The line went dead.
Ethan stared at his phone before dropping it to his lap and raising his gaze to the sky. Maybe he and Dane had further to go in repairing their relationship than he’d thought. Perhaps the mention of their mother triggered something in Dane.
Ethan didn’t know. What he did know was that there was a vivacious woman in his bed, more than eager to continue this fling for as long as she was in town, and he was this close to securing his future and his legacy...and claiming revenge on Robert Anderson.
* * *
Dane had packed his meager bag, touched base with his broker and was all set to head back to his ranch.
But he didn’t want to leave Mirage. He’d just acquired it—technically. All that was left was to sign the papers, but this was a done deal.
He wasn’t frustrated and cranky because he was leaving Stella. No, they’d decided at the beginning this connection or whatever they had would be temporary. Just because he was leaving her while she happened to be already emotionally crushed and shattered because of Ruiz, well...
Damn it.
Dane ran a hand over his stubbled jaw and glanced around the penthouse. His eyes landed on the note he’d left for Stella. She was working and he didn’t want to interrupt. Even though she had been dismissed by her father, she was downstairs right now making sure each and every guest had what they needed to ensure a getaway they’d never forget.
And Dane was a damn coward for sneaking out without saying goodbye. He could freely admit it, but there was no way in hell he could stay any longer. He’d gotten what he came for and hanging around would only prolong the inevitable. Stella needed to move on, and so did he.
So why was there so much pain? Why did that heaviness on his chest leave him feeling like a complete jerk?
Because he was. At this point, Dane was no better than the man who’d raised her. They’d both lied to her, deceived her, betrayed her.
She was still dealing with learning the truth about Ruiz. He couldn’t unload more secrets on her. Leaving was the best option—for both of them.
Keep telling yourself that, buddy. Maybe you’ll believe the lies.
Gripping the handle of his suitcase, Dane headed toward the elevator. He’d be back. This would be his suite when he returned, but he knew in his heart things wouldn’t be the same.
When he’d first arrived he could see only one woman here—his mother. Now he knew when he returned, he’d see only Stella.
She’d left an imprint on his life and on this place that would never disappear. There was something so permanent about her. They’d forged a bond whether he wanted to admit it or not.
And he didn’t want to admit any such thing.
Since he knew the layout of this place better than his own home, Dane slipped out in such a way that he knew Stella would never see him. He could be honest enough with himself to admit that if he saw her and attempted to explain why he was leaving, the guilt would consume him.
Dane had to push that aside. He couldn’t allow anything to steal the moment he’d been preparing for. Once this was all officially his, he’d feel better. All he had to do was finalize the sale, and get to Ethan. Working with his brother to bring down Robert would only add to the euphoria of finally reclaiming everything they’d been robbed of.
Once they came in contact with Robert, well, there would be a little surprise waiting for him. Their miserable bastard of a stepfather was done stealing and being deceitful. He wouldn’t be free to ruin anybody else’s lives or rob futures.
Dane started to head toward the back hallway from another hallway he’d sneaked through, but a familiar voice through the door leading to the back office stopped him.
“Come to me for any specialty needs for the fantasy rooms,” Stella stated.
“What about Savannah?” an unfamiliar voice asked.
“Her daughter has her first dance recital tonight and tomorrow. I told her to take the days off. Family is too important.”
“You know the staff talks. We like that you’re much different than our last manager,” the worker said.
“Yeah, well, that was my goal.”
Dane heard the hurt in her voice. He knew every moment she spent working here had to be absolutely soul crushing now that she knew the place would never be hers. She was a damn good manager and had compassion for her staff. She truly cared about this place, these employees.
Stella had just been dismissed in the most uncaring of ways only hours ago. But this morning, she went on with the business-as-usual attitude. She had her pride, sure, but she did this because she didn’t want the staff or guests to suffer.
How could he just take everything from her? How could he not want her to be part of this once he took over?