“Is there anything else you want to say, or am I allowed to go back inside now?” I asked.
“Not unless you want to tell me the reason you got married after swearing you never would?”
“Nope.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course not. Try not to get yourself into too much trouble, okay?”
“I’ll do my best,” I said dryly.
And I was going to start by getting Danielle back to my apartment where I could have her all to myself. Where the only way someone could get to her without my knowing was if they managed to climb up to the twenty-sixth floor of the building.
She wasn’t in the kitchen where she’d been helping Mom pack up leftover food when I’d left to put our stuff in the car. Mom was still there, but there was no sign of my wife.
“Where’s Danielle?” I asked.
“I’m guessing she’s still in the bathroom.” Mom gestured at the hall that led to my parents’ wing of the house, and I didn’t hesitate before going to find her.
I heard them before I saw them.
“My son seems quite taken with you.” Dad’s voice rang through the air.
“Is that a problem?” Danielle replied.
“That depends. What are you getting out of the marriage deal?”
“A husband,” Danielle answered in a cool tone.
“Let me guess, you get a couple million when this ends?”When,notif. Dad wasn’t even pretending he believed our marriage would last. “Or maybe it’s the image you’re after—the invites to exclusive events, the fancy home, the ability to say you’re married to a Blake?”
Forget the cancer. I was going to kill him myself.
I was two seconds from barging into their space when Danielle’s next words stopped me in my tracks.
“On the contrary, I don’t want anything to do with your family’s money or reputation. I’m only tolerating it because I care about your sons. Hayden is so much more than an heir to your company, and he deserves to have someone by his side,onhis side.”
A triumphant smile spread across my father’s face. I didn’t know what he was so fucking happy about, but I’d heard more than enough.
I closed the space between me and Danielle and wrapped my fingers around her wrist. “We’re leaving. Now.”
“Hayden—” Dad started.
I glared at him. “Do notevertalk to my wife about money or prenups again.”
Danielle surprisingly didn’t argue as I dragged her through the house, stopping for a total of three seconds to say goodbye to Mom and Maggie.
I didn’t let go of her until she was in my car with her seat belt on and I physically had to.
“I’m sorry,” I said when we were speeding back toward Boston.
“You don’t need to apologize. I think he was just looking out for you. Testing my reactions.”
“Don’t make excuses for him.”
“I’m not. I’m just telling you what I think.”
“I don’t care what he was doing. He had no business talking to you about the details of our marriage agreement.”
He could play games with me all he wanted—I was used to it—but Danielle was off-limits.
