Page 73 of Cameron's Contract

I rinsed out my mouth with shaking hands, dizzy from the realization everything had come crashing down. What had gone wrong? I’d moved the chess pieces, masterminding the plan that had always been destined to implode.

The architect of my own downfall.

Unsteadily, I walked back into the office and found my phone. My fingers struggled to still long enough to scroll for his number.

“Cole?” answered Richard. “’Bout time. Where are you?”

“Tempest Tower,” I said weakly. “My dad’s signing over the company.”

“What? Why?”

I leaned on the back of a chair for support.

“Cameron, are you okay?”

“Are you enjoying this?”

“What the fuck? Is Mia there? Put her on.”

“Is this about her?” My voice sounded foreign, forced.

“I knew you’d never give her back.”

“I can’t breathe without her.” My back hit the wall and I slid down it, clutching the phone to my ear. “Did you do this on purpose?” Even as I spoke those words, I didn’t believe them, couldn’t comprehend I’d not seen this coming.

Blinded by love, exhaustion, the madness of pride. The raw truth that love took down kingdoms. I’d always known that.

I’d done the unspeakable to my best friend and my arrogance had made me believe there’d be no consequences.

Can’t think straight.I struggled to hold a thought.

“I just hope you’re willing to live with the consequences,” said Richard. “Don’t blame me when your life is turned upside down.”

I threw my phone across the room and it bounced off the table, the screen shattering.

I still couldn’t hate him, though it was easy to curse myself for giving him the power to destroy me. The one man who I’d let get close and the last person I’d believed could hurt me.

No air in here.

The lack of oxygen grew all-consuming as I tried to remember what it was to breathe.

What day? What time? What place was this?

A blur of movement.

Mia hurried in and she’d pulled on one of my shirts. She waved her cell in the air. “Richard’s trying to call you.” She looked around. “Where’s yours?”

“Hang up.”

“He says it’s important.”

“Richard’s wallowing in my downfall.”

“He wouldn’t do that.” She knelt before me and pushed her phone at me. “He’s on the line.”

I grabbed her phone and threw it across the room and it bounced off the carpet and landed under the table.

“Cameron?” She ran after it and went on all fours to retrieve it, dragging it out and pressing it to her ear. “Hello? Please tell Cameron to get some sleep. He’s exhausted. Richard, please, he listens to you.”