Page 522 of Most Eligible Billionaire CEO

“My mom sent me like ten text messages.” Her eyes are glued to her screen. “So did Phoebe. What’s going on?”

Her jaw drops.

I guess she just found out.

“What a publicity whore.” Arianne mutters that under her breath.

“Chance and Mariah?” I ask.

Her head jerks back. “What?”

“I read about it last night.” I reopen the tab I just closed and angle my laptop so she can see my screen.

She closes her eyes, shakes her head, and lets out a heavy sigh.

“‘FAIRYTALE CASTLE WEDDING FOR CHANCE TABORAS AND MARIAH GOLIGHTLY!’” She reads the headline out loud before letting out a sarcastic laugh.

She doesn’t read the rest of the article that goes into details on how Chance Taboras’ fiancée, Mariah Mandoline Golightly, hints at an extravagant royal-like wedding at the Biltmore House—a French Renaissance-inspired castle in Asheville, North Carolina. They’re expecting a whopping five hundred guests.

“How did you know?” Arianne asks in a low voice.

“I remembered your reaction on your second day when I asked you out for dinner. You said something along the lines of, office romances turn into disasters. Since Easton had mentioned you were instrumental in shaping Glach Tech into the industry giant it is today, and you made it clear your cousin was a backstabber, I put two and two together. I confirmed by Googling your name and Chance’s. I saw a lot of photos of you together, but none hinted at a relationship. Still, I felt strongly about my hunch.”

“Chance frowns upon PDA. No public display of affection for the CEO.”

“I see.”

“I should say that was his motto before Mariah came along. How quickly people change.” The sarcasm doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Earlier, you mentioned you drank too much last night. At first, I thought it might’ve been because you were upset—”

“I’m glad I didn’t find out last night. It would’ve ruined my night with my best friend.” She lets out a frustrated grunt. “No matter how far I run, it seems I just can’t get those two idiots out of my life.”

“You didn’t want to have dinner with me because of your past relationship with Chance?”

“Yes,” she says.

“I’m not him.”

“I know. I’m sorry if I put you in the same category.”

“Was it serious between you two?”

“We were dating and living together. Everyone in the company knew it, but we were discreet.”

I nod my understanding.

“Chance and I were good together, especially when it came to business,” she says. “What we shared was nothing like a Fourth of July firework show, but at the time, I thought those types of relationship were like a match—they ignite fast and die as fast. Honestly, I always thought passion was overrated—”

“You still feel that way?”

She shakes her head. “My parents love each other, but it’s because they stuck it out. I wouldn’t call what they have, passion. It’s more like deep loyalty. From what I witnessed last night, Phoebe, on the other hand, has passion. My relationship with Chance was comfortable. Steady. Predictable. Reliable—”

“That sounds like the top-rated SUV of the year.”

She attempts a small smile.

“Maybe that’s why he chose Mariah.” Sadness pulls down the sides of her mouth. “This isn’t the first time she stole one of my boyfriends. She made it her mission. I was the brunt of the Golightly witches’ jokes—I was just a nerd. What could I offer a guy? Mariah was a stunning head-turner so, of course, men would choose her over me. That snarky attitude changed really quickly when Mariah sank her claws into her oldest sister’s husband.”

---