Page 47 of Heartless

Walking into the living room area of ?he Pink Diamond, I immediately spotted one white rose in a glass vase with a yellow sticky note tucked under it.

If it wasn’t for the note, I would assume it was part of the decorations.

The moment I was left alone, I walked over to the rose and buried my nose into it, then picked up the vase and looked down at the note.

Sub rosa

P.

So he moved me here because of our fake dating situation. It made no sense to me, since we wanted to hide that from his employees. Moving me right next to him in a private villa wasn’t helping.

I took my phone and shot him a message.

Me: This is reckless. People will start talking.

He answered immediately, as if he was waiting for my text.

Parker: As far as people know we hate each other. It will be fine.

I hesitated on how to answer. He sent another message.

Parker: Do you like it?

Me: You know I like it.

It was his turn not to answer, so I changed the subject.

Me: Can I use the hot tub?

Parker: Knock yourself out. I never use it. It’s all yours.

Neither of us continued the conversation and had a meeting with Sheila at a bakery an hour later, so I got ready and left.

Unfortunately for me, Sheila wasn’t as pleasant as Annie Foster was. She whined a lot and every decision she had to make came with the question of what Annie had decided.

“Every bride has her own style,” I said what felt like a hundred times over the afternoon.

My mother didn’t help my situation at all, because she lit my phone on fire with her ringing the entire time I was with Sheila.

“Has Parker forgiven me about George?” She asked as soon as I returned her call.

“Did you actually apologize?” I asked all smug because I was there the entire time and the answer to that question was no.

“Not with words. But it was understood.”

I didn’t want to get into an argument about how apologizing worked. “I already told you. Parker doesn’t care about George.”

That part wasn’t a lie at least.

“Good,” she sighed. “Did you see him with Daphne? And the way he looks at you?” She lowered her voice, like she was about to tell me a secret. “That man is ready for commitment.”

That man was a really good actor. It was a good thing to know. If he had convinced my mother that he was looking for a bride with just one dinner, who knows what else he might be lying about without me suspecting.

I have to read my contract again.

“Don’t miss this opportunity,” my mother used her warning tone.

“Opportunity? It’s not a business, Mom.”