Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“It’s going to be the best day,” Danny promises.
“I don’t know why you needed me to come to your office,” Stella says as she steps inside and closes the door behind her. “Although, it’s probably a good thing to get me out in the fresh air. I realized this morning that I haven’t been out of your condo since I arrived there Monday afternoon.”
“And given that it’s Friday morning, that’s quite a long time to hermit inside,” I agree. “Did you walk over?”
“Yeah, it didn’t take long, and the rain felt good. I can feel winter in the air, though. You know, when there’s just that little twinge of cold hanging around?”
“I know what you mean,” I confirm. I’m excited to show her what I’ve done. “Have a seat.”
“Okay.” She sits across from me. “What’s up?”
I take two sets of papers out of my desk and lay them in front of her, side by side.
“What’s this?” she asks with a frown.
“That’s the paperwork to get the lawsuits started. All you have to do is sign.”
“What lawsuits?”
I narrow my eyes. “The ones against Florence Paddington and Emerald City Interiors, of course.”
Stella bites her lip and then sighs. “Gray, I told you I didn’t want to do this.”
“I know, but that was right after everything happened. And you were exhausted. I took it off your plate, Stella, so there’s nothing for you to do except sign the papers.”
“And appear in court against Florence Paddington.”
“We don’t know that it’ll end up in court. It could be that she’ll choose to settle before that.”
Stella slowly shakes her head.
“I can’t risk going to court, Gray. My family is too high profile. I can’t make a scene and have it come back on the people I love. Hell, Uncle Will was the original recommendation. If the press linked that, it could blow up on him.”
“Stella, you’re entitled to compensation for this. What they did was wrong.”
“I’m moving forward,” she says. “I don’t need the money. I’ll figure it out. I plan to email Camille and ask about severance.”
“I already spoke to Camille,” I reply, feeling frustration bubble through me. “She’s not going to do that.”
Stella’s eyes narrow on me. “You spoke with Camille.”
I nod once. “I did.”
“Behind my back.”
“Jesus, Stella, you’ve been holed up in my house, cleaning in a frenzied storm for days.”
“I’m fine. I’m moving on. Working with Danny to start a new business.”
“And in addition to that, you’ll sue these bastards and recoup the money and then some.”
Anger flashes through those gorgeous eyes. “What is this, Gray? Are you trying to capitalize on what happened to me?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You’re the attorney. You get a cut if I’m awarded a bunch of money.”
I clench my jaw. “I can’t believe you’d even think that I want to get a payday out of your hurt.”
“I can’t think of any other reason you’d do this. Because I certainly didn’t ask you to.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m helping you.”
“No.” She shakes her head and pushes the papers away from her. “You’re not, Gray. And if you think that this is something I’d want, you don’t know me at all.”
“You’re being ridiculous. Be reasonable, Stella.”
“Reasonable?” She blinks at me and then stands. “You know what? I think I’ll go be unreasonable alone. I’m done.”
“Wait. Don’t walk out on me.”
“I’ll walk wherever the fuck I want to,” she says and turns to me in a fury. “I’m an independent person, Grayson. I don’t need a man to swoop in and save me. You’re not my father or my brother. You don’t get to control everything that happens, least of all to me. This is my life, and my decision to make. And I take offense to you thinking that you can do anything on my behalf without talking it over with me first. Especially given that I would have said ‘absolutely not’ had you brought it up again.”
“Stella. This is insane.”
“Then I’m insane. And that’s fine, Gray. You know, things between us happened really fast. And I guess I can see why you’d think you could step in on my behalf. But you’re wrong. You aren’t welcome to do that.”
“Then I apologize.”
“And you think I’m wrong.”
“I do, yes.”
She nods and turns to walk to the door. “And that’s where we’re at an impasse. As I said, things happened fast. I thought we knew each other well, but I think I was wrong.”
“Are you walking out of this office? Or out of my life?”
She reaches for the doorknob and turns to look at me, anger warring with sadness in her eyes.
“Both.”
The rest of the day moves in a blur. I have appointments and take calls, but I couldn’t tell you what any of those things entailed.
When I get home, I walk back to the closet and find that all of Stella’s things are gone.