Page 53 of Ugly Truths
Elena nods and greets him with a simple, “William.” Her tone is polite but curt as they take one another in. “I’m in town for a few weeks,” she offers, giving him nothing morethan necessary.
I don’t miss the way his fingers flex around his mug and how his eyes jump to me briefly.
Kendall grins, giving Elena another approving look. “Well, I hope I’ll be seeing more of you then.”
Elena responds with a strained, closed-mouth smile. Thank God her bags are still in the hallway, tucked out of sight.
William hums, lifting his coffee in that effortlessly dismissive way of his. “Wonderful.” Then, just as smoothly, he turns his attention to me. “Alice should meet Scarlett,” he muses. “You two have been spending quite a bit of time together, have you not?”
Elena tenses before her hesitant smile transforms into something sharper, all teeth.
“We’ve met,” she responds, the half-truth slipping out a little too easily. “She was lovely.”
My father bristles, and I level him with a look. “Whatever you came here to discuss, we can talk in the den.” Somehow, my voice stays even. “Or my study.”
William doesn’t respond right away, but eventually waves me off with a flick of his wrist, taking his coffee cup as he stands and turning for the door. He doesn’t say another word or wait for me to follow.
Kendall exhales quietly and moves to the sink, rinsing out a dish like she hadn’t just been standing in the middle of a silent war. Elena is still against me, and I know, without looking at her, that her mind is already working.
I lift her chin, holding her there for just a second. Though she softens under my touch, the corners of her eyes and mouth are pulled down. I take her lips against mine, but the moment has been doused.
When I pull back, I run my fingers along her jaw, trying to draw out the remaining apprehension in her stare. Without looking away from her, I say, “Kendall, could you make us something small to eat?”
The chef nods easily. “Of course.” Then, she looks to Elena. “Anything in particular?”
Elena doesn’t miss a beat. “Whatever’s easiest.”
Kendall gives her a smile before moving toward the fridge.
I press my mouth to Elena's forehead. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I say against her skin before pulling back.
With one last drag of my fingers along her side, I force myself to step back, then turn and head toward the den. As I walk down the hallway, my mind starts reeling.
I should have known he was in my house, uninvited, but there was no one here to tell me. Lloyd is in California. Paul and Steven are focused on the server audits. Cora will continue to stay at Natalie’s now that we know Peter might be keeping tabs on her. Cillian has been handling some other tasks I need to straighten out ahead of the executive transition. Everyone has a role, and for once, no one is stationed at the house.
Then, there’s the more pressing issue: my father has security access to my home.
I gave it to him a long time ago and didn't think much of it. That means the system wouldn’t have flagged his entry as a breach. Just a log that someone let themselves in with a code. Cillian probably saw the entry and assumed it was me or Kendall.
I hadn’t thought about it in years, but as I enter the den to find William sitting inmychair, I realize that needs to change.
With barely a glance in his direction, I walk to the window and pull back the sheer curtain just enough to see the street.
My father's black SUV idles in the pull-off at the front of my house, the tinted windows reflecting the afternoon sun. We came through the back street and straight into the garage, avoiding the front entrance entirely.
I had no intention of William finding out Elena was here. The fewer people who know, the better. I don’t trust that Peter doesn’t still have someone hanging around Chicago, and if the wrong person hears Scarlett Page is back in town, it won’t take long for him to come sniffing.
I let the curtain drop and turn my attention back to my most immediate problem.
William sighs, setting his coffee mug down on the side table. “I came here to talk to you about your meeting with Jeremy yesterday,” he says, his gaze sharpening. “But now, I see there are more pressing matters.”
I drag a hand over my jaw. “I’m not discussing my dating life with you,” I say flatly, leaning back against the window frame and crossing my arms. “But I’m happy to talk about how Jeremy and Brenden are disrupting the audits. Let's start there.”
William doesn’t so much as blink at the change in subject. “You’re a fool to fall for this woman’s schemes a second time.” His voice is clipped.
The words don’t hit like he thinks they should. I roll my shoulders, forcing the irritation down.
“Jeremy is still insisting on the nomination,” I say instead. “Even though I’ve told him multiple times that it’s not on the table.” I tilt my head, watching him. “What’s the point of making him promises you know I won’t keep?”
