Page 74 of (Un)Expected

As I washed my mouth out, my phone chimed on the counter. The latest message joined dozens of unanswered ones from Cole, Adam, and even Theo. I unlocked the screen, knowing I had to face them eventually and tell them what happened.

I read the newest one from Cole first.

Cole: Adam said you’re upset. Do you need me?

My heart sang out for Cole, in disbelief that a few simple words could make me feel instantly lighter. He didn’t even ask what was wrong; I doubted it would matter to him. If I was upset, no matter how big or small the issue, I knew he’d be there the moment I asked.

Despite wanting his calm confidence at my back, I had to face Nate alone. He’d been the demon haunting my memories for far too long, and I was done giving him the power to break me. It wasn’t like before. I wasn’t alone with him. I wasn’t trapped under his spell. Besides, he only unleashed his monster behind closed doors, where the rest of the world couldn’t see.

Me: I’m okay. Thanks for checking on me.

I turned off my phone and fixed my make-up as much as possible. With one last, steadying breath, I exited the bathroom and tried to stealthily make it back into the ballroom without running into Nate. Luckily, no one noticed me, which was a good sign. If I’d made a scene, the whispers and comments would have started when I reappeared.

Adam was at my side almost instantly. “What happened? Areyou all right?” he asked quietly. “You looked like you were about to pass out.”

“I’m fine,” I said, smiling back at him tightly. Luckily for me, he couldn’t tell my placating smile from my real one. “I forgot to eat before coming here and felt light-headed.”

He stared at me for a long moment, as if he didn’t quite believe my words. Instead of pressing the question, he leaned down, kissing the side of my temple. “C’mon, let’s have a seat. I think dinner is about to be served.”

Adam led me across the room, but as I started to take my seat, I glanced across the table, freezing when I saw who was smirking on the other side.

“Alexandria,” Nate called out, standing to greet us. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

THIRTY-TWO

The air instantly left the room as Nate stepped toward me. With Adam’s hand on my back and hundreds of witnesses, rationally, I knew I was safe—however, nothing about being in the same room as Nate felt safe.

Especially when he took my hand in his. I tried to resist trembling as he lifted it to his lips. “You look wonderful tonight.”

Nate’s words made my skin crawl. My memories were tainted with moments just like this one, especially when we first met. He’d whisper compliments in my ear, making me preen with his attention. Being around him, being with him, was intoxicating. After a lifetime of never feeling like enough, one of the most powerful men in the world wanted me.

Choseme.

I’d love to say that I saw more in him than his status, but at twenty-one years old, his name and wealth impressed me. It felt like being picked out of the crowd, that someone so special saw something in me.

Looking at the devilish gleam in his eyes, I felt only nausea.

“I wasn’t aware you two knew each other,” Adamchuckled, holding me a little tighter. If he sensed any tension, he didn’t show it. “This works out better than I thought.” Adam looked down at me. “While you were occupied, Mr. Gibson and I started talking. He wanted to know if there were more ways he could support the hospital. I thought it would be great for him to join us for the evening.”

Fan-fucking-tastic. Forget two drinks—I needed an entire bottle of champagne.

Instead of returning to the other side of the table, Nate took the empty seat on my other side. Barely a few inches separated us; I could stab him with my fork if he got any ideas. Not that it would have worked; Nate was watching me too closely to try anything discreetly.

I tried to resist shivering under his stare. Adam ushered me into my seat before taking his own on my other side; I hoped Adam’s presence would be enough to dissuade Nate, but I should have known better. I could feel his gaze sliding down, skimming my curves before looking back up to my face. “This new look suits you, Alexandria. I almost didn’t recognize you at first.”

Adam’s hand found mine under the table, gripping it a little tighter. The silent show of support made breathing a little easier. With another sip of his champagne, Adam leaned forward on his free elbow, leveling Nate with a stern expression. “You never said how you knew my girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” Nate asked, his jaw ticking in annoyance. “I thought I saw an article online about you two dating. I didn’t realize it was serious. Good for you, Adam.”

My blood ran cold at his words. At least I had my answer: that was why he was here. I couldn’t believe how foolish I’d been. I thought three years was enough time for him to forget about me. He’d moved on pretty quickly, after all.

One reason Nate was so successful in business was that he never let things go. If he tried to absorb a company and they turned him down, he’d go out of their way to make their lives harder. Slowedshipments and canceled contracts; anything he could do, legal or otherwise, to get them to reconsider.

So what made me think he’d be so quick to let me move on with my life?

Once upon a time, he’d set online alerts for business competitors and past lovers. He always said it was in case he needed to issue a public statement or avoid a scandal. Now, I knew the truth: the controlling bastard liked to keep people under his thumb, even when they tried to escape.

Nate took a sip of his bourbon and then tipped his glass in our direction. “As for us, Alexandria and I used to work together.”

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