In one instant, my face, my reputation was shattered. All that remained were shards—but I prided myself on my propensity for reinvention.
I’d find a way to make use of the shards. I’d find a way to make them bleed.
Chapter 27
Hannah
Wes rubbed his hands together as the driver maneuvered the car down the freeway and took the exit for Cupertino. We were meeting his real estate agent at the house he’d recently looked at, located about ten miles from Lauren and Gabe’s property.
“Wes?”
“Yeah, babe?”
“Are you nervous?”
He bounced his big knee up and down, distractedly looking out the window. “Huh?”
I took that as an answer and peered past him to look at the upscale neighborhood we’d entered. The grand stucco houses had large windows and manicured front lawns. The driver pulled up in front of a particularly large, stunning home. There was no for sale sign out front.
I peered at the mini-mansion. “Is this the right place?”
Wesley smiled. “Yep, this is it. William will meet us here in a minute. He just texted me he’s running late.”
“It’s beautiful.”
I’d picked out the house Lauren and I lived in, so I knew a little about the local real estate market—it was insane. The modest house we’d grown up in in Michigan would be worth almost a million dollars in Silicon Valley. This house, in this neighborhood, had to be listed at well over two million dollars. I glanced at Wes. Did he know how much this place cost?
A BMW sedan pulled up behind us a minute later. A compact Hispanic man wearing a three-thousand-dollar suit hopped out, all smiles. William, the real estate agent, clearly knew how much the house cost.
“Wes, Hannah, sorry I’m late. Come on in, Hannah. You’re going to love this property. It’s turnk
ey. Immaculate. Wes, I know you already love it.”
William ran through the details for my benefit: the house was built in the early nineties, the lot was just under an acre, there was a cul-de-sac at the end of the street. The home was equipped with five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen, a solar-heating system, a workout room, and an in-ground pool. “It’s perfect for families,” William said, beaming at me.
I nodded, unsure of what to make of him, his nonstop smiling, and his suit. He was trying to sell my boyfriend a mansion I wasn’t sure he could afford.
At the end of the tour, William brought us back out to the front yard. “So, what do you think?”
“You already know I think it’s perfect,” Wes said. “Honey? What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful. It’s in a great neighborhood.” I was dying to ask who Wesley needed the five bedrooms for and how on earth he thought he could afford such a place, but I decided to wait.
He studied my face. “Do you love it?”
I looked at the house. “Of course I love it. It’s perfect.”
Wes turned to William. “Make them a full-priced offer. I want it under contract before it goes on the market. Tell them we’ll do a short escrow.”
William beamed. “Absolutely. I’ll call you later.” He practically skipped to his BMW and drove off.
Wes smiled first at me, then at the house. “Well, that was easy.”
“You can afford this place?” I blurted out.
He looked at me, surprised. “How else did you think I was going to buy it?”
I had no idea what his Betts Security salary was. Used to having plenty of money of my own—my annual salary plus the inheritance from my parents—I’d never given Wesley’s financial situation much thought.