Page 75 of Embrace Me Forever

The shock that crosses Georgia-May’s face at the mention of the name is impossible to miss. I scoff, bitter realization slicing through the fog of my anger. I’ve trusted her without question, yet now, her secrets unravel before my eyes, stretching all the way back to her dealings with Hartley Marine. She hasn’t been forthcoming.

“Huh…” My voice is thick with sarcasm. “You claimed Christian Cartwright was just a friend who embellished your resume, boosting your chances with the Hartley Marine contract. Yet you’ve never actually met your so-called manager at Obsidian Moon, have you?”

“You met him?”

“You knew I conducted background checks on you. I’ve followed every single lead about you.”

She turns to the man, asking desperately, “You’re Christian Cartwright?” But thanks to me, his throat is too preoccupied to answer her.

“So tell me, Georgia-May, who is this man to you?” My grip on his neck tightens, my demands for the truth driven not just by the sting of betrayal but because, despite everything, I care too much to let any deception pass unchecked.

“To me, his name is Cristo, Sebastian’s friend. Now, let him go!”

Her words make my head spin. All of a sudden, everything seems to link back to Sebastian. A knot forms in my stomach, a premonition of deeper trouble lurking beneath the surface.

She presses on, “Let him go right now, Blake. We need to get to Hartley Marine. We have to talk to Rob and Clay! There’s a flaw in the code I provided them, something that might connect back to Bertram.”

Shit!

Fury courses through me. I shove the man away. Cristo, Christian, whoever he really is.

“Don’t think you’re off the fucking hook! I’ll hunt you down whenever I fucking choose. Do you hear me?” I throw the threat at his retreating figure. As he scrambles away, anger tightens my chest, pulling me in directions I can barely understand.

I tell Georgia-May, “Button up your shirt!” The idea of that man catching even a glimpse of her cleavage irks me. Then I haul her by the arm, leading her quickly out to the garage. Without a fuss, she’s in the car, and we’re peeling out of the parking lot, speeding toward Hartley Marine.

As the city blurs past, I dial Rob. “What should they do, Georgia-May?” I demand, ready to relay her instructions.

“Tell Thomas to take the program offline,” she exclaims.

“I hear that,” Rob’s voice crackles through the speaker.

“We’re on our way!” I end the call, my thoughts racing. Earlier, Rob had hinted at Bertram’s forces advancing toward the U.S. Perhaps her mistake had sparked this escalation.

“I’m sorry, Blake,” Georgia-May murmurs.

I shake my head, rejecting her apology. “What exactly did you do, Georgia-May?”

“I…I might’ve used Sebastian’s old code. I didn’t mean to. It just happened.”

“You used your dead boyfriend’s code? And attempted to sell it to Hartley Marine? You told all of us it was all your work!” My voice rises involuntarily. Patience has deserted me. This is more than an oversight, more than feelings between the two of us. She needs to understand the depth of my anger.

“I didn’t mean to! And please, don’t remind me that Sebastian is dead,” she snaps back.

She had dedicated time to the project, so her decision to integrate that code suggests one of two things. Either she was careless, or she subconsciously believed that what belonged to Sebastian inherently belonged to her as well. It’s a deep-seated influence, one that cannot be easily erased by anyone, not even by a new love.

And Coco? She called me ‘daddy’ a few times. My God, that sweet voice. Sure, it was an innocent mistake, but I’ve got to face the truth. Her heart always reaches out to Sebastian, her real father. And me? I’m just a bystander who’s had the privilege of being in that little girl’s life.

But then, there is another possibility. A cold edge creeps into my tone. “Did you lie to me about your boyfriend?”

She stammers, and I’m not about to bail her out. My voice hardens, “Does Sebastian even exist? Is he truly Coco’s father? Or does Cristo have a connection to her?”

Georgia-May spins around, her eyes blazing with indignant fury. “How dare you!” she explodes. “Sebastian is Coco’s father—the man I loved, my boyfriend!”

Her declaration leaves a heavy silence as I focus back on the road. The stakes loom larger than ever, yet I’ve never felt so diminished, so small.

She explains further, “Cristo helped me create a new identity, and yes, he set up the fake contract with Obsidian Moon.”

Despite the turmoil inside me, I find myself believing her. “Then what’s with the ring? Why the tears? Was he proposing to you? His friend is dead, and now he wants to claim his girlfriend?”

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