Page 39 of Cruel Revenge

Grady opens the door to his study, allowing me to enter first before following behind. “Skyla wants to have Emily there, though she knows that you’re going to leave her for my daughter?”

Breathe. You can’t break the asshole’s neck without having another importer lined up.

It’s tempting, though. Far too tempting.

The snap would be loud in the otherwise silent house.

I wouldn’t get to see the fear in his eyes before he hit the ground, though. There wouldn’t be enough time for him to worry about when I was going to strike.

Emily flounces into the room, the puffy pink skirt of her dress flaring out around her. “Joshua!”

She throws herself at me, pulling me into a tight hug. She smells like a cotton candy factory exploded, even though she’s got a rich father who should buy her expensive perfume that doesn’t make everyone around her gag.

“Hi, Emily.” My voice tightens as I back away from her, trying to wriggle out of her grasp.

Her smile is wide as she finally lets go of me and drops down into one of the chairs, one leg crossing over the other.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about our wedding, and I think you would look good in a navy suit. I want to wear a blush dress. We’d have to get you a tie that matched my dress, of course, but I don’t think that would be too hard to do.”

My jaw hardens. “I’m already married, so you’re going to have to find someone else to marry.”

Emily tuts and shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”

Grady nods. “You really should reconsider your stance on divorce. I would hate to see this impact our business dealings. I do like you, Joshua. I think it would be a shame to end our working relationship over something as simple as this.”

Emily pats the chair beside her as she smiles up at me.

I remain standing, unsmiling. “I think Emily would be happier with someone closer to her own age.”

Emily shakes her head, batting her eyelashes at me. “I think we would be perfect together, and I like older men. Men my own age aren’t nearly mature enough.”

I bite the inside of my cheek, closing my eyes for a moment and trying to find the strength to continue with this conversation.

“Emily, I’m a married man. I have a wife, and she’s the jealous type.”

Though, I don’t know if that’s true. Part of me thinks that Skyla would be the jealous type, and the other thinks that she’s far more likely to ice me out and pretend she doesn’t care. If she even cares to begin with. It’s hard to tell with her.

Every time I think I know where her head is at, she keeps me guessing.

And then there’s the woman in front of me who is barely out of university and thinks she knows what she wants.

Emily reaches for my hand. “We’re going to be together. You just need to come to your senses.”

I pull it out of the way.

Somebody kill me now and put me out of my misery.

“No, we’re not. I’m in love with my wife and looking forward to a life with her.” I take a larger step away from them. “I’m with Skyla because I love her. I’m not going to divorce her, and I’m not going to cheat on her either. If the cost of that is going to be doing business with you, Grady, then so be it.”

Grady eyes me as he flicks the ash off the end of the cigarette. “You’re serious.”

He takes another drag of the cigarette before letting out a slow breath.

The smoke curls toward the ceiling as he stares at me.

“Well, if this is the way you feel, I think there are going to be changes in our partnership.”

“If that’s the wayyoufeel, then I have to respect that. The invitation for both of you to come to the reception still stands.” I take another step away from Emily as she reaches for me again.

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