He Will be My Ruin

It must be infectious because I can feel his excitement now, too. “What would something like this be worth?”

I hit the space bar on my keyboard, and the blog post I’ve been working on for days opens up. “Look at all of these . . .” I scroll through the list of articles I found on other authentic Qing Dynasty items. At the lowest, they’re worth tens of thousands. “Chinese businessmen are snapping these up as soon as they hit the market, wanting to bring their heritage back home. Look at this one.” My stomach does a flip. “It went at auction for equivalent to eighty-five million dollars. And that’s not nearly as valuable as this twin vase. I honestly don’t even know what someone might pay for a famous missing piece like this. I’d gladly take one million, but I know that if this proves to be authentic, it’s going to be more than that. This is life-altering for me.”

“You said this is a twin? Who has the one with the phoenix?” Jace asks.

“It’s in a private collection, but I haven’t confirmed exactly who has it just yet.” That’s where I’ll definitely need Hans’s help.

Jace nods slowly, peering down at me through those gorgeous blue eyes. “This is quite the find.”

“Isn’t it?”

His gaze skates over my lips. “Am I the first person you’ve told?”

“Yes. You’re the first. The only.” I lean into him.

Hoping he’ll close the distance.

Praying.

He takes a step back.

My heart falters. “Don’t you get it? It means I’ll never have to worry about money again. I’ll never have to do that other stuff again! I’ve already stopped,” I’m quick to say. “I’m done. A hundred percent. I swear. I’m sorry I lied to you like that. And that video is never going to surface. I promise.”

His jaw tenses. He was so angry the day he came here with that jump drive and note in his hand to ask me what the hell I was doing. Like I was the one blackmailing him.

When he plugged it in and showed it to me, I made it to the bathroom just in time to lose my dinner. I thought that alone would have been enough to convince him that it wasn’t me.

“I swear, I had no idea that Grady was capable of that. I ended it with him right after I said I would.” Right after you dumped me.

But I’m going to get you back. I am.

He opens his mouth, hesitates. “That’s good because you shouldn’t be selling yourself like that. You’re far too smart and beautiful to let just anyone have you.”

“I’m not letting anyone have me. Ever again. I’m yours and only yours.” I grab hold of his hand, the tears already beginning. I can’t seem to keep them at bay lately. “Please let me have another chance. I will make it up to you, I promise.”

“You have to stop this, Celine,” he says, his voice icy calm. “The calls. The visits. Notes, like this one.” He pulls from his back pocket the envelope that I sent through the internal building mail service. “People are going to figure it out.”

“No, they won’t. Not from that.” All it said was that I’m sorry.

Because I am. So very sorry.

“Natasha opened it. You don’t think a woman’s handwriting on a note like this would make her start asking questions?”

“Why? Because you’re sleeping with her?” I snap. I didn’t mean to snap.

“I . . .” His mouth drops open. “Where did you hear that?”

I should tell him what she did. But I don’t want to drag Dani or Marnie into this. “It doesn’t matter how I know. It’s bad enough that I know. And only a week after we broke up?”

“You’re kidding me, right? It was one night—one mistake. You’ve been whoring yourself out for months and you have the nerve to even say a single word to me about that?” He’s angry now.

And he’s right.

“You’re right. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. Please, can we just start over? I promise I won’t say anything.”

He heaves a sigh, like he’s exhausted. “Celine . . . come on. I can’t keep having this conversation with you. We were together for a couple of months. It was nothing.”

“Do you take all your girlfriends to see your mother?”

He grits his teeth. “Okay, fine. It was more than just a casual thing.”

“And we can have it back.” I press myself up against him in an attempt to convince him.

“No. We can’t.”

Tear. More tears pour out, unbidden. “Please don’t say that. I can’t take that.”

“It’s over, Celine. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

I start to sob uncontrollably, my face falling into his chest. “Then why did you bother coming tonight?” There’s nothing comforting in the feel of his body under my cheek anymore. It’s tense and unwelcoming, and why oh why am I begging and pleading like this?

“Honestly? I looked into that Grady guy, and he’s not hurting for money. Plus, he never followed through with the blackmail threat. Why?”

“Because I asked him not to?” I honestly don’t know why he didn’t. I want nothing more to do with Grady, or Jay.

Jace’s well-groomed eyebrow arches. “So he’s willing to go to the trouble of blackmail but doesn’t actually go through with it because you asked him not to? Doesn’t make sense, Celine. But what does make sense is that the one person who’s willing to do just about anything for money and is obviously feeling unstable right now would do something irrational and then feel guilty about it after.”

“What?” I pull back to look at him. Now I see it. The question in his eyes. “You don’t still believe that I had anything to do with it, do you?” Anger flares deep within me. I hate that he thinks I could do something so vile and cruel. “Well then maybe I should just go and leak it then!” I don’t even have a copy. “Maybe I’ll wait until my mother dies and then I won’t give a shit who sees!” As soon as the words are out, I gasp and slap a hand over my mouth. I can’t believe I just said that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m just going through a really hard time with my mom and stress with work and now this.”

He closes his eyes and rubs the frown lines out of his forehead. “I don’t think you’re okay at all.”