Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 18308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 73(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 73(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
She realized now that she had also been protecting her own ego.
The reason she had never invited the billionaire to their home...
It was so Niccolò wouldn’t see what the others did. And that way, he wouldn’t pity her the way the others did. But now...
“Payton—”
Keeping him away meant Niccolò staying alive, and when she realized he was determined this time to see the truth with his own eyes, even if it meant gatecrashing her party—
“My husband is a very jealous man, and I...I love him so much,” Payton said in a rush, “and that’s why I’ve never invited you. Y-You’re the kind of man who’ll make him feel bad, and I...I don’t want that.”
Payton felt like throwing up when she saw how Niccolò was gazing at her now.
“Is that so?”
“V-Very much so!”
“Duly noted, then. Is that all you have to say?”
“Um, yes—”
Niccolò opened the door to his office, and even though she knew she had asked for this, it still hurt, being asked to leave like this.
Don’t you dare cry!
You’re doing the right thing.
You’re saving his life, so don’t you forget that.
As Payton walked back to her desk, the door to his office slammed shut, and she started fighting back tears. It felt like she had just hurt Niccolò, but...what choice did she have?
And besides...
She remembered all too late she had a bigger problem to deal with as she sat down.
Was she really going home to the man who would eventually kill her?
Chapter Three
PAYTON PINCHED HER nose before calling her husband. “I’m so sorry,” she wheezed out, “but I don’t think I should come home tonight. I think I came down with something and I don’t want you to catch whatever this is.”
“Yeah, that’s smart, but what about tomorrow’s party?”
“Maybe we can cancel—”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
The way he snapped at her had Payton flinch even though she knew he wouldn’t be able to reach through the phone line to hurt her.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. You just took me by surprise.” She could tell he was doing his best to rein in his temper. “This is your birthday party, after all. How’s it going to look to others if you’re not there?”
“I...”
“Look, where are you right now? I should be the one taking care of you, so—”
The thought of being with him had her paling, and Payton couldn’t talk fast enough. “Y-You’re right, of course. I’ll be back home in time for tomorrow’s party. I’m so sorry I even suggested something that stupid.”
“It’s not stupid.” Her husband’s voice was soothing now, and it reminded Payton of how this side of him used to make her question her reality. One moment he would be so mad that it felt as if she had seriously done something wrong. But the moment he got his way, he would be completely fine. It was only when the same thing happened again and again that Payton had realized this was just who he was. Her husband was very good at playing nice as long as he was getting his way.
“So where do you plan to stay? I hope you’re not going to spend too much?”
“Our office has a spare room we can use...” It was another lame lie, and she was already holding her breath and bracing for the worst, just in case her husband were to figure out she was lying—
“That’s great.”
Oh? That was it? He would usually ask more questions than that. So why then—
“I know I don’t have to tell you this, but we need to be careful with our spending.”
And that was when she remembered.
The money problems he had told her about on the night he poisoned her.
“Let’s not use our credit cards unless it’s for an emergency.”
“Yes, of course.”
“That’s my good girl. I’m going to miss you, sweetheart. See you tomorrow. I love yo—”
“What did you just say? Sorry. I can’t hear you. Are you still there?”
“I said—”
Payton ended the call.
Good girl.
She felt like throwing up just thinking about it. Would those words ever sound normal to her? Or would hearing it always make her feel nauseous? And was there even a way for her to stop being a good girl—
“You’re supposed to be resting home at this hour, not working overtime.”
Crawling creeping freaking streaking creeps!
Payton spun around in shock. “W-What are you doing here?” She had thought she was all alone here. She had lingered in the ladies’ and waited for everyone to leave before tiptoeing back to her desk and making that dreaded call. She also remembered seeing him leave an hour before everyone had clocked out, so how...
“I wasn’t aware I owed you an explanation.”
“N-No, of course not—”
“But you do. Didn’t you almost faint this morning?”
He was unfortunately right about that. And so—
“I just had an idea for the company’s upcoming anniversary.”
“That’s three months away.”
“I like to plan really early.”
“Let me hear it then.”