Page 85 of Falling for Them

I opened the door to the condo and was immediately hit with the smell of something cooking. Following my nose to the kitchen, I found Ethan and Libby moving around each other with practiced ease as they pulled food from the oven and poured soda into cups.

“Hi.” I tried to keep my tone light, but there was tension there to match the tightness in my shoulders that wouldn’t ease.

Libby glanced at me, giving me a small smile. “Go change. We’ll talk over dinner.”

I didn’t argue, heading straight to my room to swap my suit for sweats and a T-shirt. When I returned, they had plates set out at the kitchen island and were already seated.

“So...” I settled onto the empty stool, staring at the plate of what was definitely frozen chicken tenders. “Clara and I came up with a plan.”

“To get married and live happily ever after?” Ethan’s voice was teasing, but Libby elbowed him.

“We’re going to break off the engagement at the end of the week.” Needing something to do with my hands, I grabbed a fry and swirled it in ketchup. “We’re going to release a joint statement about remaining friends and focusing on our careers.”

“That’s... surprisingly simple.” Libby dunked a tender in ranch dressing but put it down. “That’s all there is to it?”

“Yeah, well, the complicated part comes after.” I took a deep breath. “My father wants me to come back to the company. He says it’s time I took my rightful place or some bullshit like that.”

Ethan put his hand on my arm. “Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted? You practically grew up in those hotels.”

“I thought I did… Most of my adult life, it was assumed I’d take over since Luca made it very clear he didn’t want it. But now that I’ve seen what it’s like to do work that matters and to have time for this…” I gestured between the three of us. “Running a multi-billion-dollar company means eighteen-hour days, constant travel, and never-ending pressure. I watched it eat away at my father until he became someone I barely recognize.”

“So, what do you want?” Ethan’s question was simple but loaded.

I looked between them, these two people who’d somehow wormed their way into my life and made me question everything I thought I knew about myself. “I want to stay with the foundation if Ryker will let me, and I want both of you, but…”

“But?” Libby bit her bottom lip.

“I need to be one hundred percent honest… about everything. That includes things that are embarrassing as fuck for me to share and possibly bad enough to scare you both away.”

Libby took my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “We’re still here after today, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but this is a million times worse.” I laughed uncomfortably. “Last year, at a party on my yacht, I got drunk and went to my room with a woman. Things were progressing as normal, but then she got up and let her husband in the room. At first, it was just him watching, but then he joined in and… well, I fucked him. At some point, one of them set up their phone to record and then they blackmailed me for millions.”

Ethan jumped to his feet, his hands balling into fists. “They did what?!”

I’d thought I’d seen Ethan angry before, but this was next level. He looked ready to pick up his barstool and chuck it across the room… or at my head.

“They were going to release it unless I paid them off, so I did.” I slowly got to my feet and put my hands up in surrender. “I should have told you both sooner.”

“But that’s illegal. Blackmail is illegal.” Libby stood and put a hand on Ethan’s chest.

“Of course it’s illegal, but things get complicated when you have even a little notoriety and money. They were visiting too, so it would be an international case.

“At first, I refused to believe it, thinking it was a joke, but then they contacted my father. They didn’t send him the full video, but they sent him enough.” I ran my hand through my hair and walked to the other side of the island since Ethan looked murderous. “We could have tried to stop them by contacting the FBI, but something like bribery and a sex tape doesn’t stay under the radar. It would have been a huge court case.”

Ethan had calmed down considerably and looked at me with pity. “How much?”

I cringed. “Fifty.”

“Fifty thousand?” Libby gasped, and I could tell by her widened eyes that she only hoped it was that small of an amount—not that fifty grand was a small amount by any means.

“Million.” I shook my head, still in disbelief it had even happened. “Supposedly, it was deleted, but sometimes I still worry it’s going to be released. My lawyers assure me it won’t because then we can go after them for blackmail.”

“Jesus.” Ethan came around the counter and pulled me into a hug.

Libby joined our embrace, pressing against my back as she wrapped her arms around me. The three of us stood there insilence, and for the first time since this mess started, all the tension left my body, and I finally felt like I could breathe.

“I get it if you want to walk away,” I said quietly, hating how vulnerable I felt, but also knowing it was safe to be that way with them. “My life comes with more baggage than anyone should have to deal with. The gossip and my family... it’s a lot.”

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