Page 83 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 5

He smiled. “A little fear is always a good thing in my book. It means you’re precautious. It’ll do you well.”

“That was not in any way an answer.”

He laughed. “You have no reason to fear me, Brooklyn. You’re my daughter. I couldn’t make your mother mine. But I already made you mine. You’re Brooklyn Pruitt. You’re protected under my name. You’re untouchable.”

Untouchable.The nickname for the Hunter and Caldwell brothers wasn’t lost on me. Officially I was now one of them. Unofficially? I’d never be.

Mr. Pruitt had said something about my last name being Pruitt before. Had he actually changed my last name without my permission? Legally? That seemed like a discussion for a different day. Because he still hadn’t answered my other questions. “If I’m untouchable, then why do you have Miller watch me 24/7?”

“Because sometimes people like to touch what isn’t theirs, now don’t they?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” It felt like I was in trouble. And I’d come here to get Tiffany out of it, not push myself into a hole.

“Matthew Caldwell signed your relationship contract and had a different date than you did. He said your relationship started several weeks before you did. Which means that you were already seeing him before you came here. You’re just like me. Always trying to reach for more.”

“That’s not why I like Matt.” Mr. Pruitt was basically insinuating that I was a gold digger.

“Then why do you like him?”

“Because he liked me even when I was invisible.”

“Invisible?” Mr. Pruitt shook his head. “No one like you could possibly be invisible. And if you ask me, you should be dating Mason. He’s going to inherit MAC International, not Matt. Mason’s the better choice.”

“Maybe for someone else. Not for me.”

“So you’re choosing Matthew then?”

“Yes.” My voice was a little more firm than my heart. I loved Matt. I did. But he…God, I didn’t even know anymore. He didn’t love me enough.

“Very well. I’ll need you to change the date on that document then. So it matches Matt’s.”

He pulled open a drawer and rifled through a few folders. “Here we go.” He handed me Matt’s copy and then mine.

Matt had put in an earlier date. He’d put in the date of his father’s birthday party. Where Matt had followed me into the restroom after I cut my hand. The real start of us. It was as sweet as it was arrogant. Because I wasn’t his then. Hell, I was barely his now.

“And maybe take a lesson from me and stop sneaking off to the staff floor between midnight and 6 am every day. If it continues I’ll have no choice but to figure out who it is you’re seeing and fire him. Do we understand each other?”

Oh my God.Of course he knew. But it seemed like he didn’t know it was Miller. And at least that was a relief. “That’s nothing. I…”

“Do we understand each other?” he asked again.

There was no backtracking. He knew. “Yes.”

“Wonderful. I need to get back to work. But please knock again before you leave. I’d love to take a picture with you in your dress. I need one of you for my desk.” He gave me a kind smile that didn’t at all match his latest threat.

Elite - Chapter 26

Saturday

It was easy to push the conversation with Mr. Pruitt to the back of my mind when I went back to my room. Kennedy was sitting on my bed getting her nails painted, laughing with Justin. Her hair was piled on top of her head in big rollers. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen her with such a big smile. I just wanted to focus on the dance and having fun for one night.

Besides, Miller wasn’t here. So I couldn’t talk to him right now anyway. Going down to the staff floor was absolutely not the right move. Mr. Pruitt was clearly watching me. And I wasn’t going to give him a reason to fire Miller.

“Don’t you love this color?” Kennedy asked as she showed me her purple nails. The hue matched her dress perfectly.

“It’s great.” I sat down next to her on the bed. “So let me get this straight, Justin. You’re an assistant, a stylist, and a…”

“Self-proclaimed makeover artist!” He put the brush back into the nail polish. “Your father called and asked if I had any recommendations, so I recommended myself right into this gig. I knew you’d be a valuable client. Now pick a color. We don’t have much time.” He opened up one of the plastic containers he’d come in with. It was filled with a whole rainbow of nail polishes, a blow dryer, more bobby pins than I could imagine, and so much freaking hairspray. More hairspray than should ever be in anyone’s hair. I suddenly understood how Justin always kept his hair just so.