Page 7 of Head Over Heels

I grimace. "Apparently, I'm having an affair with him."

"It's not a good look, Florence. Whether or not there's truth to it, people believe what they want to. I'd strongly advise being seen with this fiancée of yours. Take her out somewhere public—preferably near the hospital."

I nod. "She's a private person."She's a non-existent person at the moment. "But I'll talk to her. Is there any way to get the rumors off the internet?"

Carole laughs. "It's social media, Florence."

I don't know how that shit works. I have Gwen and Marin to deal with that.

I stand, smoothing my skirt. "If he pushes the line again, I'll come straight to you. And if you hear anything—anything at all—about him bothering someone else, let me know. Off the record."

"Florence." Her tone stops me at the door.

"Yes?"

"Put these rumors to rest. It's not just your personal reputation at risk here."

4

Josie

By the time I get to Mel's, the weight of the news is pressing down on me. I look at my best friend.

She pulls me into a hug, tenderly brushing my hair behind my ear.

"Don't. Please." I push her away gently. I've been in love with her for almost as long as we've known each other, going on 17 years. Unrequited, because she was incapable of romantic attraction—until Renna unlocked something inside her. I've accepted that it was never meant to be, me and her, but sometimes it's hard to be so close to her.

"Sorry," she murmurs. "To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure? You want some wine?"

"Sure." I could use it after the day I've had. "I got some news today."

She stops at the serious tone in my voice.

"Good or bad?"

"Goodandbad, I think. My grandfather died recently."

She passes me a glass and sits beside me at the table. "Your grandfather? I didn't know you had any living grandparents."

"I didn't think I did." I shake my head. I pull the registered letter and the will from my pocket and hand it to her.

She puts her wine down and unfolds the papers. "What is it?" When I don't answer, she scans the page in her hands. Her eyes widen. "Is this real?"

"Apparently," I say drily. "I talked to the lawyer this morning."

"This penthouse is in the Vanderveen Tower."

"Yes. Apparently he's been living in town for my whole life. Mom cut him out of our lives thirty years ago, and that was that."

"Jos, do you have any idea how much that place must be worth?"

"It's valued around twenty-eight million." I pause. "His other assets are worth ten times that. At least."

She lets out a low whistle. "That's… Wow." She studies me for a long minute. "Why'd he leave it all to you?"

"That's the million dollar question. Mom shuts down whenever I ask anything about him. Dad just shrugs and tells me to leave the past alone."

"Your mom doesn't have any siblings, does she?"

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