Page 57 of Sweet Temptation

“How do you know where my dad’s office is anyway?” I asked as I stared out the window at the buildings flashing past.

“My father has a hotel across the road,” Wes said. “And The LaFleur Corp is kind of hard to miss.”

I shot him a questioning look, but he simply smiled in response.

When the cab started to slow, Wes nodded to my window and pointed upward. Curious, I peered out, and as I gazed into the sky, I saw LaFleur printed in bold letters across the top of the building.

“You can see it from practically every high-rise in the city,” Wes explained.

“Subtle,” I joked, still staring in awe at the building and my father’s name proudly displayed as part of the New York skyline. Just when I thought I was starting to understand just how rich and successful he was, I realized there was so much I still didn’t know about him.

Wes paid the cab driver, and we got out of the car. I drew in a deep breath as I looked up at my father’s building once more. I felt so small and insignificant standing in front of it, and I had to tilt my head back to look to the top. His wealth seemed so vast to me. The differences between us were so impossibly huge.

“So, what are you going to say to your dad?”

I tore my gaze from the building to look at Wes. I’d thought about what I was going to ask my father many times since the White Ball a few weeks ago. After speaking to Noah last night, I had even more questions. Wes didn’t know I’d spoken to Noah, and I couldn’t give him details because I’d made a promise I wouldn’t tell a soul.

“You know how Noah took me home from the theater last night?”

“Yeah...”

“Well, I finally got him to tell me the history of this bitterness between our families.” I felt a sudden chill go down my back, and I wrapped my arms around me as I remembered what it had been like to hear Noah’s story.

“Shit, really? What did he say?”

"It was a long story,” I said, trying to avoid explaining any further. “I just want to ask Matthew for his side of things. I’m sure Noah wasn’t trying to be biased, but it’s his family so how could he not be?”

“Yeah,” Wes agreed. “I guess it would be impossible to be totally impartial.”

I let out a sigh and glanced up at Matthew’s building again. A wave of nerves rocked through me. What if my father wouldn’t see me? Or what if I upset him by bringing up his sister? I didn’t want to overstep.

“Do you need backup?” Wes asked “I can wait out front if you like? Or I’m happy to come with you. I...”

His voice trailed off, and I glanced at him. There was a surprised look in his eyes and he was focused on something behind me. I turned to follow his gaze, and I drew in a sharp breath as I saw what had caught Wes’s attention. Noah had just walked out of my father’s building and onto the sidewalk.

“What’s he doing here?” Wes voiced his confusion before I could.

"I don’t know.” I replied, keeping my eyes locked on Noah.

I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing, but there he was. Through the crowds of people streaming past the building, I was definitely looking at Noah standing at the entrance

He didn’t notice us, which wasn’t all that surprising given how many people were on the street. He paused briefly as he took out his phone and checked something on the screen before tucking it into his pocket. He took a deep breath and glanced up at the building towering above him. A frown crossed his brow, but it disappeared again as he stepped to the edge of the sidewalk and hailed a cab.

I was still in a state of shock as I watched him climb into the car, and by the time I was able to think clearly again, he was already driving off down the road. Noah had visited my father’s building. Was he there for the same reason as me—to visit my father?

I reconsidered our conversation from last night. Noah had given no indication he had any desire to talk with my father. In his eyes, my father was the villain. Even worse than my grandfather. After I had suggested the unlikely idea of one day reconciling the differences between our families, he had balked and said it was impossible. My stomach dipped unpleasantly. If Noah had been in this building, it wasn’t for anything good.

I slowly turned to face Wes. “You saw him too, right? Noah was coming out of the building?”

“Yeah, it was him,” Wes nodded. “He wasn’t at The Met earlier, but I just assumed he was out sick like everyone else who is MIA this morning.”

“So, he bailed on The Met to come to my dad’s office? Why would he do that?”

“Maybe he was asking your dad for your hand in marriage?” Wes suggested.

I shook my head. I wasn’t in the mood to joke about this. “Seriously though, why would Noah come see my dad? They’re supposed to be worst enemies...”

“Maybe he wants to bury the hatchet?”

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