Page 99 of The Payback Plan
And even though Olly had stood her up in front of nearly four hundred of their closest friends and family… sheknewhe hadn’t meant to. Well, no… he absolutely 100 per cent had meant to, actually. He’d done so because it was easier to leave her to clean up his mess. And he’d known she’d do it. Because that was what she did.
But she also saw how he would have struggled to tell her that he couldn’t go through with it. How it all would have become too much for him. But Olly was different to Chase Miller. Because there was absolutely no justification for what he’d done. None whatsoever.
Bella
I haven’t met him yet. But I promise, when I do, he’ll rue the day.
Sienna
Oh, I love it when you talk posh like that.
Bella smiled, taking the affectionate teasing from Sienna exactly as it was meant.
Astrid
Have you figured out what you’re going to do to him yet?
Perhaps if she’d known Bella for longer, Astrid wouldn’t have even asked the question because Bella had everything short of a PowerPoint presentation on how she was going to ruin Chase Miller. She had ordered a copy of Sun Tzu’sThe Art of War, and decided that the book of military strategies and tactics was perfect to help her get even with Astrid’s ex. She’d filled an entire journal with research she’d done during the awkward Christmas she’d spent with her family and sister… and Bea’s new fiancé.
Bella swallowed, hating herself for feeling mean about her sister. Bella wouldneverbegrudge her sister’s happiness. But Bella couldn’t help but remember how she and Olly had announced their engagement. How her parents had oohed and ahhed overherengagement ring.
Her father had seemed rather impressed by Olly, who she’d met at a charity gala for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She’d known of Oliver Prendergast, of course. You couldn’t be female andnotknow of him. And while on the surface the son of the famed British actor had been exactly what she’d expected – 99 per cent charm – there had been something deeper that had called to her. He was educated, bright, witty. He’d made her laugh and when he’d asked for her number, she’d given it to him.
Over the next few months they’d met up when he was visiting New York, or when she was near California and they’d fallen into a long-distance relationship. And the glimpses she got of the real Olly, the one behind the mask, were enough to make her believe that they had something special.
Then his father had died and he’d seemed so lost that she’d wanted to be there for him. Bella hadn’t minded making the preparations for the funeral, managing his family and bringing them all together. So then when Olly had asked her to marry him, it had felt like the natural progression of their relationship. She’d honestly thought that he was ready, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And she had what she’d always wanted: her person. Someone who would stand by her. Who would keep her. Who wouldchooseher.
But she’d been wrong. And now her sister was embarking on the life that she’d always wanted and Bella hated how hard that was to watch. But she’d shoved her hurt behind a locked door, and taken Bea, who deserved every damn bit of happiness coming to her, into her arms and told her truthfully how happy she was for her.
Only her mother hadn’t looked wholly convinced. But when she’d tried to ask Bella about it, Bella had shaken it off. Because she was fine, wasn’t she?
So, it had been a blessed relief to be able to beg off the family festive joy a little and focus on exactly what would be the perfect karmic comeuppance for a man like Chase Miller. And while her family thought that she was prepping for a job interview, which shehadbeen, she’d also been working out how to make a man like that hurt.
Because it wasn’t through his heart. He clearly didn’t have one.
No. It was his ego. His reputation. His standing in the art world.
Bella
Oh yes, don’t you worry about that. I have a plan.
* * *
Chase Miller had a headache. One of those take-me-out-back-and-kill-me-now kinds. It had, perhaps, been stupid to try and ‘smash it out at the gym’, even though sometimes that did actually work. Especially when the headache was hangover-related. Which it was. But the gym hadnotworked today, he reluctantly acknowledged as he swallowed down an entire bottle of electrolyte water.
Sweat stuck his vest to his chest, and his gym shorts to his ass in a unique and distinctly uncomfortable way. He just needed to get back in to his apartment, and then he could drown under the weight of the, as promised, impressive jets of water in the en-suite shower. Man, Tej really did love talking about that shower.
And he had not lied. It was an excellent shower.
He massaged his temples as the elevator rose from the basement gym to the lobby, where the doors slid open. Eyes closed, he heard someone shuffle their way into the elevator, just as his phone began to ring because, thanks to Tej’s insistence, the entire building was wired for Wi-Fi. Chase bit back a groan, accepted the call and tried to ignore the walking pile of boxes next to him.
‘You are not allowed to scare this one off,’ Tej announced by way of a greeting.
‘This one what?’ Chase growled. It was the third call he’d fielded from his old friend/new business partner that day.
‘You can thank me later.’
‘Thank you?’
