Page 16 of Tempting the Billionaire (Billionaire Brothers #5)
Emma
After leaving Ezra’s apartment, I go home and cry myself to sleep, filled with guilt and self-loathing. When he doesn’t come to the office the next day—his normal day in—the guilt continues to grow. After two days of no contact, I send him a text.
No answer.
By Thursday, the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach is becoming a familiar presence.
I can only assume that whatever relationship we’d had is over.
I’d partially assumed my job was as well, but when Ezra didn’t come in Monday to fire me, I’m beginning to wonder if maybe he won’t.
I think back to our earlier conversation—how he’d said my job was safe no matter what happened.
But he can’t include my literal betrayal in that, can he?
If so, it would be beyond any mercy I deserve.
I’m also dying to know what happened after he’d stormed out of his apartment Monday night.
Surely he’d gone to see Justin, right? And now that I think about it, I haven’t heard from Justin either.
No texts asking how the plan is going, no pushing to institute our deal.
It makes me nervous. Is he going to leak that video after all?
I push the door open, stepping into Bishop Jewelers, the bell above me dinging softly. Rachel looks up when she sees me and immediately purses her lips. “You sure you’re not coming down with something? I swear you’ve seemed ill all week.”
I shake my head. “Allergies,” I lie. That would explain the eyes puffy from crying all night.
She shakes her head like she doesn’t believe me, looking back down at her phone. “Did you hear the news?” she says without looking up.
“What news?” I ask, not really caring. I tuck my purse into the back room and come out to join her by the front counter.
She turns to me, eyes wide. “You haven’t heard?”
“Heard what? ”
She turns her phone toward me, and I lean in. On it is a display from a Boston local news site. All I catch is the name “Ezra,” and I immediately grab the phone from her.
Engagement Ring Mogul Dethroned in Cheating Scandal.
I widen my eyes. “Shit,” I breathe, skimming the article.
“Yeah,” Rachel agrees. “Can you believe she cheated on him?”
My mouth opens wide in shock as I continue the article. Cheating scandal. But they’re talking about Diane , not me. Ezra’s wife. Well, ex-wife, I suppose.
“It’s awful,” Rachel continues. “He’s such a sweet guy.”
I look through the rest of the article. Apparently, he served her papers on Tuesday.
She didn’t see it coming, despite already living with her lover.
It goes on to rehash Ezra and Diane’s fairytale love story from a decade ago, tearing it apart bit by bit, calling it a sham to sell more engagement rings.
Because how could a real true love end like this?
I hand the phone back to Rachel, unable to read more. Suddenly, a thought occurs to me. “Will this affect business, you think?” I ask her.
Rachel scoffs. “No. If anything, it’s publicity. And you know what they say—all press is good press.” She chuckles, then becomes serious again. “No, Bishop Jewelers is fine. It just kinda sucks for Ezra, I imagine.” She scrunches up her face, turning to begin unpacking a new delivery.
I remain standing where I am, still shell shocked.
And through the haze, another thought hits me.
With Diane’s cheating hitting the news, soiling the Bishop name …
does that mean I’m off the hook with Justin?
Surely any scandal I could drum up would pale in comparison to this. There’s no more harm to be done.
I almost want to text him and ask, but I’m afraid that reaching out to him will do more harm than good. I suppose I’ll just have to wait around and see if that horrid video shows up on my socials. I shudder at the thought.
My mind wanders back to Ezra. What Rachel said was right.
Bishop Jewelers won’t suffer from this. Only Ezra.
My heart breaks just thinking about it. And it breaks even more knowing about the part I played in all this.
Biting back the lump forming in my throat, I vow to stay as much out of his way as possible, get through working here until I can find another job.
He deserves better. A life without me in it, reminding him of the terrible things I did.
“Ooooh, Emma,” Rachel calls from the other side of the store. “Come look at these.” She has a delivery package open on the counter, a few smaller boxes scattered about that she’d obviously taken out .
Trying to shake the emotions from my mind, I hurry over to her side. On the counter, each in their own plush velvet box, are a handful of engagement rings. I raise an eyebrow, unsure why this attention is warranted. Our store is filled to the brim with engagement rings.
“These are the new prototype designs from Jason,” Rachel explains, reaching for one of them. She pulls it from the box, sliding it on her finger. She holds it out, tilting her head and observing it. “Ugh, I want an emerald cut so badly. If only I can find a man first.” She giggles.
I glance over the others, and one in particular catches my eye. My heart lurches, remembering the sweet moment in his office that Ezra and I had shared. I reach for the ring, holding it gently. It’s the gold bezel ring I’d picked out. The one I’d said I’d want for myself.
I stare down at it sadly.
I’m about to set it back down on the counter, when another element snags my attention. Not the ring, but the box. I turn it slightly so I can see the top of it. Now that I notice, I see all the ring boxes have some kind of sticker on the front—like something made with a label maker.
My breath catches in my throat when I see what it says.
Emma .
I stare down at it, feeling a tear coming to my eye. He’d named the ring after me.
I snap the box shut, putting it down before Rachel notices my reaction. Hopefully she won’t notice the name, and if she does, mine is a common enough name for it to not raise suspicion. At least I hope so.
Walking away to compose myself, I decide to make an amendment to my earlier vow. If, in the end, Ezra truly wants nothing to do with me, I’ll give it to him. I’ll honor it. But not without at least pleading my case. Not without trying. Because Ezra Bishop is too good a man to give up.
And I’m not giving him up without a fight.