Chapter 17
Peter
I didn’t have time to explain what was going on to Beth, and I ran out of the apartment with my phone clutched to my ear. As soon as I told Don that Honey was missing, he promised to set out in search of her and report back as quickly as possible.
But I wasn’t giving up and letting him take the reins. Instead, I dialed Pamela.
“Peter,” Pamela gushed. “I knew you’d come around!”
“Cut the shit,” I hissed into the phone. “Where is she?”
Pamela laughed. “Oh, Peter, you’re so clueless,” she said. “It’s almost kind of adorable now that I think about it.”
Her words felt like a punch in the gut. “Where is she,” I asked again, balling my hands into fists and imagining what it would feel like to punch through the brick wall.
Pamela laughed. “I don’t know why you care for her, Peter. You only married her for the show! Besides, she’s an idiot, Peter,” she said softly. “But she’s not as stupid as you are.”
I blinked. “What are you talking about?”
Pamela sighed. “You’ve been blind and clueless for years, Peter,” she said. “If you only knew what I’ve been doing with my time, I bet you wouldn’t have thought of me as a dumb little socialite.”
My stomach twisted and churned at the sound of Pamela’s ominous words.
“Pamela,” I said through gritted teeth. “This isn’t funny. Stop fucking around, and tell me what I want to know.”
Pamela laughed. It was a silly little laugh – the very laugh that she perfected after years of charity benefits and social outings.
“Peter, I’ve been sleeping with your father for years,” Pamela said smugly. “I was sleeping with him when I met you, remember?”
“What?” I gasped. “What are you talking about?”
Pamela laughed again. The musical sounds filled me with a cold rage.
“When I met you at that party, years ago, remember I told you I was waiting for someone?”
Pamela’s words sunk in and I felt a cold chill crash over my body. It felt like being submerged in ice like I could hardly breathe, like my heart was going to stop beating forever.
“Yeah,” I said. “And what, you were waiting for him?”
“That’s right,” Pamela said smugly. “I was waiting for Alexander Anastas.”
I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall. For a moment, I was afraid I’d be sick. Then the realization hit me: Pamela had finally outsmarted me. She’d been playing me for years, and she’d finally won.
“And your father and I have every intention of blocking you from inheriting the company,” Pamela continued. She laughed again – the sound was infuriating. “So don’t worry, Peter. You won’t be getting Spyros Magnate, but that’s okay. Both your father and I think you would be a failure as a CEO.”
“I’m going to destroy you,” I hissed under my breath. “Now tell me where Honey is, and maybe I’ll let you walk away from this!”
Pamela giggled. “Never,” she said sweetly.
That’s when the line went dead.
Arrows of panic struck me in the chest, and I shuddered. I knew I had to think fast – what the hell was I going to do? – and my mind was maddeningly empty. Finally, I dialed the emergency New York City police.
“Nine-one-one, please state your emergency.”
“I have reason to believe my wife, Honey Anastas, is missing,” I spat quickly into the phone.
“Okay, sir, give me as many details as you can, and please speak slowly and clearly.”
I gave the dispatcher Honey’s description, her address, as well as Pamela’s information and location. By the time we hung up, I was feeling stunned.
I couldn’t lose Honey. Not now – not like this! The past few weeks had been incredible, and I was starting to realize that I loved her. Actually, deeply, loved her. Not just as a trophy wife – and not just as a tool to get my company out from under my father – but because she was wonderful. She was smart and witty, and kind. She was the hardest-working woman I’d ever met. And she was beautiful. Just thinking of her sparkling green eyes was enough to send me into a frenzy.
I swear, Honey, I thought as I broke into a run and headed towards the curb, searching for a cab. When I find you, I’ll rip up that contract between us. You’ll be my wife forever, not just until you bear a child, and I’ll make you the happiest man in the world.
My head was spinning as I flagged down a cab and threw myself in the backseat. I felt scared and foolish – how could I have been stupid enough not to see what Pamela had been doing all along? – But I knew I had to break through and come out on the other side. I knew that Pamela wouldn’t hurt Honey…at least, I hoped she wouldn’t. Hurting Honey wouldn’t benefit her at all. If anything, I bet she just wanted to scare her.
But just thinking about Honey being scared and alone was enough to make me furious. I’ve been such a fool, I thought as the cab turned onto the bridge and began the slow crawl back to Manhattan. I never realized Pamela was capable of doing something like this.
And yet, the more I thought about it, the more sense it admittedly made. Pamela had always been shifty and shady while we had been together. In fact, more than once, Ryan had come to me and suggested that she was stepping out behind my back. But I’d never believed Ryan. I’d never questioned Pamela or asked what she’d been doing when she went out late without me, or took calls in the other room.
I’d never had any reason to doubt Pamela. I’d always thought I’d known what was truly important to her – marrying a billionaire, and becoming New York’s. Most popular socialite.
And all this time, she’d been sleeping with my father.