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He chuckled. "‘Cause you're nice. I like that about you."

"P, I'm serious!" She tossed her head back in frustration. "I bumped into her, but I was expecting her to go about her business after I apologized, in true New York fashion. She tried to introduce herself to me. She claimed that something was always in the way of us meeting each other. She even went as far as acting like she didn't know my name," Britain scoffed as she recounted the details of her conversation with Paula.

Priest wasn't the least bit surprised. This was classic Paula. She was the queen of either playing clueless or the damsel in distress. She liked taking advantage of people's kindness just so she could manipulate the situation in her favor at the end. "I hope you didn't fall for any of that shit," he scoffed.

Britain shook her head. "I didn't. I also confronted her about what she and your mother have been saying about me in the media. Her excuse for that was that it's just business for her foundation," Britain explained, waving the whole situation off carelessly, knowing that Paula was just telling her anything to save her ass.

Priest let a chortle ease out of him. He found it amusing how Paula was playing his mother like a pawn in her little game. "Sylvia is so worried about outing you for not being included in what I have going on, she's blind to the fact that Paula is playing her like a fool." He shook his head before glancing over at Britain. "I don't want you tripping out about anything they say about you. I'm handling it.”

Britain nodded her head before returning to laying on his chest comfortably. It felt amazing to be back in his arms and at peace with him again, but she couldn't fully bask in the feeling. In the back of her head, the thought of him silently judging her about what he discovered on the memory card still lingered.

A comfortable silence filled the room as he caressed her back while she laid on top of him. Every so often, he would place a tender kiss on the top of her head.

"Can I ask you something?" Britain finally broke the silence as she turned her head to look up at him.

He slightly raised his thick brows before nodding his head. She pursed her lips as she inwardly cursed herself for allowing her mouth to work faster than her mind. She wished she hadn't opened the door for the tough conversation they were about to have. It was too soon. She had just gotten back, and they hadjust finished making love to each other. Depending on how the conversation went, it could quickly shake them from the bliss they were currently in.

"Why you hesitating? You don't have to do that when it comes to me," Priest throated out as he continued to wait for her question.

A heavy breath drifted out of her before she returned to resting her head on his chest, breaking their eye contact. Just when he was feeling like the suspense was suffocating and his patience was running thin, she finally spoke. "Why'd you go through my memory card?"

Hearing the question caused a tightness to surface within his chest. He definitely planned on having the conversation with Britain, but he didn't expect her to be the one bringing it up. He was sure she wouldn’t have been aware of him going through the memory card until he brought it up. It finally clicked that he managed to be absentminded enough to leave the memory card still connected to the computer in the study. With Britain surprising him with her return home, he wouldn't have known to return the memory card to its rightful place.

With guilt, he ran his hand down his face. "Don't lie to me," Britain advised him, her voice remaining calm and gentle.

"I didn't plan to," he asserted.

She rose from his chest, slipping herself from beneath the duvet that was covering them both. His dark hooded eyes hawked her, watching as she grabbed her robe, wrapping her body within it. "Then explain," she ordered as she folded her arms across her chest.

"I had it ever since the day you started reporting on my case forThe Times," he cut straight to the truth.

Britain’s eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I took it as collateral because I felt like you snaked me when you started reporting on the trial.”

Britain frustratedly ran her fingers through her hair. "Was that before or after I proved to you that I wasn't playing you?"

"It was before,Gioia," he clarified. "It just never crossed my mind for me to put it back.”

Britain eyed him, searching for a sign of dishonesty, and she couldn't pick up on any. Priest never lied to her. "That's fair," she stated. "But why'd you go through it after I spent the entire duration of this relationship and now engagement showing you that my loyalty is with you?"

"I don't know,Gioia. Just curiosity," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.

She stood there eying him, unable to find his explanation valid enough. Noticing the look on her face, he let out a deep sigh as he leaned his head back, becoming stressed. "I apologize for overstepping.”

"No, you can't apologize before I tell you why it's wrong," she shook her head. "You going through the memory card was you basically airing out my dirty laundry before I got the chance to talk to you about it. I don't appreciate it at all.”

"Gioia,I don't want you looking at it like that. What I saw doesn't define who you are to me or change my perception of you," Priest tried his best to reassure her.

"That's not the point, Priest. I've always given you the option to tell me about certain things that have happened in your past. You took that away from me the moment you went through those pictures and videos. If I wanted you to know the full extent of that relationship and my pregnancy, I would have told you when I was ready," she concluded with a shake of her head, shaming him.

Priest couldn’t find it within himself to offer her a response. She was right, and he couldn't do anything more besides agree with her. After seeing what was on the memory card, Britainfeeling as though he had overstepped and invaded her privacy was his biggest fear. Unfortunately, it happened to come true.

"Say something," Britain urged him, tired of waiting for his response.

Priest sighed once more. "You're right, I shouldn't have gone through it. It was unfair to you and to the dynamic we have in our relationship.”

Britain pursed her lips as she nodded her head. She didn't want to make this an issue. For the sake of being back home with him, she let it go. "I'm not that woman anymore," she clarified while referring to the woman she once was on the pictures and videos he saw. Britain nervously gazed down at her hands, hoping she had made herself clear.