Gasps echoed across the room when I pulled him by his collar. His eyes bulged out of their sockets when I said, “You know exactly what I’d do.”
As soon as I dropped his collar, Harry cleared his throat and all but scurried out of here.
“Christian,” she whispered. “Let go of me.”
People were, in fact, paying attention to us now, which was just great. This was clearly what we needed for the engagement.
“You’ve done what you needed to do,” she stepped away. Looking everywhere but at me.
What is she talking about?
I found Hasan standing next to Osama. “What happened?” I mouthed to Hasan, who shrugged. Osamatilted his head to Hana.
She stared at us with a champagne flute in her hands, smiling… giddily at me. Jutting her head to Adelaide, Hana pressed her fingertips together to make a circle, then extended her other fingers outside and moved it with a tiny flourish.
Giving me the excellent sign.
“Are you jealous?” I smirked.
“Why would I be jealous over you?” She narrowed her eyes. “Be with whoever you want,fuckwhoever you want, see if I care.”
My lips fell.
Muscles tensing.
I was fucking tired. “You know what,” I gritted. “Maybe I will.”
“You should.”
“I will.”
“Fine.”
“Okay.”
“Whatever.”
Both of us were breathing heavily. Our chests knocking the breath out of our bodies—figuring out a way to fucking survive the turmoil of each other’s animosity. Maybe it would have been better to tell her Hana was just an old friend, that she was a client and we bonded over fucking threads and shit.
But I was pissed at her for thinking I could be the kind of man to openly cheat on hiswife.
For looks purposes, I took the black fucking velvet box out of my pocket. Gasps echoed across the hall—putting shaming to the orchestra. “Give me your hand.”
“No.”
I gave her a dark look.
She extended her hand, and I slipped the blue diamond back where it fucking belonged.
Everyone started clapping.
Detective Rowlen stood in his corner, wearing a suit, and watching carefully. When my eyes caught his, he lifted his glass up in congratulations.
Adelaide was going to be the fucking death of me, and I hated her for it.
Real or fake, she was going to be my wife.
Whatever it’d take, I’d get her to trust me again.
