Page 36 of The Duke's Contract

“Yea, well, you did not appear able to get rid of she-wolf yourself, so I thought I best help,” Nathaniel told him. “Don’t worry, mate. I am one hundred percent sober. Victoria simply spilled white wine on my slacks on the way over.”

Victoria was Nathaniel’s new and first girlfriend. She also happened to be a member of Sienna’s group. One who was tired of having her life run by the whims of that brat.

“Have you seen Thomas?” Henry inquired growing more nervous as the seconds rolled on. He wanted this done, so he could leave.

“He shot me a message earlier. He’s here making certain everything is ready to go. Are you certain you want to do this? That footage is pretty damning,” Nathaniel asked for what felt like the thousandth time.

“This was the plan from the beginning. For too long, Sienna has ruined people’s lives all while maintaining her own pristine image. Dirty laundry only remains hidden in the hamper for so long,” Henry said. He had no doubt. From the moment he got his hands on the footage he was about to share with the whole of the track, he knew he wanted to expose Sienna in a very publicly embarrassing way. He planned to do it at his engagement party, but meeting Bre and getting engaged to her threw his plan off its track.

“I still can’t believe her own brother wants her taken down,” Nathaniel said.

“I can. He wants her gone for the same reason I did. She destroyed Astrid, and in turn, destroyed Thomas. I think he wants her to pay more than anyone,” Henry told him replaying the conversation he had with Thomas several weeks ago.

“Looks like the show’s about to start,” Nathaniel said, pointing towards Victoria and Sienna who were bowing as Her Majesty entered the premises.

For a brief moment, Henry considered backing out of his plan, but as he remembered the tears in Bre’s eyes and recalled listening to his sister’s soul-crushing cries as she broke up with Thomas, he felt as if there was no greater justice in the world than taking away the shining image of Lady Sienna Marlborough. And so, he texts Thomas, telling him to roll the tape where his sister, in her own words, described how she’d spent years selling the aristocratic secrets of her family and friends, to keep her own dirty deeds out of the paper.

No one in English society would ever speak to her again.

“Roll the tape,” he whispered quietly to himself as he watched Sienna Marlborough’s perfect life crumble the same way she destroyed so many.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Avoiding news of the Royal Ascot event proved easier than Bre thought. Working her new job kept her busier than ever, and when she wasn’t designing and pitching new graphic projects, her new roommates helped her explore London more in-depth. Bre wondered how she’d lived so close for so long and barely managed to step foot in her amazing adopted city. Her life was so busy that she only really thought about Henry on those late nights when sleep alluded her and loneliness set into her soul. She wondered what he was doing; if he missed her; and sometimes, when she touched herself, she recalled what Henry looked like when he kissed between her legs.

With each passing month, the events that transpired between the two of them hurt less and less, especially as she settled into her new life in London.

“Are you up for a night on the town?” her new roommate Hannah asked. Hannah, a new University graduate, had been attempting to set Bre up with her older brother since she moved in, but while the hurt Henry caused might have lessened, she wasn’t quite ready to jump back on the dating horse.

“I think I’ll skip this one,” she told Hannah who pouted at her declaration. “I need to finish some graphics for our client’s new campaign.” She wasn’t lying, but she also did not intend to work all night. Having three roommates instead of one meant that Bre rarely got the flat to herself, so tonight, while they partied hard, she planned to order Thai, take a bath, and drink a bottle of wine in silence.

“You are too young to work so hard,” Hannah told her, grabbing her jacket and purse. “Are you certain I can’t convince you to join me? I promise it’ll be mad fun.”

Bre smiled, appreciating Hannah’s attempt to liven her up. “Maybe another time,” she said.

“You’ve been saying that for months,” Hannah told her. “I’m beginning to question if you mean it.”

Bre sighed, feeling bad. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go out and meet people, but she dreaded the inevitable questions that would arise the second someone recognized her from her brief stint in the papers. Luckily, no one at work or at home knew of her sordid tabloid past. “I swear I’ll come out next time. I just really need to impress my boss with this project,” Bre told her hoping against hope that next time was not tomorrow night.

Hannah studied her for a moment, her face pensive, but just as quickly she flashed Bre her million-dollar smile before enveloping her in a tight hug. “How about we do brunch tomorrow instead?” she asked. “Mimosas and some window shopping in the afternoon?”

Bre smiled once again, happy to have met her new friend. “Sounds fantastic,” she told her.

“Lovely,” Hannah beamed. “Phone me if you need anything,” she said before making her way out of the door.

“Bye,” Bre called out, trying not to do a happy dance as her last roommate went out for the evening.

* * *

Two hours after Hannah’s departure, Bre lay in the tub, enjoying a full glass of wine. She finished her work in record time, and she decided to skip her dinner and soak in the tub while she had it to herself.

‘This is the life,’ she thought to herself as the hot water melted her muscles into a puddle. Just as she reached peek relaxation, a knock on the door broke Bre’s tranquil space. “Damnit,” she ground out wondering who the hell was at her door at this hour.

“Just a minute!” she yelled as she toweled the bubbles off of her and slipped into her robe.

Given the time, Bre assumed one of her flat-mates forgot their keys and needed her to let their drunk self in. “Wait for a second!” she yelled again as the person behind the door knocked once more.

“Geez!” Bre breathed out as she yanked the door open with so much force that the breeze caused her sticky skin to pimple against the cold. “Woah,” she breathed out as she took in the sight of Henry, Duke of Rochester standing awkwardly at her door.

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