Page 19 of The Billionaires' Gamble

Lucinda Winthrop has her shit together. At least that’s what she wants the world to believe. It’s what I believed for a long time.

Now I see the cracks beneath the Chanel armor.

There’s a tiny shake of her head, and she clasps her fingers over the edge of the table. “That’s not why I’m here.”

I take a sip from my glass, no longer willing to play her game. She wants to talk, she can talk.

“I heard about your apartment. That’s so terrible.”

I blink. That’s not what I expected. I met her for lunch to discuss my inheritance, not my living situation.

“Anyway,” she waves a hand as if she’s shooing a fly. “I’ve had the staff get your old rooms ready. I thought we’d do a little shopping. Who knows how long it’ll take to fix that waterline?”

Why do I get the feeling that she knows more about my own apartment than I do?

8

KATHERINE

Not only does my mother look like she knows more about what’s going on with my apartment than I do, but she seems almost gleeful. A year ago, I would have chalked it up to the fact that she likes shopping and was happy to go for any reason, including me not being able to get into my apartment.

But that doesn’t make any sense. I’ve got to be imagining things.

I put my fork down and reach for my water goblet. “I thought you wanted to discuss the trust.”

I need to know just how hard she’s going to fight me on this. If I stick to the stipulations, she can’t cause too much of a stink, right?

Not that that brings me any closer in the actual marital department. I don’t want one of my guys to marry me just so I can secure my inheritance. A part of me would rather walk away from it. But the other part knows that one doesn’t walk away from that kind of money.

“I do. But your apartment?—”

“Will be fine.” I don’t know if that’s true. There could be extensive water damage they haven’t told me about. I just hopemy plants are okay. Insurance will be a nightmare, but it is what it is.

“You’re right, of course. Everything’s replaceable,” she says, reaching across the table and patting the tablecloth as if it’s my hand.

Everything?

How about everyone?

Her statement makes an odd kind of sense. She replaced my father with James. And when it became clear that Ford wanted nothing to do with her games and ambitions, she set her sights on me. How did I never notice that before?

I gulp the icy water, feeling my cheeks heat.

The memory comes back with twenty-twenty clarity. Ford deciding to go live with our father. My grandfather losing his shit about it, demanding that my mother put a stop to it. And that very same week, her coming to me to discuss my future in the company and what college I should attend.

“I’m an idiot,” I whisper.

“What was that?”

“About the trust?—”

“Right. I’m glad you’re seeing sense.”

I force a laugh. “I never said I wasn’t.”

“Well, you can’t be serious about Rothburn, and Hunt isn’t exactly in your circle, darling.”

I glance around the elegant dining room with its tall, spotless windows and glittering chandeliers overhead. Alex and Gabe could be sitting at the next table and fit in just fine. They’d also stand out, because they’re both so tall and obnoxiously handsome.