Page 47 of How to Undo the Proud Billionaire

“Goddammit, Radd, sit still!”

Seated in the back row, Radd ignored his brother’s hiss and watched Naledi flash a practiced smile at the professional cameraman as Johnathan slid his ring onto her finger and murmured “I do.”

Shouldn’t she be looking at her groom, immersed in the moment of tying herself to another person, reveling in their love and good fortune? Shouldn’t she be paying more attention to Johnathan than she did to the camera?

“Six months,” Digby murmured.

Radd turned his head to look at his brother. “What?”

“I give them six months before they start talking divorce. They’ll be single in, mmm, maybe nine.” Digby shrugged at his surprised look. “I’ve seen so many brides stroll through the doors of The Vane, but I’ve never seen one so into herself as Naledi Radebe. There’s only space in that relationship for one person and she’s it.”

“Brin said something similar.” God, even murmuring her name hurt. Why? She was never going to be part of his life. No one was.

And if that was true then why did he spend the last thirty-six hours talking himself out of going to her, calling her? Radd rubbed his chest somewhere in the region of his heart and wondered if it would ever stop aching.

Maybe he was having a heart attack or something. Or maybe he was just missing Brin.

“I need trust and comfort and support…”

He wasn’t capable of giving her what she needed.

“Did you see the letter we received from our parent’s lawyer?” Digby asked out of the side of his mouth. “The beneficiary of their trust wants to meet us, on certain conditions.”

Right now, he really didn’t care. And he wasn’t even remotely curious who Gil and Zia had left their money to. How to heal the crater-sized hole Brin had left in his life was taking up all his mental energy.

“Brin is Kerry Riddell’s sister,” Radd whispered the words in Digby’s ear.

“Did you hear what I said? About meeting whomever they left their assets to?”

“Mmm. Brin told me I’m living in the past and that the PR campaign is just a way to convince myself I am better than them.”

Digby released an under-his-breath curse and closed his eyes. Then he pushed his way to his feet and, when Radd looked up at him, jerked his head. Radd got the message and slowly climbed to his feet, thankful they were in the back of many, many rows and could slip away without disturbing the wedding.

The brothers walked in silence to the open-air bar set up on the magnificent veranda a good distance from the wedding gazebo. Digby walked behind the counter and reached for a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. After pouring a healthy amount into both glasses, he handed Radd his tumbler before speaking again. “Your florist is Kerry’s sister? BS.”

“Do you know Kerry Riddell?” Radd asked, after taking a healthy belt of his drink. He welcomed the burn, and then the warmth, hitting his stomach. It was the first time he’d felt anything but ice cold since Brin left him on the plane.

“Yeah, we’ve met. She’s a piece of work.”

Needing to talk, a surprising development in itself, Radd rolled the tumbler between the palms of his hands. “I only found out Brin’s connection to her when Johnathan told Naledi she was Kerry’s sister at Kagiso. Naledi did not take the news well.”

“Bet she lost her rag and accused Brin of trying to spoil her wedding.”

Radd placed his glass on the bar and started pacing the area in front of Digby. Six steps, turn. Ten steps, turn again. “Good guess.”

Digby grinned. “Not that good, because Mari told me. She also told me that you are into Brin.”

Radd snorted, stopped and took another sip of his whisky. “We had a brief fling and it’s over.” He started to pace again. “It was…inconsequential.”

Radd looked up at the clear sky, watching for a stray lightning bolt to punish him for that enormous lie.

“Sure it was,” Digby mocked him. “That’s why you barely reacted when I told you about the heir to the trust, why you brushed that news off to focus on a florist. Face it, Radd, she is your person.”

Radd stopped abruptly, whirled around and scowled at his brother. “Are you looking to get thumped? You know how I feel about settling down, about marrying!”

“I do,” Digby replied, obviously amused.

“Then why would you make such an asinine comment?” Radd demanded, resuming his pacing.

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