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I turn away so I can’t see her response, afraid it’ll sway me. Who is she? How did this even happen?
“Connor—”
“I trusted you,” I blurt out, squeezing my eyes shut. “I—I loved you. But you apparently had your own agenda. How can I believe anything else you say right now?”
There’s another quiet sob, and a moment later the door lock clicks and she exits, the room silent.
I curl my fists, unsure how to even begin processing this. One day I’m declaring my love and the next I’m unable to look at her? Was anything between us real?
I sit back down, immediately sending out emails to the two people I have meetings with to cancel them, knowing I won’t be able to concentrate today. How did this even happen? How did Greg…
I grip the edge of my desk. If Emma is Montague’s daughter, that means she’s also Serena’s sister. Did Serena know? Did Archer?
I dial Archer immediately, not thinking it through, only concerned with uncovering the truth.
“Did you know?” I ask him as soon as he answers. “About Emma?”
“Know what?” he asks, annoyance in his tone at my abruptness.
“That she’s Serena’s sister. Half-sister, I guess.”
There’s silence, long enough that I fear the call dropped, then Archer’s voice, low as he says, “She’s what?”
Relief courses through me. He didn’t know. If he was hiding this from me too, I can’t say for sure what I’d do. “She’s Greg Montague’s daughter. I just found out.” I relay the pertinent details, leaving out the bit about falling in love with her and now feeling utterly betrayed.
“Holy shit,” he murmurs. “There was something I couldn’t pinpoint before. The eyes. That’s why Gabriel kept going on about the eyes.”
That’s right. At the wedding venue.
Oh, God. Emma’s still making Serena’s wedding dress. “Will you tell her? Serena?”
“Yeah. I can’t keep this from her. I’ll wait till she gets home from work, though. This is, uh… Well, it’s kind of crazy.”
“It is.”
“And you had no idea?”
“None.” Why would I? It’s the last thing I expected.
“Maybe Serena can get some more answers out of her. Find out why she did it.”
“I don’t care why she did it. She lied to me.”
I regret the outburst as soon as I make it. Archer’s always been a hawk, picking up on the tiniest detail.
“Sounds like it’s personal for you.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You’re the one who called me.”
Why does he have to be so damn sensible? “I’ll talk to you about it later, okay? I’ve got things to figure out.” Like begging Vivian to cut her time off short.
He clears his throat softly. “Well, I’m here if you need me. I know I always wasn’t… available over the years. But you helped me out a lot last month in the Philippines and I want to return the favor if I can.”
Damn. Why’d he have to put it like that? “Thanks. But I just need to think this through by myself for a bit.”
“Call me if you want to talk. I mean that seriously.”