The words were like a slap across his cheek, but I continued, my fury unstoppable.
“I loved you, Mason Evercore. And this is what I get? Did you spy on me the whole time?” I demanded, the pain unbearable. “Even after we were married?”
Oh god, this was killing me. I could barely breathe, and yet I had to know.
And slowly, Mason nodded again, those blue eyes never leaving mine.
The air in my lungs evaporated. I couldn’t breathe, my heart literally stopping before pounding like a drum once more. Because this couldn’t be happening. This was some kind of a sick, twisted joke.
But I was going to have my say, come hell or high water.
“You want to know the truth about these fucking pictures?” I asked, picking one up and shoving it in his face. “Yeah, I used to date this guy, but we broke up when I met you. And you know what happened when I broke it off? He crumbled into a nervous mess. I felt sorry for him. So I continued to hang out with him. What was I supposed to do? He was my friend. And yes, maybe I’d kiss him on the cheek sometimes, just to make him feel better, but that’s all. It was never anything more than platonic. It never could be anything else, not while you were in the picture. I gave you everything – my heart, my soul, my body,” was my tortured voice.
“Laney,” he interrupted, eyes burning like coals.
But I was on a roll.
“I trusted you with everything,” came the anguished torrent of words. “Everything. And yet you were so worried about your precious money that I never had a chance.”
The accusations exploded from my chest like grenades, and yet Mason took it like a pro. That big body was unmoving, his eyes burning into mine.
Why was he looking at me like that?
Did he feel no regret for what had happened? For ruining my life?
For the third time, he simply nodded.
“I know,” came that low voice.
My body froze.
“What do you mean, you know?” My eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Wait. Jim was here just a minute ago. You knew that too, didn’t you? You were spying on me even now, weren’t you? You watched him leave,” was my accusatory hiss.
Oh god, my heart was breaking all over again. This showdown was only devolving into a cesspool of pain, drowning me in the sewage of unfathomable hurt.
Mason merely looked back at me, those blue eyes inscrutable.
Oh god, the answer was clear.
Of course he knew.
The billionaire knew everything.
Suddenly I snapped, springing forward, our noses almost touching.
“You’re a bastard, you know that?” were my angry words. “You’re an absolute fucking asshole. You could’ve just asked and I would’ve told you everything. In fact, I’ve been wearing your stupid thread ring this whole time,” I spat, tearing off the tiny piece of string and throwing it on the ground. “Can you believe that?” I asked, raising eyes filled with hurt to meet his. “Can you believe I’ve been wearing your ring this entire time?”
The billionaire’s expression mutated then, morphing into one of pain.
“Laney,” he whispered, voice ravagged. “I love you so much. I’ve made a huge mistake. Giant. Enormous. I love you so fucking much, please just let me explain baby.”
But unfortunately, there was no more time. There’d been too much suffering in my life these past six months, and I had to save myself. So refusing to meet his eyes, I ran out of the coffee shop, brown curls flying.
“Laney, Laney!” he called, that deep voice growing faint as the door banged shut behind me.
But I didn’t care.
This was about survival, and Mason Evercore had already done enough damage. The billionaire had ravaged my heart … and I would never be the same now.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Mason
Holy shit.
I’ve really fucked up this time.
Hell, I don’t even think “fucking up” is enough to describe this mess. More like “nuclear catastrophe” or “the apocalypse come,” is more accurate.
Because what am I supposed to do now?
I stared at the café door, silence growing heavy around me.
This was all my fault.
I was the one who ordered the PI to follow Laney. I was the reason he took the photos. She was right. I’m the one who calls the shots, and blaming this on my attorney was the coward’s way out.
Feeling numb, I picked up the closest snap, looking at it carefully.
Laney was telling the truth.
Things were nothing passionate in the frame. Among the hundreds of photographs, never did Laney and Jim kiss on the lips. It was friendly. Platonic.
Fuck, I was such a fool.
I picked up another photo.
Again, a kiss on the cheek, nothing more.
Sure, they were a lot of instances of smiles and hugs, but that doesn’t mean much. Laney’s a friendly person, and she’d opened up to me. It didn’t mean she was fucking around behind my back.