I stare at him for a second then slide out of the booth. “We’re done here. You can keep your building. Good luck trying to pay for it.”
“Wait,” he says. “I have something you want to hear.”
“I think I’m done listening to your shit, Richard.”
I turn to leave.
“That was quite the performance she threw,” Richard says, and I pause. “Dresses all over the street? How much money did she throw out your window?”
I slowly turn back toward him, wrestling to keep my face straight. “What are you talking about?”
“Sit back down,” he says softly.
I hesitate. I hate to do what he tells me, but I know this could be very bad for me. I don’t know how much he has or how he even knows about Aria’s tantrum. I sit down slowly, prepared to listen.
If he has pictures, I’m fucked. I don’t know how I can explain that one away. It won’t ruin me, of course, but I can’t afford a scandal right now. Not when we’re in the middle of intense negotiations and a merger. They could still walk away, and all of this work, plus millions of dollars, would be wasted. My reputation probably wouldn’t recover.
I watch him, keeping a level head, trying to remain cool. I wasn’t about to panic or freak out, not now. I can’t show weakness to this man. He’ll pounce the moment I show even the slightest hesitation.
“What do you think you know?” I ask him, not breaking eye contact.
“I know that you have a woman living in your house,” he says. “I don’t know who this woman is, since we unfortunately didn’t get a picture of her, which is curious in itself. But she recently decided to throw a very public and very loud tantrum. Does that sound right?”
“So you don’t know anything,” I say.
He smiles. “I know what you’re thinking right now, Ethan. You’re thinking, maybe I don’t have pictures. Maybe you’re safe.” He leans toward me, his smile getting bigger. “You’re not safe. Not at all.”
I watch him, restraining myself from striking out at him. “Proof,” I say.
He holds up his phone. There’s a picture of my house with clothing lying in the street.
“See?” he asks.
“How do you have this?”
“I hired someone to watch you, of course,” he says. “Well, a few someones. I do this with every person I enter into negotiations with. Comes in handy.”
“You’ve been following me,” I say flatly.
“My people have, yes. And they got some good shots.”
My heart is hammering in my chest but I do my best not to show him. “What do you want?” I ask.
“Lighting. Statues. Carpeting. Any little fucking thing I want. Understand?”
He wants my fucking balls in the palm of his hand, that’s what he wants. He doesn’t care about anything else but that. “We’ll talk,” I say and stand.
“We won’t talk. You’ll do as I say or I’ll leak this. Plus the nice video.”
“Set up another meeting with my secretary.” I turn and quickly walk away.
If I sat there any longer, I would have given in to him. I know it. I would do it just to protect my company, but also to protect Aria. Her tantrum did cause some issues, and I can only imagine how this is going to snowball.
It’s not entirely her fault. She couldn’t have known what her actions would do. She’s a good person and just wanted a little attention.
But now she’s going to have to deal with the consequences.
16
Aria
I stretch lazily, watching some daytime television show. It’s not even good, but I can’t help myself. The day is moving so slow after Ethan stopped in this morning and I feel antsy already.
I can’t wait to see him again. I don’t know when that’ll be, but I hope it’s sooner rather than later. I can feel something beginning between us, and I can’t exactly say what it is.
This life has been strange. Everything seems to have led me here, from living with my abusive piece of shit father to running away and becoming a junky. Now I’m trying to get my life together and I’m given to Ethan, a man that can easily save me.
But I don’t know if I want to be saved. I want to put myself back together, not be fixed by some man. I know he could do it, and could do it easily, but I don’t know if that’s what I want.
Maybe it’s better if I don’t let myself get too close. Maybe it’s better if I stay here, quietly and obediently, and just do whatever he asks whenever he asks. I simply don’t get too close and when this is all over, we can go our separate ways.