Page 60 of A Suite Temptation

The accountant offered her an encouraging smile. “That is good news. Ms. Rusen has a great standing in this town, if anyone can get your career and earnings back on solid track, Chloe, it is Nancy. But for the next little while you are going to have to rein in your spending.”

Moving the slim document closer to herself, Chloe turned over the cover page and began to read. When she left the accountant’s office an hour later, it was with a hard, but achievable plan for survival. If she was to have any chance of keeping her home, and not suffering the public humiliation of declaring bankruptcy, she had to cut spending. Designer clothes. Lavish parties. Even her belovedChloe Jet.

It all had to go.

Nancy had promised she would work on securing a new contract with the record company and better royalties. She would also make sure Chloe got a bigger cut of the ticket sales from her future tours. But for the time being the world’s biggest pop star would have to live within a strict monthly budget.

I still can’t believe I used to let Marta spend fifty grand a month on flowers.

Along with a lot of other things, having fresh blooms every day was an indulgence Chloe could easily live without.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

Royal Resorts

Laguna Beach, LA

It’s New Year’s Eve, I have to get home.

Closing up his suitcase, Jordan rang for his driver. New Year’s Eve was one of the worst days of the year for travelling. Thank god, his father had relented and agreed to send the Royal Resorts private jet from New York to collect him.

The last time he’d been sent back out to LA in mid-November, Jordan had been in disgrace and Edward had forced him to fly commercial. Jordan couldn’t blame his father for his anger. He had been in charge of the billion-dollar Laguna Beach resort launch, and in the words of one scathing press article:Jordan Royal has failed to deliver.

Six weeks of working nonstop in order to get the new Laguna Beach Platinum Collection Resort back on track had taken a heavy toll. He was both mentally and physically exhausted. But he could also admit to being proud of himself.

What was left of his career at Royal Resorts was still in tatters, but he could now hand the resort over to its incoming manager with a sense of confidence. The issues with food, staff, and guest amenities had all been handled. It had taken an army of people both here and in New York, but the job was finally done.

This year had seen the best and the worst of his life. He was ready to put it all behind him.

Climbing into the back of the town car for the short drive from the resort to John Wayne private airport, Jordan pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket. Being New Year’s Eve, there were plenty of messages wishing him all the best for the New Year. He opened the one from his now former assistant Sheila and let out a laugh.

Farewell to the year where you almost shat the bed. But seriously you survived and that’s what counts. I’m proud of you. C U soon.

Almost?No, he could own up to the fact that he’d ruined his relationship with Chloe and managed to stuff up the launch of a billion-dollar resort. Sheila was being kind. In any one’s language he had well and truly shit the bed.

Happy New Year, Sheila. Thank you for saving my sanity over the past six months. I hope Bryce realizes how amazing you are. I’m relying on you to give him hell

He smiled wistfully at the screen. If he had done one thing right this year, it was to encourage Sheila to talk to Bryce and ask the newly appointed CEO of Royal Resorts USA, for a job. Working for his brother, Sheila would have a much better career path than the one she’d had under him.

Another message popped up.

Wishing you all the happiness and success in the New Year Chloe. ??????

He gasped. “Oh, sweetheart.”

He read the message a second time and shook his head. The message had to be Chloe’s version of a New Year’s Eve, Hallmark card. It was probably a group message and she’d added him purely by mistake.

I’m surprised she kept my number.

He wasn’t going to add to their shared embarrassment by replying. Chloe probably didn’t even realize what she had done. He put his cell away.

I should just try to forget her. She forgot about me.

It had been nearly six months since their passionate affair had flamed out. Six months of him trying to dig his way out of the black hole their break up had thrown him into. So only a fool would go online looking to see what the girl who had written a ‘fuck you, buddy’ smash hit might be up to on New Year’s Eve.

Cursing himself for being that fool, Jordan retrieved his phone once more. He tapped on Chloe’s certified Instagram profile. In a moment of weakness, he’d broken his self-imposed social-media ban and joined Instagram. Figuring since Chloe had one-hundred and ninety-million followers, and her account followed no one, there was a good chance she wouldn’t ever find out that he had checked up on her latest posts.

Her last post had been put up earlier today. It was a black and white one of the Eiffel Tower. And while it looked similar to a million other pictures he’d seen of the Parisian landmark over the years, Jordan immediately recognized where the picture had been taken. The balcony of his family’s Paris apartment was unmistakable.

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