Page 29 of Vanilla and Vice

I stared at the hundred-dollar bill as if it was a snake ready to bite me.

“I can’t take that.”

He lifted a dark brow. “Excuse me?”

“I can’t take that money. I didn’t earn it.”

His eyes went wide before he quickly recovered, and a dark chuckle rumbled over his lips.

“You’re serious?”

I nodded.

Again, he chuckled.

I didn’t want any handouts. As long as I worked for everything I had, I would never owe anyone anything. And I had a distinct feeling that Zander Hale was the last person in the world I wanted to owe anything to.

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