Page 49 of The Enemy's Daughter

“Tell me this was all just a mistake,” she said. “Tell me that I’m not thinking the wrong thing, and I’ve got it all completely wrong?”

She stared into his eyes, and waited.

Silence filled the air.

“Don’t I at least get to know the truth?”

“Have you ever heard of my company before?” he asked.

“Yesterday when my father said you worked for a damn good company with a strict boss.” She laughed. “You’re the boss.”

“I am.”

“My dad has a lot of respect for you. You’ve clearly earned it.”

“A few weeks ago a deal of mine went sour. The Macalister contract.”

“The one my father got?”

“Yeah.”

“Dad didn’t fight like that. He never has. He’s a good man.”

“And I thought the worst.”

She couldn’t keep the tears down, and staring at him, she shook her head. “I’ve got to go.”

“No, please.”

“You lied to me. Everything was a lie. Our first meeting, everything.”

“It wasn’t. I didn’t lie, baby.”

“Don’t call me that.” She gritted her teeth. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“It does to me.”

“What was I? Some kind of revenge? What?”

He stood in front of her, and she took a couple of steps away.

“Please, just tell me the truth.”

“You were revenge,” he said. “I was, erm, I was going to make you fall in love with me, and then in front of your father, I was going to break your heart.”

She gasped.

“It was a mistake, okay. I didn’t know who you were. I thought you were some socialite bitch—”

“And that makes it okay? If I’m some kind of bitch then I’m easy to hurt? You can justify it?”

“No, of course not.”

She took a step back from him. “I’ve got to go.”

“I love you, Bella. This was all about revenge. I never thought I’d fall in love.”

“I don’t believe you. I don’t think I’ll believe anything you say.” Then, she turned on her heel, and ran. She ran past Rex and didn’t bother with the elevator. Taking the stairs, she got out of his building as fast as she could.

Just as she was climbing into her car, she saw Alaric chasing after her.

Without giving him another glance, she drove away from him, away from the pain, and everything that he had caused her.

He was nothing but a lie.

There was no love there. How could someone who wanted to hurt her on purpose ever love her?

Driving toward her father’s house, Bella rushed up the steps, and charged into her father’s study. He had his head bent over some kind of paperwork, and was squinting when he looked up. The moment he saw her, he got to his feet, and she ran into his arms, sobbing.

She truly was broken.

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