lips thinned. “Quite a tale you’re spinning. But I’m not so dumb to believe all this bullshit.”

“I’m not lying. I’m sure it only takes a phone call for you to get my daughter’s entire medical history and the numerous hospital visits. Honestly, I didn’t know about any of this. The label decided to sign with you guys long before my daughter came into the picture. It had nothing to do with Cece. One day, Cece asked me to appoint her as your creative manager. I didn’t even know she was creating all this ruse to deny you guys from recording. It never got to my ears. I thought things were moving great when you started your recordings a month later and went on to release the debut. That was our original plan.”

I froze, trying to make sense of what he said.

Jay leaned forward, his eyes turning to slits. “So you’re telling me it was one of her tricks? That even if Evy had stayed, we had the deal.”

Mr. Dorian nodded. “Yes.”

“It’s true,” White spoke out in a meek voice that was so unlike her while her eyes remained on the floor. “I wanted him from the moment I saw him, but I didn’t realize that he would already have someone in his life. So I thought I’d threaten her to leave him by holding his album over her head. She didn’t relent, I panicked not knowing what to do. Luckily, I was able to convince a few of the higher-ups to help me delay the album a bit, and she fell for it, thinking it was real. And I went with it, making her sign a fake contract so she would leave him and she did. I had this whole plan mapped out, but nothing I did ever seem to work on you, Emmie. You were always in love with her.”

My heart hammered as I realized what she had said. “You’re lying! How can it all be a lie? You made me leave him for nothing?” My voice broke, I couldn’t control the burning sting hiking its way up my sinuses.

“I have nothing left to lose, Evelyn.” Her eyes finally landed on me, still coating a forlorn glow. “I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. I apologize for everything I’ve done to you in the past.”

The weight of her statement dropped heavy on my shoulders.

“That’s enough, Cece. I refuse to believe you suddenly became this martyr overnight when you were making absurd promises only three weeks ago. You can shove your apology to yourself. You’ve done the damage and ruined our lives. And I will never forgive you for taking my girl away from me,” Jay declared, pulling me closer to him.

I knew she was lying and that it was all an act. Underneath her morose eyes, I knew the gleam was hiding, like a snake lunging on its prey in the dead of the night.

But learning that everything I went through was based on a lie noosed a heavy chain around my gut. I ruined my sanity because I was gullible and young.

Mr. Dorian heaved out a heavy breath. “We are not here to cause any trouble.”

Jay’s gaze turned to cold slits. “That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

Mr. Dorian swallowed while Whtie averted her gaze back to the floor. “We plan to leave LA and settle down South.” He scratched his head. “But I’ve stroked the feather of one man whom I can’t seem to shake off.”

“Who?” Jay lifted his brow in question.

“Julian.”

A sardonic laughter spurts out of Jay’s lips. “Good luck with that. Now if that’s all, you can leave. And make sure you don’t invite yourself back again. You’re not welcome here anymore.”

Mr. Dorian cleared his throat. “I know you’re Mr. Stormhold’s close friend. If you could speak to him and get him off our back, it would really help us. I know we have a lot to be sorry about, but I hope you can do this for us, J.J., for old times’ sake.” He chuckled, leaning back. “I promise you that my daughter won’t stir anything up and leave you both alone.”

“How Julian does his business is something I cannot interfere in, Dorian. Even if I did, what makes you think I would even help you?”

The sorry look on Mr. Dorian’s face dimmed as his eyes narrowed. “I made you who you are, J.J. You fucking owe me for that. If I hadn’t given you the chance, you would’ve been rotting in an empty bar playing to a bunch of drunkards.”

Fuck. It was like he had changed in an instant.

Mr. Dorian shot to his feet. “This is all because of you.” He pointed a furious finger at a somber White. “If you weren’t so fucked in the head and played all your little games, I wouldn’thave lost everything that I’ve built my entire life. I told that fucker to keep you on a leash and not feed your delusions. Look what you did to us.”

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