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“Oh…oh.” Mrs. Moreau’s grin grows wider. “I’ve heard about you. My wife spoke of you the last couple of times she met with Ms. Marcon.”

“Did she now…” I can only imagine what Ms. Moreau had to say about me.

Alicia Moreau leans against the sinks, her ring reflecting the soft light of the women’s restroom. “Only nice things, of course. I thought that you and Ms. Marcon were an item?”

“Er…” Could I look any more pathetic? “We sort of broke up a while ago.”

“Oh! That’s too bad.” Alicia islegitimatelysurprised that I’m no longer with Julianna. Apparently, the news hasn’t reached the East Coast yet. Guess that means Julianna and Presley don’t have to worry much about their reputations, especially if I drop my end of the suit after an out-of-court settlement. “I didn’t mean to drag that up. Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.” My eye keeps going back to the dainty, subtle collar wrapped around her throat. Is it something she wears all the time? Only when she travels, to have that connection to her wife? What does Danica wear or do to think about Alicia?

Why does it make me so sad?

As if she knows what I’m staring at, Mrs. Moreau touches her collar and looks back toward the mirror. “Dating women like that isn’t easy. Trust me. I know. I met Danica one year ago and look at me now. I wish I could say it was as simple as love and lust at first sight, but it never works that way. Especially for me. I wasn’t born into that world. My mom’s a nurse, for Pete’s sake.”

I laugh. “I’m not from that world, either. Guess I was too overwhelmed by what they think they can get away with. Felt too much like chattel at times.”

“Yes.” Alicia studies her image in the mirror for a long moment. Is she thinking back to when she looked more beneath her current station? She carries herself well, being the wife of a billionaire and all, but sometimes she gives off a hint of“I practiced this until it was completely second nature. It was the only way to survive being with my spouse.”Being Mrs. Moreau must carry more responsibility and gravitas than being Mrs.Marcon. Those New England families don’t fuck around with their legacies.

“It’s one thing to be a fling or a short-term lover. They pamper you, they show you things you’ve only dreamed of… they change your life so quickly that you realize you can never go back to being the humbler woman you used to be. Even so, you know that a wealthy paramour’s infatuation is fleeting. There are many days when I seriously worry that I’ll wake up and find a new Mrs. Moreau being moved into my house and bedroom. I have to trust my wife when she says I’m the only woman she could want for the rest of her life.”

I think of how many times Julianna came close to saying that she loved me. From what I know of the Moreaus, they were already legally married by this point. I can’t even imagine being married to Julianna right now! The closest we got to talking about marriage was her saying we could be together for a long time. I always imagined us cohabitating for a few years before broaching marriage – I would want to make sure that it was for real, you know? Plus, I’ve got stuff I want to do, like possibly going to grad school! How am I supposed to plan for a wedding and be Mrs. Marcon while going to grad school?

Why am I even thinking about this? We broke up. It’s over.

Alicia must catch the forlorn look on my face, for she quickly says, “I’m so sorry to bring any of that up. If it’s any consolation, there was a period when I broke things off with Danica as well. Because, like you said, the things billionaires seem to get away with are too overwhelming.” She pulls her bag off the sink and turns toward the door. “Take care, Alessa. If you can’t patch things up with Ms. Marcon, I hope you get some worth out of that relationship.”

It’s such an odd thing for a woman like her to say to me, but I’m not offended? If anything, I’m relieved. Here I was thinking that I would never find someone who understood whatI’d been through with Julianna. Because Cher sure as hell didn’t understand. She kicked my ass out of her apartment and back to mine the moment she heard I planned on dropping out of the suit. Don’t think she counted on me being genuinely in love with Julianna.

Now, as for the other way around…

I step out of the bathroom – and right into Julianna.

“Alessa.”

She’s not overwrought. She’s not even emotional. But she is strong, powerful. She stands before me like she’s about to pick me up and pack me off to her penthouse.

I wish she would.

“Julianna.” I also stand up straight, spine rigid and face showing no trace of emotion. This is the only way I can deal with her now.

“Please, Alessa.” She doesn’t bridge the gap between us. “I’ll give you anything you want. Any promises you want, I’ll make. There must be something I can do.”

“I’m not sure, Ms. Marcon. I don’t think it would be a good idea, anyway.” I push past her. She lets me. “That was your second chance, by the way.”

Her hand brushes against my arm. Shivers ripple through me, and I nearly explode.

I almost run into her arms and kiss her. That’s how powerful she is. That’s how good she smells. That’s how wonderful she once made me feel.

“I know,” she says, before walking away. “Third time will be the charm.”

I watch after her, my heart sinking faster and harder than I ever gave credit for.

Chapter 47

Julianna

It’s the day of my brother’s wedding, and I’m the mopiest bitch to ever hit a vineyard and not get drunk.