揕et抯 go,?I tell Oliver.
揥hat did she say??
揘othing relevant.?
揂re you going to棓
揙liver. I swear to God. For the last fucking time. This is none. Of. Your. Business. Coming here was a mistake.?
The rest of the ride back to the office is silent. I don抰 bother going back upstairs. I say good night to Oliver and then head straight into the garage and my waiting car.
Scarlett beats me back. When I walk into the penthouse, she抯 sitting cross-legged on one of the couches that overlooks the terrace, poking at a takeout box. Her expression is blank when she looks up, and I hate it. I want the smile she gifted me with last night.
揧ou抮e home.?
I strip my suit jacket and toss it on the couch. 揧es.?
揂re you hungry? Your food is棓
揇o you know Nathaniel Stewart??
I watch her reaction closely. She coughs. Swallows. Takes a sip of water from the glass on the coffee table. Incriminating. 揧es.?
揥hen was the last time you saw him??
揈arlier tonight.?She holds my gaze. At least she抯 being honest. Although she抯 smart enough to know I wouldn抰 be broaching this topic unless I knew something.
揂re you sleeping with him??
揘o.?Her answer is swift.
揇on抰 lie to me, Scarlett,?I warn. 揑f you抮e screwing him, just tell me the fucking truth.?
揟hat is the truth.?She shoves the chopsticks in her food and stands, crossing her arms. 揑 swear.?
揑f you抮e not sleeping with him, then why would you meet him at a hotel? Multiple times.?
Her eyes narrow. 揧ou抮e having me followed??
揗y father is. And not you. Stewart. He抯 interested in a business opportunity and wanted to make sure the guy was clean.?
揥hen did you find out about this??
揧esterday morning,?I admit. 揌e has photos.?
揙f me fucking Nathaniel??
I wince. 揙f course not.?
揟hat抯 why you卨ast night. You believed him. You thought I was cheating.?The anger I can handle. The hurt in her voice is worse.
揑t looked bad, Scarlett. And it抯 not like you haven抰。？
She breaks eye contact for the first time. 揟hat was before, Crew.?
揑 know.?
揂nd I抦 sick of having that flung in my face. Like you haven抰 been with anyone since we got married.?
揂ctually, I haven抰。？
She looks shocked. 揧ou haven抰？？
揘ope.?I roll up my sleeves and head for the couch, pulling the takeout containers I assume are for me out of the bag and grabbing a pair of chopsticks. My chest feels lighter for the first time in thirty-six hours. And I抦 starving as a result.
揑梬hy??
I shrug and start eating. 揥asn抰 interested.?
That admission is met with a long beat of silence as she sinks back down on the couch and picks up her food. 揌e gave me money,?Scarlett finally says. When I look over, she抯 fiddling with her chopsticks again. 揊or Haute.?
揥hy the hell would you need money??I ask. Even before she married me, Scarlett was set to become the richest woman in the country.
揑抦 going to inherit a lot. My parents paid for everything: cars, penthouses, tuition, credit cards. But I don抰 have direct access to anything. Or I didn抰， until I got married.?
揥hat??
揑抦 an only child. If I didn抰 get married and have kids, there wouldn抰 be an Ellsworth heir.?She purses her lips. 揗y father didn抰 want to take any chances, apparently. He put some strict conditions on my trust fund. I抦 sure Haute turning profitable gave him quite the scare.?
揧ou wouldn抰 need to get married then,?I realize.
She nods. 揑 wasn抰卭pposed to this.?She gestures between us. 揑 just wanted to do it on my own terms, I guess. And if I抎 waited until we got married, then Haute would have already sold. I didn抰 have many options.?
揑 would have given you the money.?
揕ike I said, I didn抰 have many options.?
I half-smile at that. 揑s he still involved??
揘o. I paid him back as soon as we got married. In full.?
揇id you sleep with him? Back then.?
揘o. I don抰 mix business and sex.?
揝o he tried to.?
揧es,?she admits.
揂nd tonight??
揌e wants to pursue another investment together.?She leans back and tucks her legs underneath her. 揑 took the meeting as a courtesy, but I told him no. That I have my hands full with Haute and now rouge. And.?She clears her throat. 揑 mentioned that I抦 happily married.?
Like hell is this guy getting involved in Kensington Consolidated.
揌e made another pass at you??
揧es.?She catches sight of my expression, and hers turns amused. 揑 handled it, Crew.?
I sigh. 揑抦 sorry. Last night匢 was pissed.?
揧ep. Figured that out.?
揑 thought we were finally in a good place. And then I saw those photos and I just卛f it was true, I wasn抰 sure if I wanted to know. That抯 why I didn抰 say anything to you until now.?