Page 36 of The Innovator

If I discovered information on the previous owner of The Prism, maybe I could find a connection that would lead me to the elusive woman my dad had been rumored to be with. But intuition told me there was no woman. Dad wasn’t like that. But maybe I’d been looking at him through rose-tinted glasses because he was my dad. We often didn’t see flaws in people we loved. Love made everything pretty, even the ugly things.

I couldn’t tell my mom about my intuition. A woman in pain needed solid proof. Dad was her husband, and he’d kept this property from me and her, so it was natural for Mom to suspect dishonesty from him. I would react the same way.

After the threatening text message, I had to make sure Rafael didn’t disturb my family.

“No, not yet. Someone’s been hiding info on it.” I didn’t want to share that a billionaire was interested in the property. She’d ask questions, and my reply would probably reveal something I didn’t want to acknowledge yet.

“Okay.” Mom sighed. “I hope you’re taking some time off for yourself. Meet any friends? Are there any cute guys over there? Have you been on a date yet?”

“Mom, I don’t have time to date.” I pulled the blanket over me as though trying to hide a secret from her. “I’ve met some wonderful friends here. There are these amazing girls who love fashion, food, and silliness like me. And they’re not like the girls in my regular circle. There’s no competition with them. I can just be me. No makeup, no expectations. We talk about stupid things.” I laughed, remembering all my chats with them. “They care about me as a person and not what I can offer them.”

“I’m so happy to hear that, sweetie. Maybe this trip will help you find a genuine group of friends. You grew up wealthy, and sometimes that prevents genuine friendships. It’s hard to know who your real friends are and who’s just trying to make connections.” Mom released a sigh. “If you can’t find any information in Providence, come back home. We’ll figure things out. I don’t want my daughter wasting her life away.”

I wasn’t going back until I found something, but my mom didn’t need to know about my determination. It would only stress her out even more. Between her and me, we had enough pressure to turn us into diamonds.

Yawning, I said. “Don’t worry. I’ve got it handled. Keep me posted on the current affairs over there, okay?”

“Okay. You sound tired. Go to bed. We’ll catch up soon. Love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

I leaned back into my pillows and blew out a breath. Relief washed over me to learn that Rafael hadn’t reached out to my mom. Our engagement was to save House of LaRue from its financial debt. We’d been dating for over a year before he proposed. As time went on, I lost myself. He didn’t love me. He loved being with a lot of women. The shame and embarrassment that he brought to me and my family were likely worse than the financial problem.

I never imagined I’d marry anyone for money. Rafael had appeared at a time of crisis, and I’d been vulnerable and made a huge mistake.

What could he possibly want with me now?

My phone buzzed, and the message distracted me, taking me from a place of worry to something more delightful.

Grayson:Don’t dream about me.

Natalie:I was just dreaming about how you’re going to lose to me.

Grayson:I don’t lose.

Natalie:Neither do I.

I had to win so I could persuade him to pick another building to replace The Prism. What excuse could I give him?

Grayson:You don’t like The Prism?

Natalie:Compared to the other architecture on your landmark, that building is too simple.

Hopefully, that would satisfy his curiosity.

Grayson:Interesting point. But simple things have deep meanings.

So there was something special about the building he wasn’t disclosing, but if I kept asking questions, he might figure out I had ulterior motives. I had to change the topic.

Natalie:We never discussed what you want if I lose—which I won’t. (Smile emoji)

At that time, I didn’t care because my primary concern was protecting The Prism. But now, I wanted to know.

Grayson:I like a confident woman. You might be terrified if I told you.

Natalie:Rules need to be transparent or the bet is off.

Grayson:WHEN I win, I’ll fuck you from all angles.

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