Page 87 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

I felt Andrew stiffen beside me, his previous warmth turning to ice. The unfairness of her criticism burned in my chest. We'd been playing our parts perfectly, dancing on the knife's edge between public performance and private turmoil. I understood Megan's frustration—her carefully orchestrated media campaign was hanging by a thread. But with everything else going on, Megan's wounded pride would have to wait for another day.

Before either of us could respond to her criticism, Victor stepped forward, his presence commanding immediate attention.

"Lauren, Andrew—it's good to see you both," he said. "How are you today?"

"We're good," Andrew said, answering for me. "We saw the fire engines at your house last night."

"Yes. There was an unfortunate incident," Victor replied. "But everything will be fine."

"Hardly fine," Bennett drawled as he and Paula joined us.

"We're not going to discuss it today," Victor said, sending his son a stern look.

Clearly, Bennett and Paula knew about the robbery, but I couldn't quite tell how either of them felt about it. Neither one had seemed to appreciate the collection Victor had built. I think in somewhat different ways, they'd both been jealous of the time he'd spent pursuing treasures, which had probably taken time away from them.

Victor turned back to me and Andrew. "I want to thank you both for everything you've done this past week and will be doing today. You've gone above and beyond the call of duty, especially you, Lauren. Even after everything you had to deal with, you put a smile on your face and did what needed to be done. That's the Carrington way, and I'm immensely proud of how you've handled yourself."

I was touched by his words. "Thank you, Victor."

"Here, here…to Lauren," Bennett said, giving me a few hard claps.

His eyes looked glittery and a little off, his hands unsteady.Had he already started drinking?That didn't bode well for a long day of events.

Apparently, Victor agreed with me because he gave his son a sharp look and said, "You need coffee."

"I need a lot more than coffee," Bennett returned. "But that's probably all you want to give me, isn't it?"

"Paula?" Victor said, giving his wife an impatient glance.

She shrugged. "What do you want me to say, Victor? It's been a long, stressful night."

Victor didn't look happy with her, either, but he put a smile back on his face when he turned back to me. "At any rate, I've spoken to Bennett and Megan about moving you up in the company, Lauren. You deserve a promotion, and as soon as we all get back to work next week, we'll make that happen."

"I appreciate that," I said.

"And Andrew, I've also been pleased with your efforts," Victor continued. "I want you to know I'm going to take a more thoughtful look at your latest proposal. We can go over that next week. I'm sure you're both eager to get on with your honeymoon after today."

I was sure Andrew was more excited about going over his business proposal with Victor than honeymooning with me. And it worried me that this growing connection between Victor and Andrew might make Andrew feel like he needed to stay with me, and I didn't want that to be the reason. Actually, I didn't want there to be any reason for us to stay together, because I was done. I was rather shocked at the finality of that thought, but it was the truth. I didn't trust Andrew anymore, and I couldn't love someone I didn't trust.

"I can't wait for us to work together," Andrew said, offering his hand to Victor, a smug smile on his lips.

I couldn’t help wondering if Victor was shaking the hand of the man who'd robbed him of the things he held most dear.

The next few hours were a blur of photos, interviews, and conversations with an endless number of people I'd probably never see again in my life. Andrew played his part well, and so did I. But as much as we looked like a loving couple, I felt absolutely no connection between us. He never left my side, but his presence didn't feel like protection or love anymore. It felt like a trap, a prison, and I desperately wanted to escape.

After our last event of the day, an afternoon high tea in an oceanfront gazebo with four older women who had apparently paid a great deal for the privilege of meeting the honeymoon couple, Andrew and I finally had a chance to take a break for a few hours before our last event at six thirty.

We'd barely left the gazebo when Andrew told me he was going to meet up with Colin and Jay. I was fine with that. I needed time away from him and everyone. Then my phone buzzed with a text from Megan, and I realized I was not going to rest yet.

Megan wanted to meet me at the lighthouse so she could show me the setup and talk to me about my hosting responsibilities for the cocktail party. She said it wouldn't take long, but she needed me to come now. I texted back that I was on my way, but I wasn't with Andrew. She said she only needed me.

Lucky me, I thought with a sigh. Turning around, I headed down the path toward the old lighthouse that stood on the edge of the resort property, high upon a hill. I hadn't been inside yet, so it was probably good to get an idea of the layout. Because of the interior size, only ten guests would be joining us, which was great. I was enjoying the smaller groups much more than the bigger events.

As I walked up the path, I sent Ethan a text, asking him how he was feeling, and if there was any news.

He didn't text back, which was disappointing, probably more disappointing than it should be.

But Ethan felt like my only real friend these days. I hadn't heard from Harper since we'd spoken yesterday. Jamie had pretty much disappeared, although I'd seen her in passing at the ribbon cutting. She and Brad had gone to the other side of the island for a few days to rest and relax. They'd been on the vacation I should have been on.

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