Page 47 of Tempting My Billionaire Master

Laughter rippled around the table at that. My lips twitched into a smile, warmth blossoming in my chest.

“Alright, alright,” Mary shushed everyone, raising her hand to silence the laughter that filled the room. “Let’s not get off track. Chloe still hasn’t finished her story!”

Heat crept into my cheeks. “There’s not much left to tell. You’ve probably seen the rest on the news.” I took a deep breath, the memory of Gordon’s haunted eyes searing into my mind. “Before surrendering to the FBI, Gordon hid his wife and daughter to ensure their safety. He agreed to tell the authorities everything in exchange for protection and immunity for them.”

“Wow,” Amanda murmured as the group listened intently.

“When Gordon spilled the beans, it turned out the assassination attempt wasn’t orchestrated by a single competitor. All three major pharmaceutical companies had conspired together to take Ethan out.”

Gasps echoed around the table. I nodded grimly. “The CEOs and several executives of each company were arrested, along with over a dozen FDA officials and corrupt police officers on their payroll. And, of course, all of Ethan’s former bodyguards.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. Elisabeth was uncharacteristically silent, her knuckles white around her teacup. Susan just looked away. Finally, Mary breathed, “Good heavens.”

“The government contract was canceled, so Ethan lost out on a lot of potential profit,” I said, eager to move on. “But with all three major competitors under federal investigation, PharmaB’s stocks skyrocketed. All told, he came out even further ahead.” I shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant, but my heart ached for him.

“Damon and I didn’t fare so well, though. There wasn’t much left for us to expose or investigate once the FBI took over. So I decided to take a little vacation in one amazing little town and meet some lovely ladies over a cup of tea or two.”

“Oh, banal flattery, please keep talking,” Elisabeth laughed, some of the tension easing from her face. The others quickly followed suit, amusement shining in their eyes once more.

I breathed an inward sigh of relief, grateful to lighten the mood. The Insomniacs’ unbridled joy and zest for life never failed to lift my spirits. “I aim to please,” I said, unable to contain a smile.

“Here’s to new friendships and exciting stories,” Mary raised her teacup, and we all followed suit, clinking our cups together in a toast.

“Cheers!”

“Chloe, don’t you think your story is interesting enough to write a book or make one of those YouTube documentaries?” Amanda asked, swirling the last of her tea around in her cup.

I felt my cheeks grow warm. “Ethan never went public with any of this,” I said, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. “And he still keeps out of the public’s eye. It wouldn’t feel right to expose him like that. Besides, I don’t want that kind of publicity either.”

“Fair enough,” Jess murmured as she leaned forward, eyes gleaming with curiosity. “But what about you and Ethan? It’s been over a month now. Hasn’t he tried to contact you at all?”

Heat flooded my cheeks as I fiddled with the cherry pie crust on my plate. Guilt churned in my stomach at the memory of Ethan lying pale and still in his hospital bed, a stark reminder of the danger I’d put him in.

I shook my head, keeping my gaze fixed on the table. “No, I haven’t heard from him.”

“Well, that doesn’t make any sense,” Amanda said with a frown. “After everything you two went through, I’d have thought…”

She trailed off meaningfully, but I didn’t need her to finish the thought. I already knew exactly what she meant, even if I didn’t want to admit it.

“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

The room fell silent for a moment, and then Mary’s phone beeped loudly, breaking the quiet. She pulled it out of her purse with some difficulty, fumbling with the buttons as she squinted at the small screen. “The cuckoo has landed!” she announced, her voice surprisingly agitated.

Everyone stared at her, puzzled. “Do you mean to say ‘the eagle has landed’?” Jess asked, eyebrows raised.

Mary blinked, then flushed bright red. “Oh, goodness me, yes. I always get those two mixed up.” She gave an apologetic chuckle. “Terrible habit of mine.”

“What does it mean?” I asked, glancing between them in bewilderment. The others had gone peculiarly still, exchanging loaded looks I couldn’t decipher.

“Nothing to concern yourself with, dear,” Elisabeth said brightly, though her smile seemed forced. She stood abruptly, nearly upending her teacup. “I’m afraid I’m feeling rather tired all of a sudden. I really must be off to bed.”

“And I have an early appointment tomorrow,” Amanda added, also rising from her seat. “So I should head home as well.”

“I need to check on my grandson.” Susan stood with a grunt, fishing her keys out of her purse.

“Isn’t it already after midnight?” I asked, surprised.

“Patrick’s been having trouble sleeping,” Susan added, looking concerned. “He’s a bit too young to join the Insomniacs, so I worry about him.”

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