Cruel Fortune (Cruel 2)

“You look like you’re ready to dive in,” Lewis noted as we took our seats across from his parents.

“If it was open, I might actually do it. I’m dying to have a pool again.”

“Natalie was a college swimmer,” Lewis explained.

“Well, you can use this one anytime you like once we open it again,” Nina said. “Lord knows it doesn’t get enough use anymore.”

“Thank you. That’s very generous,” I said.

I leaned back into my seat and enjoyed my drink. Lewis’s parents laughed and joked with each other as if they were still those teens who had fallen in love at Harvard. It was adorable.

“Okay. I have to clean up before the maid gets here in the morning. Otherwise, she is going to cuss at me in every language that she knows,” Nina said.

“Nina,” Edward complained.

She kissed him once. “I will be back as soon as I’m done. You know I hate a messy house.”

He sighed. “Fine. But do be quick.”

She laughed and took her empty glass with her.

“She’s going to be at it all night,” Lewis told me. “Mom is a bit of a neat freak and a perfectionist.”

“Those are some of her best qualities,” Edward said, raising his glass.

Lewis checked his watch and sighed. “Okay. I’m going to head inside. Shouldn’t be long.”

He squeezed my arm and then disappeared into the house, already dialing the number and conferencing in. Which left me all alone with his father, the indomitable Edward Warren.

“So, Natalie,” Edward said. He swirled his drink. “I hear that you’re a writer.”

“Yes.”

“And you have a book published.”

“I…yes. But it’s not under my name.”

He nodded. “I heard that. Olivia something. We published it.”

My mouth went dry. I hated when people knew about my pen name. But why should I be surprised the owner of the company knew? The owner whose son was dating one of their authors at least.

“That’s right.”

“Pardon me for saying, but I did a bit of research on you after you came over for dinner.”

“Uh…research?”

His eyes were still stuck on the drink in his hand, and I had the sudden feeling like he was toying with me.

“It seems like you came from nothing. Lewis said you met a year ago. But you were dating Penn Kensington at the time. When that fell through, you jumped to my son.” His eyes finally met mine. Hard as rocks and just as cold as stone. “So, what exactly are your intentions with Lewis?”

“My intentions?” I asked, still not grasping what he was getting at.

“Well, he already spent a cool million to get you,” he said casually. “What are you expecting for him to keep you?”

My eyes doubled in size, and my jaw dropped open. “What are you talking about? Lewis didn’t give me a million dollars, and I don’t want anything from him.”

“Your contract with Warren Publishing was for seven figures. You’re not naive enough to not know who pushed for that figure at auction.”

My stomach roiled. “He didn’t,” I whispered.

Edward arched his eyebrows. “Obviously, he did. He can be so trusting sometimes. But I’ve met other women like you before. And I don’t want my son tangled up with someone like that.”

My heart raced in my chest as I vaulted out of my seat. “Are you calling me a gold digger?”

“I didn’t use that word.”

“You didn’t have to!”

“Then, we’re at an understanding.” Edward slid out of his seat, graceful as a cat, and towered over me. “This is a business negotiation. How much will it take for you to get out of my son’s life?”

I balled my hands into fists. Fire coursing through me. Anger at the insinuation, at what I’d just learned, at the sheer horror of it all.

“You seriously misjudged me, Mr. Warren,” I spat at him.

He laughed. “I really don’t think that I did.”

“Fuck you,” I growled. “You can keep your goddamn money. I don’t need any of it. I was fine without it before, and I’ll be fine afterward, too.”

Natalie

28

I moved like a thunderstorm off of the balcony. Anger pulsed off of me like sheets of rain falling from the sky. I couldn’t even believe what had just happened. At the sheer audacity of Edward Warren. He had clearly orchestrated this thing so that he would have a moment alone with me. A moment to accuse me of trying to take his son’s money and then offering me more to get rid of me. I had never been more offended in my life.

And worse…was what Lewis had done. I wanted to scream. I’d worried that ending up with Warren was coincidental, but I’d told myself that they hadn’t been the first publisher to try to buy my book. I’d thought it had been won on its merit. Not Lewis’s interference. Turned out, I was wrong. I’d been stupid enough not to even ask him.

Lewis was pacing the living room when I stormed past him. “Natalie?”