Page 5 of Pursued By My Grumpy Fiancé
“I’m sorry, Mr. Gould, but I just cannot accept that. This was already a mistake that shouldn’t have happened— that other man is probably tarnishing my reputation as we speak. In fact, I’ve got to go do damage control,” I say as I turn away.
Landon grabs my arm, not hard, but still firm enough to let me know that I’m not going anywhere.
“You can’t leave tonight. You’re already my girlfriend in the eyes of my mother. At least play the part before we call it a night and I promise you, I will pay you as much as you want.” He waltzes with me to the music.
I scoff at the audacity.
“I don’t need your money!” I exclaim.
“Is that why you go on dates with men for money?” he shoots at me, and I sigh.
“Fine. I’ll pretend to be your girlfriend for the rest of the night. After that, we are going our separate ways!”
“Deal,” he says as he twirls me.
We dance for a few moments more, right up until a man comes up and whispers something into Landon’s ear. Landon immediately lets go of me, causing me to stumble. Luckily, I catch myself in time. Even though I know he can’t see me, I stare daggers into his back, hoping maybe they’ll materialize from my sheer willpower.
It shocks me how he alone has made me feel completely out of sorts all evening, especially considering how men almost never manage to get under my skin. Despite the way he plays my frayed nerves like an expert cellist, he does intrigue me. He almost makes me want to see how far this escapade will go. Almost.
He makes his way to the grandstand set up near the balcony doors. Landon exudes confidence, there’s no doubt about it. He could make any woman fall to her knees, which makes me wonder— why does he need someone to pretend to be his fiancée? That’s the question I’m asking myself, the red flag that’s waving high in the sky. I spot Eleanor standing near the front of the grandstand, and she beckons me to her. I smile and make my way over to her.
Landon clears his throat.
“Today, we gather here to celebrate a long-overdue success—something we’ve been waiting to see come to fruition for a good while. Today, we celebrate the opening of Gould Holdings, Tech Division, located right here in the heart of San Francisco.” The crowd cheers, and I glance around at the crowd. Who the hell is this guy?
He looks out into the crowd and his eyes find mine. My back straightens, and I meet his gaze, keeping eye contact. After a moment, he blinks and looks back out into the crowd. Hailey: one. Landon: zero.
“Truly, it’s all of you we have to celebrate. This couldn’t have been remotely possible without the hard work of all our staff and the generous gifts from our investors. I would also like to take a moment to thank a woman who has been behind the scenes of the business, but certainly not behind the scenes in my heart.”
My heart sinks to my stomach as Landon raises a glass of champagne and continues.
“This woman has stood behind me and been there to support me throughout this whole endeavor. Today, I am ready to share her with the rest of you.” His gaze once again meets mine, and I’m suddenly riddled with anxiety.
He’s going to call me on stage and introduce me as his girlfriend. I can’t let this happen— that would rope me into at least a dozen more moments with him when I absolutely do not want even one.
“Excuse me,” I say to Eleanor, and go to make my way around her and through the crowd. A giant spotlight illuminating my position stops me dead in my tracks. I halt, suddenly faced with at least a hundred eyes on me.
“Darling, will you please come on stage?” he asks.
I can feel the moisture gathering under my arms. This is not going well for me. I give my best ‘I totally want to be here’ grin and slowly make my way onto the grandstand. I turn to the crowd and give my best princess wave.
“Hailey Marie Dunn,” he starts, and I crinkle my nose.
Did he really just make up a middle name for me?
“I know we have only known each other for a short time, and I know that you wanted to wait to tell people, but I just can’t wait anymore.”
Landon turns to address the crowd and I take a deep breath to try to prevent myself from projectile vomiting tonight's wine all over them.
“Hailey and I are getting married. She is, officially, my fiancée.” Landon smiles at the crowd and then turns it to me. What other people probably see as joy on his face, I can only see as sinister. It’s the smile of someone who will do anything to get what he wants.
Eleanor squeals, runs up on stage, and gathers us into a joint hug.
“Oh, I thought something seemed off in the limo, but I never imagined this. I’m so excited to welcome you into the family, Hailey!” she says.
“Um, excuse me,” I mumble.
I hurry off the stage and into the hallway. I spot the nearest plant and immediately vomit into it. I can only pray the god of plants will forgive me.
