Good taste was her belief? Peter's eyes must have grown bigger. He controlled his tone as he angled his body awayfromher.
"You have no idea. Dad approved of dating you because you were pretty on the arm and easily cut off if you ever got intheway."
She threw her hands in the air as if she was hurt by what he had said. "I don't understand. You never cared what your fathersaid aboutanyone."
His muscles twitched, and he tensed. This was it. He sipped his drink and remembered his dad's blue eyes. His dad had always said to get people to back into a corner with the truth of what theyhaddone.
"True, but his advice never leaves my head. I will always hear his voice. Did you go and hunt down Belle to tell her about the bet in hopes that she'dleaveme?"
Her face went white. It was hard to see through her makeup, but he had spent too much timewithher.
"Peter...I..."
He inched closer like his presence might get her to tell the truth as he glared into her brown eyes. "Did you sabotage the one good thing I had going inmylife?"
"You once said I was the best thing in your life." She took a deep breath. "And I didn'tthink you truly caredabouther."
"You were wrong." He sipped his drink as life lessons from how his father destroyed people flew through his mind. "Then I should listen to my father's adviceforonce."
She licked her glossy lips. "Whatwasthat?"
Mitch Morgan would have ensured she ended up penniless and desperate and that she knew who had destroyed her. Peter channeled hisfather and wanted to take everything she valued from her. Then he swallowed. He wasn't hisfather.
"Go. Part of me wanted to ensure you had nothing left, but we're over, Jennifer. We've been over for a long time. I need you to accept that and move on. Rafe's aniceguy."
He stopped. He'd not be hisfather.
"He's a cop." Jennifer took his pause to mean something else. She grabbedhis arms and held them to her breasts. "Peter, you're overreacting. We can moveforward."
He'd not be heartless to Jennifer's mother, who had been kind to him with her never-ending pastilitos and Cuban coffee. She didn't have much, but she was kind. Peter recalled this, so he had a nicer picture inhishead.
"Jennifer, you are better off with Rafe. We both know it.Gohome."
She threw herself into his arms as if she was desperate. "Peter, Belle didn'tloveyou."
Love was a hard word for him to even think about. The Chanel perfume clogged his brain, and he missedapples.
He kept his voice low as he said, "That doesn't matter. She was someone I discovered actually does have a heart. She was more real to me than any other woman I have ever met. Now Iunderstand what my brother and sister both told me about picking someone who makes your heart stir. You deservethattoo."
He walked out of her arms and finished his drink. Then he tried to walk out oftheroom.
Jennifer grabbed his arm and tugged him to come to her. "Peter.Wait."
He shook his arm to get her off as he turned around. This conversation was over. Jennifer neededtoacceptthat.
"My staff will bring your clothes and anything you left in my house to the car or your home. I havetogo."
Tears pooled in her eyes. "Peter, I love you. I'd do anythingforyou."
Waterworks didn't fix this. His legs were planted wide apart "We tolerated each other, but it wasn't love. Let's not mix up the past and what we want in thefuture."
Sobs emergedfrom her as she cried. "Peter, what happenedtoyou?"
Without another thought he snapped, "I found someone I do love. I'll have Caro showyouout."
Her eyes stopped with the tears, and she wiped her cheeks. "Don't bother. We both know once Belle disappears you'll be back. We always find our way to eachother."
He loved Belle. He should have known that. He hadn't even thoughtit until now. Any chance with her started with severing Jennifer from their lives. Footsteps from around the corner echoed in his ears. He lowered his gaze to Jennifer as he heard the light footsteps of his staff in thebackground.
