Page 61 of Ruined
Itwasn’twhat I wanted, but it would have to do. I set her coffee on the bathroom counter and closed the door behind me.
By the time she turned off the water, room service had brought over several large trays with dome covers, which they set on the long dining table with the windowed view of Sage City. I didn’t have much of an appetite, and kept my nose in my phone, pretending to do work. I needed to keep an illusion of distance between us.
Once she was done, she picked up one of the plates. “Do you need help with the dishes?”
I shook my head. “Room service takes care of that.”
“To be a billionaire,” she smirked. I kissed her forehead. “So… You’re busy?”
I glanced at my watch. “You should get back before someone notices you’re still gone.”
“Right.” She looked off at the view, her eyes finding the Sage Observatory Tower.
“Have you ever been?” I asked.
“Never,” she said. “But I’d like to. Someday.” Then I would take her there. I wanted to tell her that. That I would take her there, and anywhere in the world, if she wanted. But I couldn’t say anything like that until the bet was off. “Will you be at the club tonight?”
The words slammed into my chest. Back to work. Away from the fantasy world outside of those walls. It was strange how the Dahlia District was her real world, though it was meant to be a constructed fantasy for the club members. For Haley and me,thisworld, standing in the penthouse at the top of one of the most esteemed hotels in Sage City, was the fantasy. To pretend like we could have a life together.
I had to change the plans with Aldrich.
“If I can,” I said.
I walked Haley down to the lobby and watched her leave. It hurt to see her go. But I had to let that happen. There were things that needed to change before I did anything.
At ten-thirty, unable to wait any longer, I pulled into the parking lot of Aldrich Inspired Investments. A stacked blond waited at the reception desk, her pearly teeth gleaming.
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Where’s Aldrich?” I asked.
“He’s in a meeting—”
There was no fucking meeting. “Tell him it’s urgent. Lucas Conway.”
“Oh,” she said, recognizing my name. “Right away, Mr. Conway, sir.” She picked up the phone and spoke in a hushed voice, then hung up and smiled, gesturing towards the direction of his office.
Back when I had still worked for Aldrich, we were in a different building. But it was the same shit ten years later. Bubbly blond and brunettes, faces that would stay around long enough for Aldrich to have his fun, before he dumped them too. One of them might stay longer, as a potential third wife. But that didn’t mean they were lucky. I hated to think of what lay ahead of that third wife.
His office was at the very back of the building, the desk set against a large window that overlooked a thick garden, tall enough to let in sunlight, but block out any onlookers.
“Lucas,” he called across his office. “It isn’t eleven, is it?”
“Close enough,” I said. “We need to talk.”
“Have a drink.” He lifted a decanter off of a shelf.
“This won’t take long.”
But Aldrich kept pouring the drink. My instincts told me not to drink it. “This is a fine whiskey, Lucas. You ought to give it a chance.”
I glared at him. It was this kind of bullshit move that he was using to maneuver his power over me. But it didn’t work. I couldn’t let him get to me. “I’m calling the bet off,” I said. I angled towards the door. “I’ll have my assistant send over the paperwork for the ten percent share.”
“You’re quitting?” He threw himself back in the chair. “Already?”
The skin at the sides of his mouth sagged, like a defunct teddy bear. He was a disgusting person. How had I harbored so much hatred for a man who was less than me?
Because I wasn’t better than him. If I was willing to sacrifice Haley’s livelihood for my own personal gain, then I was like Aldrich. Which was why this needed to change.
