Page 50 of Daddy's Little Charmer
Harmony snorted. “Really? Or is it because you don’t trust me for some reason?”
“Trust has nothing to do with it. I want you safe. That’s all.”
“What about what I want?”
Christian ran an angry hand over his head when he heard the commotion outside the bedroom door.
“Listen, we can talk about this when I get home. I don’thave time right now.”
Harmony drew in a pained breath. She started to ask about his trip when she heard a door open and then a woman in the background.
“Christian, for God’s sake. You just got here, and I haven’t seen you in months.”
Christian glared at his sister and covered the phone, but knew it was too late. Harmony had heard it all.
Harmony’s breath caught in her chest and stuck painfully. There was no way that could be considered a business meeting. He’d lied to her. How many times? She didn’t want to think about it at that moment.
“Fuck, Harmony. Listen, I’ll talk to you later. This is not what you think, Baby. I love you. Please don’t worry.”
Harmony hung up, unable to get any words out. She stared for the longest time as she tried to come to grips with her life. Six months ago, she’d been beyond poor, but she’d been happy with friends and freedom to do whatever she wanted. Now she was in a gilded cage, miserable, and had also discovered herself to be extremely ignorant.
Why did she think she could have ever held the attention of a man like Christian? She was a nobody with nothing to offer. She had to make some hard decisions but was too tired at the moment to even try. She knew he wouldn’t be back for a few days, so she had time to pack what little she brought and make a plan.
She walked out of the bedroom and stopped just before she turned into the living room as a thought that almost made her sick hit her. She drew in a shaky breath and took the steps into the room where the guys were. Both men turned her way. Harmony handed Nico’s phone back to him.
“You guys know where he is, don’t you?” she asked, even though she knew it would hurt to know the truth.
Nico and Connor looked at each other.
“What happened?” Connor asked.
“I heard her in the background.”
Nico stood and faced her. “Yes, but it’s not like it seems. Let Christian explain when he gets home.”
Harmony thought the pain couldn’t get any worse and was wrong. She pressed her fists against her stomach as if to hold in the cry of misery that wanted to burst from her mouth.
“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered and shook her head.
“Wait, Honey. Please give him a chance. I wish I could tell you, but I can’t,” Nico said and took a step toward her.
Harmony took a step back.
“Just tell me this. How much of a fool do I look like?” She held up a hand when both men started to talk. “Never mind. I already know the answer,” she said, turned, and ran back into the bedroom. She locked the door, then went into the bathroom and closed it before sinking onto the cool tile floor. She wrapped her arms around her drawn-up knees and cried until she gasped for breath. She vaguely heard the men trying to talk to her through the bedroom door, but didn’t want to listen to them anymore.
After a while, she rose, undressed, and then stood under the shower spray for a long time. She climbed out, dried off, and then pulled on one of Christian’s shirts.
She felt so tired but wanted to get packed before morning. She dug out her old bag and started packing her clothes, the ones she had before Christian. When she was done, she set it by the door, crawled into bed, under the covers, and fell into an exhausted sleep.
Nico and Connor stood outside her door, trying to get her to respond to them. Meanwhile, Nico also attempted to get in touch with Christian. Nico lifted his phone when it vibrated.
“Thank fuck,” he growled, turned away from her door,and took several steps away.
“What’s going on?” Christian asked in alarm.
“She thinks you’re having an affair.”
“Jesus, I thought something like that, but she hung up, and my sister was breathing down my neck.”
