Page 57 of The Exposed Heiress

Alex said, “Yes.”

Stepping onto the elevator with Emma, Leo waited for the doors to close.

His thoughts were spinning. “Why didn’t you tell him that personal questions were off limits?”

Emma shrugged but didn’t say anything. The door opened on the top floor and she stepped off.

He grabbed her arm. “Why deny the truth?”

She pushed against his chest. “I needed your help, but you weren’t here.”

He let go of her arm. “Something came up, and I arrived a few minutes late. It shouldn’t have mattered. We’d rehearsed the interview.”

She lifted her chin. “The reporter wasn’t interested in interviewing me about Francis Bolles. He was looking for dirt.”

“Our relationship is dirt?” Something inside of him broke.

He shouldn’t have gotten involved with her. He’d never be good enough for a Bolles. His past tainted him, and while Emma might fall into his bed, she had no interest in claiming an association with him.

She shook her head. “This has nothing to do with us, Leo.”

He backed away from her. “You just lied to a reporter. It’s not going to be hard to dig up evidence of our fling.”

Emma raised her voice. “The article was supposed to be about resurrecting the business, not some exposé on us personally.”

Leo turned away from her and went into the living room. He didn’t want to get into a long debate about their relationship. He needed to cut ties with her and move on. Fashion Week was a fortnight away, and the business had the structure in place to survive and rebuild.

Emma followed him. “Leo, I did the best I could with that interview. The reporter was a horrible human being. He was obnoxious and snarky. He had no interest in telling the story of Francis Bolles.”

He turned and looked at her. “It was your job to convince him that it’s a compelling story. He’s a senior reporter forThe Independent. They have a huge reach. Ending the interview with a lie didn’t help us.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Our relationship isn’t out there. My parents have no idea. We should be able to acknowledge it when we are ready.”

He waved his hand. “You could have said no comment.”

Emma shook her head. “You and I both know that’s the same as sending out a wedding invite.”

He planted his feet wide. “The real issue is that you don’t want our names linked in the media. Your precious image isn’t about a reckless affair with another Bloom.”

Her mouth fell open and then she quickly recovered. “That’s ridiculous. It’s not about image. It’s about protecting our privacy. Did you want a story about us out there?”

He didn’t want to hash this out right now. “It doesn’t concern me either way. But I’d rather the truth was told.”

Emma glared at him. “You’re not exactly a truth teller. You make your living spinning stories so companies gain an advantage.”

He said, “Your company is one of the them.” He resisted saying more. Nothing good would come of them trading insults.

Emma met his gaze. “I don’t know why we’re arguing. It was a tough interview. I did the best I could, Leo.”

He nodded. “It’s time we went our separate ways.”

She stepped closer to him. “No, that wasn’t my intention, Leo.”

He held up a hand. “I’m going on to other things after the London Fashion Show. I’ve honored my commitment and helped Francis Bolles survive. We can have our barristers figure out the lease and purchase of the building in a year.”

She bit her lower lip. “What am I missing here? We’ve started something incredible over the last few weeks. Why do you want to walk away from that?”

He worked too hard to shed his past. But to the Bolles family, he’d always be the homeless boy left to fend for himself. “Neither one of us intended for this to become permanent.”

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