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Billie
If we’re not out of this by midnight on my birthday, I’ll start my fill-in husband search.
Harper
That won’t be easy. That’s next month.
Billie
Exactly. I’ll start my search.
Harper
Or you could give Louis a chance.
Billie
Prince Louis is an asshole.
Harper
Just your type.
Most men are intimidated or offended by me. I’m too assertive. Too pretty. Too rude. Too cocky. Too snobby. Too quiet. But still, it hasn’t stopped the stalkers I’ve collected over the years.
Thanks to my dad, I don’t care what anyone says about me. It’stheirproblem, not mine. I was taught how not to be intimidated byanyone.
I’m a man’s worst nightmare. I was trained to be ruthless. Josh and Asher are both aware of my upbringing. It will take two of them to destroy me.
Pathetic.
But Harper may be onto something.
Billie
Don’t stress. We’ve got this.
Harper
I know your Mensa mind will devise an infallible plan. You always do.
Billie
They’ll both regret ever starting shit with me. I will play to the death. Anyway, I just walked into my place. See you on Monday.
Harper
See you then.
I lock the door behind me and move straight to my bedroom, where I plug in my phone. I slide out of my ball gown and slip between the sheets, pulling the blankets over my head.
Asher’s speech plays on repeat in my mind.
“She desperately wanted to help those who wanted to make a positive difference in the world. Eden was the embodiment of people over profits and wanted the good guys to prevail. That’s now my mission. And I willhonor her with everything I do, even if many of you don’t understand it at first. Eventually, you will.”
“That’s not fair,” I whisper, staring out the tall window of my penthouse bedroom.
Thoughts of him take over, and the sweet torture of it makes me a masochist.