Page 5 of King of Envy

Despite his public profile as a major CEO, he was notoriously private.

I knew he’d been born in Serbia and that his family moved to the U.S. when he was ten. He’d studied chemical engineering in college, where he met Jordan, and the pair had been roommates for their last two years at Thayer.

Some people called him the Serb because they said he hated being called by his real name, but I suspected that was just a rumor. Jordan always called him Vuk, and he never said a thing about it.

That was all I knew about him.

There was zero information about Vuk’s personal life online, and I was oddly curious about his dating habits.

I’d never seen him out with a date, but he was rich, single, and powerful—the holy trinity, as far as half the women in Manhattan were concerned. Hehadto be dating someone, if only casually.

An indiscernible emotion flickered across his face.Perhaps.

“That’s not really an answer.”

If I had another answer, I would’ve given it.

I glared at him. “Do you get off on being difficult, or does it just come naturally to you?”

Both.

A small growl of frustration slipped out.

Vuk’s mouth twitched. On anyone else, it might’ve passed for a hint of a smile, but the mere idea of Vuk Markovic smiling was so far-fetched, I was certain I was imagining things.

“I—”

A whoosh of air interrupted what I was sure would’ve been a thoroughly witty reply on my part.

“Sorry about that.” Jordan sounded breathless as he settled back into his seat. I’d been so fixated on my conversation with Vuk, I hadn’t even noticed his approach. “The call took longer than expected.”

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

A furrow dug between his brows, and his previously neat hair stuck up like he’d been running his fingers through it.

“Not really.” Jordan’s voice was tight. “It’s my grandmother. You were right. She’s…not doing so well. I have to go to Rhode Island tomorrow to see her.”

Orla had returned to her Newport estate after the party on Tuesday.

“What do you mean by not doing well?” I asked, concerned.

“I’m not sure. Her assistant just said I should go up and see her ASAP.”

That couldn’t be good.

My teeth dug into my lip. I wasn’t close with Jordan’s family, but I didn’t want anything to happen to his grandmother either.

She was the reason for our arrangement. Orla had tired of waiting for her only grandchild to settle down, and she gave Jordan an ultimatum last year: marry within the next twenty-four months andstaymarried for at least five years, or she’d donate the entire family fortune to charity.

All one hundred and twenty million dollars of it.

Needless to say, Jordan had approached me days later with his proposition. I’d accepted, and here we were.

I have to go to Rhode Island tomorrow to see her.

The rest of his words suddenly clicked. “If you have to leave tomorrow, does that mean…”

“I can’t make it to the cake tasting,” he said apologetically. “I’m so sorry. I know how hard it was to get that appointment.”

---