Page 146 of The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée

“If I could just explain,” I say.

“There’s not much to explain,” Vicky says. “It’s her birthday, and you contractually forced her to go to the scene of her worst birthday nightmare ever—onher birthday—and instead of showing up, you sent an employee of yours to sit with her. For over two hours. Why would you do that? Whodoesthat?”

I wince. It doesn’t sound very good when she says it like that, but it’s what I did. “I know it looks bad. I didn’t mean for it to go like that.”

“Maybe you didn’t mean for it to go like that, but that’s how it went.”

“I know,” I say. “That’s why I need to talk to her.” There’s this awkward silence where I stand there. I won’t give up. I won’t just walk off into the night.

Henry looks down at Vicky. “Maybe call Jada? You could call Jada and give Rex your phone and let him talk to her?”

“Seriously?”

“Jada knows Tabitha’s state of mind,” Henry continues. “Maybe Tabitha wants to hear him out?”

“Why would she?” Vicky asks.

“Because sometimes guys screw up,” Henry says. “And sometimes they’re very, very sorry for it.” He looks at Vicky, and Vicky looks at him. There’s this long moment of silence where they seem to be secretly communicating about something specific.

“It’s different. He deliberately blew her off,” Vicky protests.

“It wasn’t deliberate,” I say. “I need a chance to make this right. I need to find her.”

Vicky sighs and pulls out her phone. “You can’t make it right,” she says. “I’m telling you, and Jada’s going to tell you the same thing, but hey.” She puts her phone to her ear. “Hey, yeah, hi, so we’re still at the TipTop and Rex is here…yeah, I know…” She glares up at me. “He finally turned up…yup, standing right here and he wants to meet you guys out…or…wait…can you just tell him?”

She hands up her phone.

I take it, put it to my ear. “Hi, Jada,” I say. “Is she okay?”

“Not exactly, Rex.” Jada’s voice sounds tinny. There’s music in the background. “What you pulled tonight was so messed up. Were you trying to mess with her mind? It was cruel. Crazy cruel!”

I apologize, but Jada is livid. I tell her I want to speak with Tabitha.

“She doesn’t want to speak with you. She never wants to speak with you again. She has made that clear numerous times, yet you keep coming at her. Does she have to take out a restraining order? Is that what will make you stop?”

“I need to explain.”

“She told you she didn’t want to see you, and then you made her go legally with your bullshit contract. And now…what?”

“Tell her…” I don’t know what to say.I love hercomes to mind.

Jada hangs up. The call is over. The silence on the line is deafening.

I hand the phone back to Vicky, shell-shocked. Could this really be it? I have everything I ever wanted—Gail’s billions under management, the power to move markets.

And I couldn’t care less. It’s Tabitha I want. What was I thinking, allowing myself to be even five minutes late for her birthday? I should’ve been early, with balloons. One smile from her would’ve been worth all of the papers being shuffled around at Gail’s office.

What have I done?

I head down to the street and get into my waiting car.

I shut the door and sit there in the hushed silence.

“Where to?” my driver asks.

“Give me a second,” I say, feeling lost. Until I figure it out. Twenty minutes later I’m walking back into Gail’s conference room. My lawyers are still in the same seats as when I walked out of here not an hour ago. It feels like a lifetime.

“I didn’t expect to see you back,” Gail says. “I thought you had to meet Tabitha.”

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