Page 41 of How to Play the Player

He pauses. “What will you do until then? What do you truly want to find?”

The question hangs in the air. What am I really looking for? Proof Quinn was innocent or proof of what I already suspected? Which would be the easier pill to swallow?

“I’m hoping to know when the time is right.” Call it intuition.

Jake looks at me with concern. “You should be prepared for anything and for what it might mean.”

After he leaves, I unlock my desk drawer and pull out a small black velvet box I haven’t looked at in almost a year. With hesitant fingers, I open it to reveal the oval-cut diamond ring nestled inside—the engagement ring I’d selected three days before the NorthStar leak happened.

I’d been planning to propose during a weekend getaway the week of her birthday the following month. I’d even planned to speak to her father, a traditional gesture Quinn would’ve appreciated.

Instead, the ring, and our ideas of the future, sat in my drawer for a year, and became a painful reminder of a dream that seemed forever out of my reach. Questions never asked are now questions that are too important to ignore.

I don’t know whether to feel hope or dread.

Snapping the box shut, I slide it back into the drawer. One step at a time. I need the truth first. Then I’ll figure out what to do with it.

Chapter Fifteen

Tuesday afternoon

Solana Vineyard

Quinn

This second visit to the vineyard serves multiple purposes: checking final measurements for the ceremony site, confirming the reception layout details, identifying locations that need the most security, and getting Jonathan and Kiera’s engagement photos taken.

With the couple running late due to a last-minute meeting at Knight Industries, it’s just me, Lyla, and Sam, the photographer Jonathan and Kiera had chosen. While waiting, I briefly scroll through social media to make sure Nathan, or rather the troll, hasn’t gone back on his word. He hasn’t…yet.

Once again, I’ve dressed meticulously—my hair is up in a half-up, half-down look. It falls past my shoulders and just below my breasts. A pencil skirt with a slit at the back of it shows off the curves of my hips and ass. And I’ve paired thiswith a white collarless dress shirt. I complete the outfit with black stilettos which elongate my legs despite my petite height and frame. If this whole look doesn’t drive Nathan crazy, I don’t know what will.

“Sam is already setting up some test shots by the gazebo,” Lyla tells me as we park. “He wants to check the lighting before Jonathan and Kiera arrive.”

“Is Nathan here yet?” I try to sound casual, but my pulse quickens just saying his name.

“I saw him pull in as I was coming back from the bathroom just now,” Lyla confirms with a smirk. “Ready to put your plan into action?”

I take a deep breath, steeling my resolve. “More than ready.”

I trail Lyla as we stand beside Sam. The gazebo is covered in rows of grapevines, their leaves rustling gently in the afternoon breeze.

From the corner of my eye, I see Nathan and Marco deep in conversation.

“Good luck,” Lyla whispers in my ear before turning her attention to Sam as he continues testing the lighting.

Nathan’s gaze turns to me as he and Marco approach. His reaction to seeing me is everything I’d hoped for. His eyes widen, momentarily darkening, his gaze sweeping over me in a slow assessment that feels as intimate as a physical touch. His Adam’s apple bobs as he seems to swallow hard before he forces his attention back to my face. Once again, his expression turns back to professional indifference.

I adopt a feminine power stance that both elongates my figure and sends a silent message of confidence. The small, involuntary flex of his fingers tells me he notices.

“Quinn, Lyla,” Marco greets us warmly, seemingly oblivious to the charged moment.

“Gentlemen,” Lyla greets them. “Perfect timing. Sam has been showing us some potential shots for when the couple arrives.”

Sam, a tall man with an artistic demeanor and an impressive camera setup, offers a friendly wave. “Once again, thank you for this opportunity. This place is a photographer’s dream—the natural light, the textures, the landscape perspectives. I’ve got a dozen concepts already.”

“Thanks for taking this on.” I’m genuinely pleased with his enthusiasm. “Have you checked the rose garden yet? I think it could provide some stunning close-ups.”

“That’s definitely next on my list,” Sam confirms. “Would you mind walking the property with me to mark the prime spots? I’d like to have everything mapped out before the couple arrives and we get started.”

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