Page 86 of How to Fall for the Secret Billionaire
She lets out a short laugh. “Then it’s the wrong place for that, Cal. Everfield notices everything.”
I smile at the sound of my name from her lips. Not Mr. Reid. Not some cold formality to keep me at arm’s length. Just Cal.
And it loosens something in my chest.
“I’m not going to ask you anything anymore,” she says after a pause, folding her arms. “Whatever’s true or not… you’ll tell me when you’re ready. Or you won’t.”
“I will,” I say quietly. “There’s really nothing special about me. I was just… overwhelmed back home. Burned out. I came here to find a little peace.”
She tilts her head, skeptical.
“I mean… generally, I can call myself a tech businessman.”
Margot’s eyes light up. “Oh, that’s great! Thea would love to hear that—she’s a tech genius. Like, actual genius. Built a climate app when she was nineteen that people still use around town.”
She looks so genuinely thrilled, so proud of her sister, that I almost want to smile back. But a quiet alarm goes off in my head.
If Thea is really as brilliant as Margot says, there’s a solid chance she knows Calvin Hale. I do not want to take that chance.
Margot starts to turn, already scanning the room like she’s about to go fetch her.
I gently intercept her gaze with a crooked smile. “She really is impressive. Probably smarter than me.”
Margot laughs. “You’re just saying that.”
“I’m serious.” I shift a little, casually. “I wouldn’t survive a minute in a conversation with a real coder. I’m more business strategy. Team-building. Pitch meetings. You know, the boring stuff.”
It works—her shoulders drop a bit, her attention slides back to me. Just enough.
“Well, you’re in Everfield,” she says, tilting her head. “That’s already not boring.”
“I’m trying,” I say, and I mean it.
But in the back of my mind, I know this isn’t over.
If Thea is as smart as she seems, and she’s been paying attention… I might be out of time sooner than I think. I’ll tell Margot everything soon, I just need a week to… pull myself together. That’s all I need.
“Okay.” She smiles, and I feel my heart rest, so much so that I hold out my hand.
“Dance with me?”
She looks at me like I’ve just asked her to fly to the moon.
Then she blinks slowly. “Cal…”
“One dance,” I say, soft but certain. “Please.”
She hesitates, arms still folded, chin tilted up just enough to remind me that this is still her turf, her rules. Then finally, with a little exhale that sounds more like surrender than agreement, she nods.
“Fine. One dance.”
MARGOT
That night, after everything winds down, I shower and climb into bed, expecting sleep to come easily. It doesn’t.
My mind is still buzzing.
Not with the party—though it went well. Everyone had a great time. No fires, no kitchen disasters, no last-minute complaints. Ana was glowing with pride, Aunt Edie was practically high on sugar and praise, and even Thea admitted that the wine tasting wasn’t a complete waste of her time.
