Chapter 17

Jessa

There was a hole in my chest that consumed everything: the taste of caviar, the joy of a new diamond bracelet, and the five-star travel plans that would sweep me across Europe. Champagne toasts chimed all around me, but it took so much effort for me to smile that I forgot to raise my own glass.

"It's all right to drink, darling. No one will judge you; it is our engagement party." Robert lifted my limp hand and champagne flute to my lips and made me drink.

I pushed back, and a little of the golden liquid sloshed over the edge of the crystal flute. "I think it's a bit outrageous to have another engagement party in the first place," I cocked an eyebrow.

Robert's jaw tightened, but his smile was still in place. "Well, it's not my fault everyone noticed your ring and decided to celebrate with us again."

I looked down at my heavy diamond engagement ring. What had possessed me to weigh myself down with it again?

I tried to bury the bright ring in the folds of my new haute couture dress, but it was too big. The sight of it made my heart ache. It was one decision I wasn't sure I could ever look in the eye and yet I would have to every single day.

Robert pulled my left hand out and brought it to his lips, making sure the ring he gave me caught the light and blinded the party-goers nearest us.

"I get nervous wearing it," I lied. "It's too big and bright for every day wear."

Robert shook his head and grinned. "Think of it as clearing my name. Wearing it means you had no real reason to dump me in the first place."

He turned to greet more well-wishers, and I swallowed hard. Everything reminded me of Dayton and thoughts of him only made the hole inside me grow wider and more hollow.

In a blink, the country-club dining hall disappeared, and I was back on the steps of the Miller Building. That had been my chance, and I had missed it. One small confession and I could have cleared Dayton's name and freed myself from Robert all at the same time.

If only I had believed for one second the fairy tales my mother used to read me when I was little. Happily ever after just didn't seem possible when there were family responsibilities and so many complications in the world.

"Jessa?" Robert's voice took on a slight edge.

I wiped the frown off my face and joined him again. Robert's hard hand at the small of my back steered me through the country-club. When he wanted to stop and chat with someone, he caught my elbow and held me still next to him. I wanted to wrench myself free, but I knew how terrible that would look.

"Did I hear you were helping with some grand building renovation?" The elderly man in front of us was a major museum donor, and his antique collection was well-known.

Robert spoke for me. "Jessa very generously donated her time, but they ended up taking advantage of her."

"What sort of finishing touches were you adding?" the man asked me.

"Chandeliers, light fixtures, you know, all the sparkly pieces that women like best," Robert interjected.

I could tell the elderly man wanted to hear from me, and I wanted to tell him about the artistic flare of the gate in front of the elevator. There were dozens of finishing’s and details that had inspired me at the Miller Building, but Robert was trying to erase them all from my mind.

He made a quick excuse and pulled me away.

"It's all right, Robert. I don't mind talking about the Miller Building," I stated.

"You mean your father's corporate headquarters?" Robert bristled at any vague hint of Dayton.

"I've been thinking about specializing in authentic time-period interior design. It would be a great way to use my art history major," I said.

Robert snorted. "My wife is not going to work."

"Then consider it a hobby," I snapped.

Robert's hand tight on my elbow made my skin crawl. It was clear his cruelty was in check, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he turned on me again.

Dinner at Robert's house that night had been so comforting. I had always censored myself around Dayton, afraid to alienate him by accidentally mentioning the every-day luxuries of my life. It had made me deny all the details of my upbringing and life. Robert had made me feel like it was all right to be myself again.

Then I realized that was not the person I wanted to be, but by then I had been taken in, manipulated, and strong-armed into wearing Robert's ring again.

It was supposed to be a kind gesture, Robert letting me have the wildly expensive ring whether or not I accepted him as a fiancé. Then Dayton saw it, and the look on his face told me any little spark of hope I had wanted was gone.

So I let myself be swept along and here I was with Robert's hand hard on my elbow again.

I let Robert steer me through more champagne toasts and excited talk of weddings because it didn't matter. The chance I had was gone. I'd been a coward and left Dayton without an alibi. I could have fought to clear his name; I could have fought for him, but I said nothing. Dayton would never look at me again.

That was no excuse for slipping back into a loveless arrangement with Robert, but I felt that was all I deserved.

It didn't matter anymore that Dayton had lied about his family or his wealth. It had occurred to me too late that Dayton had only kept that information from me because he wanted me to know him, not his financial state. I had always longed for someone to know me outside of my social stratosphere, but I screwed up the one chance I had had.

My phone rang, and in the midst of our sham engagement party, I clung to my only chance at escape. "It's the board of trustees; I have to take this," I told Robert.

Everyone understood, but Robert still scowled at me in a way that made me worry he would make me pay for such rudeness later. Still, I took my opportunity and spun away from him to answer the call.

"Hello, Jessa," my father said. "I'm heading to the office. Can you meet me there?"

An ice cold wave of anger swept over me. I pushed past the caterers and hid out in a quiet linen closet just off the kitchen hallway.

"What? Where have you been? Have you talked to Mother?" I countered my father's cheerful tone with tight disapproval. He had been missing for some time since I had last seen Dayton.

"When you operate at my level of business, Jessa, it makes sense to go on retreat and think things through. That's what was best for everyone." My father's lofty words were a downright lie.

"Except for your family," I snapped. "Did you know that my engagement party is today? You're supposed to be here."

"Is your mother there?"

Tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them back fiercely. "Yes. Of course she is."

I didn't tell my father that she was oddly distant and distracted. In truth, she was scaring me a little bit because her high, brittle laughter came a little too fast and her elegant facade was slipping.

"Then she can make your excuses for you. We need the entire board together to get through these next steps," my father said.

I went, careful to have Jeffers drop me off at the back of the building so I wouldn't run into Dayton, or worse, Mike. I told myself I was there to force my father to clear the air about the estrangement from my mother, but really I couldn't stay away from the Miller Building another minute. Somehow being there made me feel more like myself than I had all of December.

And I wanted to hear my father eat his words.

The case against Dayton was unraveling fast, and no other suspect had been found. If my father had a decent bone left in his body, he would apologize to Dayton.

"Jessa, you look wonderful. A little dressy for a board meeting, but wonderful," my father said.

I scowled. "You pulled me away from a party, remember?"

"Ah, yes. Business does have a way of doing things like that." My father gave me a bright smile.

"You look rested and happy," I said, glaring.

My father's appearance only made me more suspicious and angry. Where had he been when my world was falling apart?

I took a breath to ask my father but his office door opened at the same time and all the air was sucked out of my lungs.

Dayton marched into my father's office and shut the door behind him. "You asked to see me?"

"Yes, Mr. Miller. I do believe we are overdue for a renegotiation of our lease," my father said. He sat down at his wide desk and folded his hands. "I think you'll agree that these past few months your renovation work and the subsequent security problems have made it impossible for me to conduct my business. That would make it seem you owe us recompense."

"Father!" I had intended to stay out of the way in order to not make things worse, but I couldn't just stand there while my father sparked a major explosion.

Dayton narrowed his eyes at my father. "You want me to pay you for all the trouble your corporation has had? What about the interference you've caused in my building renovation? We are months behind thanks to you and your companies’ software security measures."

"If we can't decide on a reasonable sum now, then we'll let the courts decide. Of course, they will take their own cut of the money. That's why I asked you here. It would benefit us both to settle out of court," my father replied.

I gaped at my father. Was he trying to get our lease revoked? Did he really want Lauren Corp to feel that last death blow? We would never recover at the expense of moving and setting up shop elsewhere.

Dayton crossed his arms over his chest. "You really expect me to deal with you after what you have done?"

My father blinked, not sure how he lost the upper hand. "I am still the majority shareholder of this company, so, yes."

"I don't care how many shares you have stuffed in your back pocket. The fact that you left and let your daughter struggle to clean up your mess means you are not the kind of person I will do business with," Dayton snarled.

"You dare bring up my daughter?"

I cleared my throat. "I'm standing right here. Father, please, think about what you are doing. If we lose our lease, then we lose everything."

"Don't you see, Jessa? That's what your father wants. He's got it in his head that if he takes a major loss now, he won't lose so much when your mother divorces him," Dayton shot.

I caught the edge of my father's desk to keep my loose knees from buckling. It had only taken Dayton minutes to see what I had been afraid to face all this time.

"Slander. Defamation." My father stood up. "Do you really want to add those charges to the long list against you?"

Dayton gave my father a wolfish smile. "It stings when the truth comes out, doesn't it? So let me give you a little more: you won't get away with it."

"That's enough." My father slammed his hands on his desk. "Either make an offer for compensation, or I will see you in court."

"Fine," Dayton snapped without looking at me. "Have it your way. Your lease is revoked. You can take me to court after you've cleared out. Lauren Corp is finished."

Then Dayton walked out of my father's penthouse office and left my life torn in pieces.