Page 93 of The Husband Contract

When I get to my room, I grab my phone and call Jack. He answers on the second ring, yawning.

“Hey. Everything okay?”

“I don’t know,” I say, my head pounding. I feel sick to my stomach.

“What’s wrong, Sebastian?” he asks.

“I have a question for you.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have an investigator that you trust?” There’s silence on the other end of the phone. “Something’s not adding up here. I don’t know what it is, but I’d like your help. I’d like someone else to do some investigating into this matter. You still there, Jack?”

“Sorry—yeah.” He clears his throat.

“Is everything okay?”

“It’s great, man. I’ve been waiting for this call,” he says, voice shifting. “I’ve been thinking something was up myself, and I’ve been wanting for you to come to that realization. I’ve already got an investigator on it, actually. We should get some information soon.”

“Oh? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because you weren’t ready to hear it,” he says. “And I respect our friendship enough to know when I shouldn’t step over the mark.”

“So you think Willow isn’t as bad as I’ve been making her out to be?”

“I don’t know,” Jack says. “I try not to make anyjudgment calls until I have the cold, hard facts. But I’ll tell you that when I met her, she didn’t seem like a cold-hearted seductress to me. I know you said she’s a good actress, but I trust my gut instinct, and my gut instinct says that this whole situation is not what we’ve been led to believe it is.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Willow

Warm water washes over my naked body as I lie in the bathtub. I try not to dwell on the fact that I’d allowed Sebastian to sleep with me again. I couldn’t believe I’d been so weak, so desperate, and so easy.

Stop talking down to yourself, Willow,I lecture myself as I run my fingers through the water. I’m fed up with feeling bad for the decisions I’ve been making. But not only that—I’m also tired. Exhausted. I feel like I haven’t slept in years. I don’t even know what it is to feel peace anymore.

My phone rings. When I reach over and see Charlotte’s name on the screen, I sigh. She’s the last person I want to talk to right now, but still, I answer. “Hello?”

“Where are you, Willow?” Her voice is loud, and I can tell she’s out somewhere.

“I am…” I pause. I don’t want to tell her. “Where areyou?”

“I’m drinking champagne and loving my life,” she says, giggling. I’m surprised by the tone in her voice. I’ve never heard her sound so happy before.

“But you didn’t answer my question. Are you at the hotel? How’s it doing?”

“It’s going fine. Yeah.” She pauses for a beat. “I’m about to become a very rich woman, Willow.” A cackle rattles my ears. “I’m about to become so rich you’re going to wish you were me.”

What’s gotten into her?

“I don’t know about that,” I say. “Is there a reason you’re calling me?”

“No. I just wanted to say that I am loving life. France is amazing.Iam amazing. Goodbye. Or should I say,au revoir.” She hangs up then, and I put the phone back down. That had been such an odd call, but I’m not even going to question it.

I take a deep breath and rub my forehead. I’m grateful that Sebastian said I can go to the Magnolia Club to work, even if his chauffeur is going to take me. After a quick check of the time on my phone, I realize I need to get out of the bath get ready for work.

I put on my clothes quickly and hurry to the front of the apartment. Janice is near the door talking to a tall man in a dark suit.

“Victor, this is Willow. Willow, this is Victor. He’ll take you to the Magnolia Club.”