Page 10 of The Billionaire Dating Game

“Three years ago, he was accused of arson in New York.” Anna glanced everywhere but at her. “He wasn’t charged or anything…”

She knew people were sometimes accused and charged first, questions asked later. Her childhood neighborhood was riddled with similar stories. She hadn’t even considered searching for him on the internet. “That’s some pretty detailed information that you could only know if you looked him up. How long have you known?”

“Not that long.”

“Before you asked me to take your place?”

She didn’t answer.

“Oh my goodness. I can’t believe I’m so blind.” Candice shook her head. “You had no problem sending me on a date with a man under investigation.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“It was exactly like that, Anna. You did what you always do, look out for yourself.” Candice glared at her. “I thought we were friends.”

“I am your friend.”

“A friend wouldn’t do this. What if he was dangerous, Anna, did you think about that?”

“You want to know what I was thinking?” Anna faced her. “That my roommate could use the money to pay for school and a nice place because she deserves new furniture for a change.”

“I didn’t know my stuff was such an eye-sore to look at.”

“Well, it is. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have friends over? Fuck, Candice, the damn living room set is second-hand and mismatched because you wouldn’t let me buy us new ones.”

That stung. Why couldn’t Anna accept her for who she was? She’d never needed materialstuffto make her happy.

“You walk around thinking you don’t deserve anything and that you have to kill yourself to get somewhere. I admire your loyalty, but do you know why no one is loyal back?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Candice said.

“How many times have you applied for a translation position? Three, four times. You speak the languages, but they’ll never pick you because, at the end of the day, they want someone dressed in Armani and manicured nails.”

Anna was wrong…she had to be. Her self-worth didn’t boil down to what she wore. Loyalty mattered. Being dependable counted.Didn’t it?“Don’t hold back,” she whispered with an edge of sarcasm. “Tell me what you really think.” Candice had the nagging feeling there was more.

“Look. Stay with me at my new place for a few weeks until you find your apartment.”

Candice wanted to shake her. Why did her friend have to be that way? She’d rather go home to her parents in Jasper, Texas than move in with Anna. “No, thanks.”

“You said it yourself, you haven’t heard from Alexei. For all you know, he’s forgotten about you.”

Candice looked at Anna and her blood boiled. She’d made a promise to be in a fake relationship with Alexei for a few weeks. It was no longer about the money, just as she suspected. Alexei’s warning wasn’t about whether or not he could afford to let her go. How could she go back on her word? That wasn’t her. Anna may be fine with that, but Candice wasn’t.

“What if he went back to Jasmine Dalyi?” she said again.

Candice jerked. A low blow. It was her eleventh-grade school dance all over again. Being pranced around on a boy’s arm all evening, only to discover the boy she’d had real feelings for was using her as a prank. He had crushed her heart when he paraded his real girlfriend in front of her the next day. At least she didn’t have to see the people in Paris again, unlike the years of ridicule she’d endured from her classmates.

It didn’t matter, she lied to herself. “I’m not seventeen anymore, Anna. This is business.” Oh gosh, that last bit sounded too much like something Anna would say. Candice didn’t like it. “I’ll wait to hear from him.” Or wait until his time ran out.

“The internet says they were Wheelcaster’s golden couple.”

“And now they are not.”

“They work together. All I’m saying is they don’t play by the same rules you do.”

“Jasmine betrayed him, Anna.” Money couldn't fix that. She didn’t know the details of what happened, but from the buzz at the fundraiser, she knew that much.

Anna shrugged. “At least consider going on another date.”

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