Page 5 of Papers Don't Lie

Wait, right. Money can buy anything, especially when the assistants are drooling over you.

“What can I say,Mr. Stone, this is as comfortable as I can get when I’m running from my supposed-to-be-husband and family.” I crack a laugh in the empty car, my vision blurring with tears.

Gosh, my head hurts.

The one thing I need is a warm bed for tonight, and then I can worry about what I’m going to do next and how to make myself unseen.

I know Carter won’t give up until he has me back, and even with that in mind, I still chose to run away. It might be a few months, maybe even years before he finds me, but at least I get to live my life exactly how I want it until that happens.

Mr. Stone enters the car and adjusts his mirrors. “Ms. Esmeray, are you in any danger?” he asks.

I gulp. “No.”

He watches me closely, trying to read me with his eyes. He can’t, though. Hiding truths is my talent, and when my mask is on, no one can slip it. It’s glued there, engraved into my skin like a tattoo.

“As an apology for both the accident and his absence, Mr. Graves rented you a room at the Golden Palace Hotel for a week.”

“He did what?” My mouth parts open in surprise, my eyebrows drawing closer in a frown as I watch him in the rearview mirror.

Why would he do that?

He already provided the health care I needed, and by no means is he forced to take further care of me. Mr. Graves has done his part and brought me to the hospital. He doesn’t need to do anything else.

“That’s kind of him, but I can’t accept.” I offer him a smile.

Luckily, Mr. Stone doesn’t insist. “I understand. Where should I take you?”

Well, shit.

Think. Think. Think.

“Central Park,” I blurt out and hold my breath when I meet his suspicious gaze. “I want to take a walk.”

I don’t need him to tell me he doesn’t believe a word of what I say. It’s written all over his face that he’s not falling for my lie. In my defense, I didn’t have time to come up with a better excuse.

“You can spend the night at the Golden Palace and decide if you want to stay for the entire week then.”

Mr. Stone and his boss are complete strangers to me. What reason do I have to trust their intentions? None. Do I have any other choice besides sleeping on a bench until I decide what to do? No.

My only option now is to accept this as a gift and pray I’m not about to be driven to a crime scene. Or become one.

I smile. “Thank you.”

He nods and drives away, filling the vehicle with silence. I hate silence. It gives me too much space to trap myself in my mind. A distraction would come in handy.

My gaze moves to the window. “I left a man at the altar tonight, you know?” I start talking, placing my forehead on it. “Truth is, I wouldn’t have any remorse if it was just him I left, but I left my family too. Who does that, Mr. Stone?” I whisper the last sentence, guilt settling in my chest.

“Kendrick,” he says, and I frown.

“What?“

“Call me Kendrick,” he announces. “And if your family loves you, they’ll understand he wasn’t the one for you. Sometimes it’s better to be selfish than sacrifice yourself for others, Ms. Esmeray.”

I smile at him, my heart growing. “Esmeray, not Ms. Esmeray,” I tell Kendrick, and he nods. “What if they don’t love me, Kendrick?”

The look he gives me through the mirror pains me. Something tells me he’s all too familiar with the situation, and it was either recent or it was so painful he still hasn’t gotten over it. I know Mom isn’t my biggest fan, but I don’t want to believe she doesn’t love me. Sure, sharing love with six children and a husband can’t be easy, but it’s not impossible either.

“It means being selfish will cost more than you think,” he murmurs, staring at the road in front of him. “But why would you want to be surrounded by people who don’t love you?”

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