Page 62 of Suddenly Mine

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it wouldn’t budge, while around her, her friends were squealing with excitement. On stage, Christian took the microphone from his father.

“Thank you,” he said, commanding attention. “I know this might come as a surprise to some of you, but for the past few weeks, I’ve been working undercover on the shop floor. Getting to know the store from the inside out. Learning from all of you because I’ve been away for such a long time.”

A murmur spread through the room and Merry stopped breathing.

“It was important to me,” Christian continued, “to see Carroll’s through fresh eyes. To understand the challenges you face, the systems that are broken, the pressures you’re under. I didn’t want to come in as just another Carroll. I wanted to earnthe right to lead.”

More laughter and applause, but Merry’s ears were ringing. So that was it. She hadn’t just been left out of the truth. She’d been part of his strategy. He’d embedded himself in the store like a secret shopper, gathering intel. She remembered the way he had quizzed her about staffing numbers — he’d even asked her if she knew what was making Carroll’s feel weird lately.

Oh my God, I’m such an idiot.

Tears stung her eyes.

“There you are!” Someone grabbed her arm — a wide-eyed Trudy. “You knew, didn’t you? That’s why you were so grossed out by the idea of dating a janitor.”

“What the hell, Merry?” another voice chimed in. Ben this time, his eyebrows raised. “Were you, like, in on it? Were you spying on me?”

“I can’t believe you kept that a secret,” said Alice, stepping in close, hurt etched on her face. “Come on, Merry, spill. Did you knowwho he was this whole time?”

“Merry,” Trudy said, serious now, “did you lie to us all?”

The walls were closing in. Their voices blended with the crowd’s cheers and the lingering echo of Christian’s voice in her head. The pressure built in her chest.

She turned, pushing back through the crush of bodies, needing air before her lungs exploded. She needed to get away from the noise, the questions, the disbelief in her friends’ eyes and, more than anything, she needed to get away from Christian.

She’d been used. And now she knew exactly what her Christmas wish had cost her.

Chapter 28

CHRISTIAN

Applause thundered in his ears, but Christian’s heartbeat drowned it all out. He scanned the crowd, willing himself to smile, to look composed, like a man ready to take over a New York institution with a vision to be proud of. But his eyes flicked between faces in a growing panic.

Where was she?

He tried to speak but all he could think was that Merry wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Why had his dad sprung this on him with no warning? But, as Christian looked to his dad, he knew the old man wasn’t to blame. Christian should have told Merry the truth right from the very beginning. He had enjoyed being anonymous and it had cost him dearly.

There.

A flicker of movement, near the back. Shimmering dress, red hair. It was Merry, pushing through the crowd, head down, body taut like a bowstring.

No. No, no, no.

He stepped towards the edge of the platform instinctively, mic still in hand, voice faltering as he knew he couldn’t run away this time.

“And of course, we couldn’t have done any of this without the incredible staff.” He caught himself. “Thank you. Your dedication is unmatched.”

His mouth moved, but his gaze followed her, watching as she slipped out of the room without a second glance back at him. God, he’d messed this up.

He turned back to the mic, heart hammering. “Carroll’s is more than a store to me, it’s my family.” His voice cracked,and he cleared it, forcing the rest of the sentence out. “And I’m honoured — truly honoured — to be a part of it again.”

Cameras flashed and people pointed their phones at him, capturing every word he was saying. But all Christian could think was that the one person he needed to hear him most was already gone. He felt his dad’s hand on the small of his back, and something inside him cracked.

He turned back to the crowd before he broke completely. He owed them too. They had been under so much pressure the last few months and he needed to tell them all it would be okay.

“I know there’s been confusion around what’s been going on here at Carroll’s.” His voice steadied, even as his heart frayed. “We’ve made mistakes. And I want you to hear this from me first, I’m going to fix the mess. Carroll’s will be transparent from here on in.”

He turned, catching his father’s eye. Lewis looked as stunned as everyone else and Christian stepped off the mic and pulled him into a hug.