Page 112 of Railing the Billionaire

The car took off. I watched Layana’s racing thoughts transform her features.

Her gaze turned steely. She crossed her legs and lightly kicked my knee. “There’s nothing to be jealous about.”

“I didn’t say I was jealous.”

“You didn’t have to say it.”

Was I jealous? The two of them knew each other, but that didn’t mean anything. If anything, I was frustrated that I hadn’t known about their connection. That didn’t make me jealous.

But, I did envy how easy their greeting had gone. She washappyto see him. She actuallylikedhim.

We rode in silence, dread of the upcoming event dominating my thoughts. Finally, the car pulled up the curb in front of a classic stone building downtown.

Flanking the walkway to the building, a mass of bodies swarmed like ants after their hill had been crushed.

Wallace opened the door. The noise and lights that flooded in were already overwhelming, and we hadn’t even exited the vehicle yet.

“Ready?” I asked Layana.

“As I’ll ever be. You?”

“Never.”

She grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze.

The moment we stepped out of the Escalade, we were bombarded by aggressive stimuli. Bulbs flashed, reporters shouted, and the crowd surged forward against the velvet rope.

“Gabriel, over here!” photographers shouted.

I tensed and held tighter to Layana’s hand.

I spotted our bodyguard Harold blocking a particularly aggressive woman using her phone as a camera.

A stone wall flanked our left, the onslaught our right. Security held the vultures at bay, but didn’t stop them from leaning over the ropes and flashing lights in our faces.

“Over here!” someone yelled again.

“Gabriel! Layana!” others called.

I heard something about nudes, but it didn’t make any sense.

Layana laid a hand over the center of my chest and whispered in my ear, “Try not to listen. They’ll say anything to get a reaction. Scowling pics are worth more.”

Jasper stepped between us and the cameras, giving us a wink. He stopped to answer questions.

Blinded and ready to call the whole night a loss, I forced a smile and kept moving with Layana, grateful for her strength, and grateful for Jasper’s interference.

The interference couldn’t keep everyone away, however. Hands armed with microphones shot out in front of us.

“When did you start dating?”

“Layana, how has your life changed sinceWhat the What?”

“What can you tell us about the cast? Who was sleeping together? How does it feel to lose to the human equivalent of a disco ball?”

The barrage of questions came in rapid fire. Layana maintained a pleasant, amicable smile. “It was a joy and privilege to be a part of the show. I’ll cherish the memories always.”

“Gabriel, how much are you paying her to be your girlfriend?”

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