Page 45 of Convenient Rivals

Gregory nodded.

“Be back in a minute,” he said, then he kissed Gregory on the cheek.

The intimacy was overwhelming, but before he could respond, Oscar was gone, talking to the barman like he was an old friend. He gestured over to where they were sitting. The barman nodded and Oscar walked back over before Gregory had even taken his seat.

“Drinks will be here in a minute.”

“Did you know about the money?” Gregory blurted out.

“What money?” asked Oscar, looking confused.

“The twenty million,” he whispered.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

From the look on his face, Gregory knew he was telling the truth. Not how he thought this conversation was going to go.

“Are you going to tell me what this is about?” asked Oscar.

Before he could say anything else, someone delivered their drinks. Oscar thanked her, and Gregory mumbled the same. He had an overwhelming urge to run. He didn’t want to have this conversation. Victoria should have done this years ago. And what if Patrick was wrong and he caused a load of upset for nothing?

“Why do you look like you want to bolt?”

“Am I that obvious?”

“I know you don’t like confrontation, so you’ll walk away or...”

“Or what?”

“Do something which wouldn’t be appropriate in a public place,” he said, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

Gregory instinctively glared at him, but had to shuffle in his seat as he was hard just thinking about fucking Oscar over that piano. Oscar noticed and grinned at him.

“Don’t push your luck,” Gregory grumbled.

Oscar chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of it. So, are you going to tell me?”

Gregory sighed, and then explained what he knew about the additional inheritance and the conditions in the will. Oscar’s face remained impassive the whole time as he absorbed what Gregory was saying. He knew that face, because he could do it himself. It was one he’d been trained to do since he was a child. Never show your emotions to other people, is what his father had drummed into him.

“This could all be just rumour,” said Gregory.

“I have a feeling it’s not.”

“Why?”

“Her reaction when I made a joke about marrying you.”

“Oh!”

“Yes, she didn’t deem you as being suitable.” He looked at his watch. “Oh, shit. Do you need me to send the payment over to Grant? We can forget the whole wedding thing. I don’t want you thinking that’s why I wanted to do this.” He took his phone out.

Gregory put his hand over Oscar’s and shook his head.

“I took care of things.”

It looked like a flash of hurt went across Oscar’s face, but Gregory must have been mistaken. Why would Oscar be bothered that he’d gotten Grant Kincaid off his back? That was a good thing, although Gregory knew there would be a price to pay. Still, that could be a January problem.

“Oscar, I think you need to talk to your grandfather’s lawyer as soon as possible.”

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