“Mom, erm, what do I do?” she asked. She’d spent most of her life outside of the public eye. The moment her father divorced her mother, she and Helen became old news fast. She’d never needed any protection or help. No one wanted to know about the daughter no one cared about.
Her mother loved her. Her brother cared about her, but her father couldn’t stand her.
“Honey, you’d be wise to start with covering up the damage.” Simone gasped when she saw her apartment entrance on the front door.
“This is not possible. This is a nightmare, Mom. I don’t want this. We were only supposed to be strangers.”
“Baby, I think you need to talk to this man. I can’t come to you. The cameras will be flashing away, and you know how I hate that,” Helen said.
“I know, Mom.” When the break-up had first occurred the press wouldn’t leave her mother alone. They wanted to know everything about the divorce.
“I love you, sweetheart.”
“Love you, too.”
She ended the call staring at the news. The small amount of food she’d eaten was enough to make her run to the toilet and vomit everything back up. Simone brushed her teeth then wiped her face on the towel. The longer she stared at the images the more she felt sick. How could they be interested in a one night stand?
Simone went to the phone and dialled her work’s number. She was immediately put through to Callum.
“Callum Gallagher,” he said.
“You manipulating bastard. You’ve ruined my life, and for what, a fuck? You were not even that good. How could you do this to me?”
“I have to say your walk of shame looks dazzling. Not many women could look so tempting leaving an apartment. You make your exit classy.”
She cursed some more. “I can’t leave my apartment because of you.”
In the next moment, her anger got the better of her, and she slammed the phone back in its cradle. Running her fingers through her hair, she looked at the television. The phone began ringing, which she ignored. This was a huge disaster. She couldn’t handle this. Sitting on the couch she watched the news reporters talking.
“None of us are allowed in. Miss Allusifa has not made a statement and refuses to take any calls.”
“Because there is nothing to say,” Simone yelled at the television.
“Oh my God, Callum Gallagher has turned up, followed by his business partner and head of security, Cole Turner.”
She tensed watching the two men make their way through the chaos of the press. “Mr. Gallagher, could you please tell us about your relationship with Miss Allusifa?”
“Please, a gentleman never tells,” Callum said, smiling at each and every one of them.
“Smarmy bastard,” Simone muttered. Didn’t they have any clue that they were lying?
“Simone is a little shy. Please, give her some privacy.” He walked inside the apartment building’s doors. Any moment he’d be tapping on her door wanting to come inside. The knock sounded a few minutes later. She debated ignoring the sound. No matter what happened she needed to sort through the mess he’d created. She didn’t like it.
Opening the door, she let both men in, and then she locked the door and walked past them.
“Simone,” Callum said. Her anger rose. Without thinking she moved closer to him, raised her hand and slapped him around the face. When the sound of flesh hitting flesh wasn’t enough, she did the same with the other hand. Simone raised her hand to hit him once again, but Cole caught her hands in mid-air, stopping her attack.
She fought him in an attempt to wipe the smirk off Callum’s face. “That’s enough,” Cole said, making her slump in his arms. “I’m going to let you go. Will you keep your hands to yourself?” he asked.
“I should tear his eyes out.”
“I don’t think that will work, baby.”
Cole let her go. She glared at Callum and stormed away into her kitchen. “How could you do that?”
“Some things needed to be done.”
“No, you couldn’t handle a woman walking away from you.”
“How did you not know who I was?” Callum asked.
“Hello!” She shouted opening her arms in exasperation. “My father is in all of those magazines. I don’t need to see what slut is hanging off his arm. I don’t follow the current show business.”
“Even though you’re in marketing,” Cole said.
“I’d heard of you but never actually saw a picture of you, and I only handled financing and helped with some ideas. Oh, it was complicated, and I’m still not talking to you. I bet you’re the one to leak that crap to the papers.” She turned to Callum. “You should fire him.”