Page 20

Chapter Nineteen

After leaving Harper, I returned to my suite. Andrew still wasn't back, and as the minutes ticked past five, I couldn't help thinking we'd both given up all pretense of being on our honeymoon. We'd kissed a few times, but only when the cameras were on us. Other than that, we'd never touched each other, barely spoken, and Andrew had chosen to spend our free time with friends on a work project, or whatever it was they were doing together.

I really hoped it was work, because I still didn't want to believe Andrew was a thief, and I definitely didn't want to believe he was a murderer.

While I was waiting for Andrew, I read the company email that Victor's office had sent out. It was noticeable that no one had taken to any of our group chats to discuss what had happened. Wherever people were talking, it was definitely not online.

I wondered what was happening with the investigation into Allison's death. She'd been so beautiful, so vibrant and alive. She'd bothered me, for sure. And I still thought she might have pushed me into the ocean, but I felt bad that she was dead.

The door to the suite opened, and Andrew came into the room and gave me a quick nod. "I'm going to change."

"Okay. How's everything going with your work?"

"Fine. We can talk about it later."

"Sure." I'd put that on the list with everything else we were going to talk about later.

Twenty minutes later, we were out the door. I'd put on a short black cocktail dress with high heels, which didn't make my hip feel any better, but this party was dressy, and I needed to play my part. Andrew wore a dark gray suit, looking as handsome as ever, but he was subdued, making no effort to take my hand or talk to me. He probably had Allison on his mind and figured I didn't want to hear about her. But the silence between us grew longer and wider with every passing day.

As we walked down the path, Victor's villa glowed against the darkening sky, strings of lights draped across the terraces creating a magical effect. When we got to the house, we were greeted by a server holding a tray of champagne. I felt uneasy about drinking more champagne after what had happened yesterday, but I took a glass just to have something in my hand.

We moved through the entry and living room and out onto the massive deck that had been transformed into an elegant outdoor living room with white sofas and oversized chairs arranged in intimate groupings. Flowers were everywhere, their scent mixing with the salty ocean breeze. Waiters moved smoothly through the crowd with elaborate canapés.

There were probably twenty or so people in the space, most of them Victor's wealthy friends who had arrived on the various yachts I'd seen in the harbor earlier. The jewelry on the women and the watches on the men probably cost more than I made in a year. I felt more than a little out of place. This was not my world. But Andrew didn't seem to feel the same. In fact, he'd perked up since we'd entered the party, exhibiting far more energy and interest than I'd seen all day.

"Hello, Lauren," Bennett said, appearing in front of us, looking slightly drunk, a whiskey glass in his hand. "Ready to mingle with the rich and famous before your coach turns into a pumpkin?"

"I do feel a little like Cinderella," I admitted.

"But you already found your prince." Bennett gave Andrew a nod. "Sorry about your friend."

"I don't think we're supposed to be discussing that," Andrew said quietly.

"Oh, right." Bennett put his finger in front of his lips. "It's a secret. Shush."

"You might want to slow down on the alcohol," Andrew told him.

"Afraid I'll embarrass my father? Believe me, it wouldn't be the first time." Bennett took another deliberate and purposeful swig of his drink.

"Why don't we step inside?" Andrew suggested. "I'd like to chat with you for a minute."

Bennett shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

Andrew and Bennett moved into the living room, with neither of them saying a word to me. As they disappeared, I felt even more awkward and clutched my champagne glass like it was a life vest. This party was for Victor's friends. I was only here because some people apparently wanted to meet the wedding couple, but I had no idea how to act or what to say. I was relieved when Paula moved toward me. At least I knew her a little.

"Lauren, you look beautiful tonight," she said.

"Thank you. So do you." I wasn't lying. Paula looked stunning in a dress that probably cost thousands of dollars and showed off her thin but busty figure in the best possible way. While her weary eyes and somewhat wrinkled hands showed her age, everything else appeared to have been nipped and tucked to make her look younger.

Paula took a sip of her champagne, then said, "Where is your handsome husband?"

"He's talking to Bennett."

"That's good. Maybe it will slow down Bennett's drinking. I don't know what's gotten into him tonight. He seems very agitated about something." Paula sighed. "It's probably Victor's unwillingness to listen to any of Bennett's ideas. Apparently, he brought him some project that your Andrew is developing, and Victor thought he was overstepping." She shook her head in frustration. "The two of them have always clashed. They're a huge disappointment to each other, and I'm caught in the middle. I sometimes wish that Bennett would do something else, start his own business, and I think he wants to, but then he has this intense desire to impress his father, too."

I didn't know what to say. It almost felt like she was talking to herself.

She suddenly started, as if realizing she had said too much. "My apologies. I'm sure you're not interested in our family dynamics."

"Families can be complicated," I said, even though I hadn't really experienced that myself. With my mom and me, there really hadn't been that many complications. We'd led a very simple life. Of course, having less money also made things simpler.

"Yes," Paula agreed. "Complicated is a good word. How are you and Andrew feeling now that you're officially married?"

"It's been a difficult few days."

"He was very worried about you when you fell off the yacht. We all were. Thank goodness you survived."

"I was lucky."

"Not as lucky as Andrew's friend," she muttered, taking another sip of her champagne. "That was an unfortunate incident. I liked her designs more than I thought I would. I underestimated her talent. I regret that. It's a shame she won't have the opportunity to bring them to life."

"It's tragic," I agreed, trying to think of how I could steer this awkward conversation in a better direction. "This is a beautiful party. Andrew and I feel very grateful to be included."

She tilted her head to the right, giving me a considering look. "What do you think of this life you're getting to experience? Is this party your dream?"

"I've never aspired to anything this grand. It's way out of my league."

"And yet you're here, drinking expensive champagne, meeting rich and well-connected people who can help you and Andrew with your careers."

"Only because of your generosity. You and Victor have been so kind to include us in everything."

"Well, that's not kindness, dear…that's business. Victor has been selling your story and now his friends want to meet the couple living out the romantic fantasy." She paused. "You should find your groom before someone suspects you're not as happy as you're pretending to be." She gave me a knowing smile. "I know what a fake smile looks like, Lauren. You need to get better at it, especially if you want to move in these circles."

"I think I will go find Andrew," I said. "Thank you again for inviting me."

"Well, every girl should have at least one trip to the ball."

As Paula left, I couldn't help thinking that was the second reference to Cinderella I'd heard tonight, and both from members of the Carrington family. I didn't get the feeling they were nearly as excited by the whole romantic wedding fantasy campaign as Victor was. It didn't matter. It was almost over.

As I entered the house, I ran into Ethan.

"Hi," I said, feeling a little breathless as our gazes met. I'd always felt nervous around him, but lately, the nerves seemed to come from a different place. We'd gotten closer than I'd expected, and he'd become one of the few people on the island I felt I could trust.

"You look beautiful, Lauren," he murmured, a gleam in his eyes I hadn't seen before.

Or maybe I hadn't wanted to see. Because I was married , I reminded myself. Clearing my throat, I said, "Thanks. Why are you here tonight?"

"Victor will open his gallery to his guests shortly."

"Has he filled in the empty cases?"

"Yes. Every last one. And the last one is…well, you'll see it soon enough." He paused. "Where's your other half?"

"Talking to Bennett. They're working on some deal together. But Bennett seemed like he was already a little drunk, so I don't know how that's going to go."

"Has Andrew talked to you about Allison?"

"No. He's been very distant, focused on getting through what we need to get through, and nothing else. I think he stopped pretending, even though I never thought he was pretending. But now I do. I just don't know why he would have ever wanted to fake something with me. Why marry me? Why go through all this? I'm not rich. I don't have anything of value."

"You have connections," Ethan said. "Marrying you got him into the marketing campaign and gave him access to not only this resort and this villa, but also one of Victor's private and very exclusive parties."

"And now that he has those connections, maybe he's ready to walk."

"I doubt he'll walk too fast. He'll want this to play a while longer, make sure he's on solid ground with the Carringtons before he pulls the plug on his relationship with you."

I stared at him. "You make it sound like a foregone conclusion."

"I'm sorry. I thought we were done pretending."

His pointed words made me draw in a sharp breath, but then I gave a nod. "You're right. My defensive reflex has been to say you're wrong, to act like everything will be okay and that I haven't made the worst mistake of my life, that I still know the man I married. But I don't. I have no idea who he is anymore, and that's shocking to me. Now and then, the old Andrew pops up with his dazzling, caring smile and his attentive manner, but that's happening less frequently, and since Allison's death, it hasn't happened at all. He can barely stand to look at me. I don't know how we're going to get through the next twenty-four hours, much less the next few days or weeks. I can't imagine once we leave this island that we'll want to spend even one more second together. Maybe I should stop pretending right now. What am I waiting for?"

He put a hand on my shoulder when I finally ran out of steam, giving me a concerned look. "As much as I would like you to stop everything and get the hell out of here, I know it's not that simple, and so do you."

"Maybe I'm making it too complicated," I argued. "It's getting to be really hard to be with him, especially alone. Although, it seems like he's trying to avoid those moments, too. But you're right again. I can't bail now. I have to get through tomorrow's events so I don't lose my job, because I'm going to need it when this is all over."

He gave my shoulder a squeeze. "It's not too much longer, Lauren. You can do it."

"I have to do it. What is happening with the investigation? Is Allison's family coming here to the island?"

"No. The sheriff's office located her father. He's in Europe and said he would pay for everything, but he wouldn't be coming."

"That sounds cold."

"He said he hadn't seen her in fifteen years. Her mother hasn't returned any calls. She had no siblings."

"But she had friends. She had three guys on this island who cared about her. And when I looked at her social media, she seemed very popular. I'm sure a lot of people will mourn her death."

Ethan shrugged. "Social media doesn't always reflect the true picture of someone's life or their relationships. I spoke to Colin and Jay earlier. They expressed all the right emotions. But there was also a wariness in their answers, as if they didn't want to be looked at too closely. It was the same feeling I got from Andrew. I honestly don't know how any of them really felt about her, but there was definitely a relationship between all of them."

"I think Andrew cared about her. That's why he's upset now. Even though they weren't currently involved, they had a past."

"Does that bother you?"

"There are so many things that bother me, Ethan, I couldn't even tell you where that falls on the list."

He gave me an understanding smile. "Well, you don't need to worry about anything tonight. You should try to enjoy this incredible party."

"This is not my scene, Ethan. I didn't grow up with money. The only luxury I ever saw was in the hotels where my mom worked. But I was the kid who knew the back rooms, the kitchens, and the laundry—not the five-star guest rooms, the ballrooms, or the fancy parties."

"Well, this is your world now, at least for tonight."

I sighed. "I know. At midnight, my coach will turn into a pumpkin, and I'll be dressed in rags."

"And where will your prince be?" he asked.

"I honestly have no idea."

I gasped as the house and patio were suddenly plunged into darkness.

Someone else cried out in alarm. A glass shattered. I put my hand out, and it landed on Ethan's solid chest.

He put his hand over mine, steadied me, then said, "I need to find out what's going on. Stay here. Don't go anywhere else, Lauren."

Before I could promise I wouldn't move, he was gone.