Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 61160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
She still hadn’t called me, though.
Not even once.
Attempting to add a new sentence for my letter, I pulled out a new set of pens.
“Good afternoon, sir.” Dillon strolled into the room.
“Sir?”
“I have to be formal as fuck with you today.” He glared at me. “You blindsided me last night.”
“I told you I wasn’t attending my father’s honor dinner,” I said. “I made that quite clear.”
“Thirty minutes after I arrived to pick you up, after your entire family was waiting and your damn father was in the middle of his speech. The tabloids are having an early Christmas, and they’re ripping you an entirely new anus.”
“I’ve always wanted two.”
“I’m being serious, Tyler.”
“Did news of my visit to Seattle leak on any stateside gossip blogs yet?” I changed the subject. “What about any of the tabloids here?”
“The answer is the same as it was yesterday.”
“I’ve forgotten it already.”
“No, Tyler. No one influential knows anything about your trip except me, unfortunately.”
“Do you think it’s possible Chloe doesn’t have long distance calls?”
“I thought she was a psychopath…”
“She is.” I smiled. “Do you think long distance is why she hasn’t called?”
“With a cell phone? I highly doubt that.”
“Do you think she’s sold my watch?”
“For the umpteenth time, Tyler, I’ll know the moment it touches a jeweler or a pawnbroker’s hands, if she does,” he said. “Otherwise, I assure you, I’ll get it back within a week of your arrival.”
“I can get it myself, if that’s the case,” I said. “Do you remember her address?”
“Okay, enough.” He shook his head. “These past couple weeks are the most ridiculous you’ve ever been. Even though you occasionally show your true colors, you’re agreeing to events with the Denmark princess because you’re obsessed about a random woman who clearly doesn’t want you. A woman who is in an entirely different country.”
“A country I’ll be living in soon.”
“Not if you don’t get it together. Why is getting a second round with this woman so important to you?”
“This would be our sixth or seventh round, if you’re interested in counting,” I said. “Maybe fifth if you don’t consider the time we—”
“I’m not counting,” he interrupted.
“She could’ve at least sent a text message. Don’t you think?”
“If you want to know what I think, I’ll tell you what you should focus on instead of this stranger.”
“Perhaps she lost the post-it somewhere.” I said. “That would make sense, given the state of her room.”
“Focus on the draft of your farewell speech. That’s far more important, especially since you’re planning to release it soon.”
“I’m almost done with it. I’m only asking about this woman because—”
He thrashed my head with a pillow, silencing the rest of my sentence. Then he lifted the remote and turned on the television, raising the volume to its highest level.
An image of Victoria holding hands with my father and my stepmother in a garden appeared on-screen.
“Our sources say it’s only a matter of time before Prince Carrington makes things official with Miss Victoria,” a journalist spoke. “If you’ll recall from years ago, the elder Carrington took his second son’s wife-to-be on the very same stroll before the proposal. It’s also something he did with his late wife Joanna, and they clearly want to keep up the tradition.”
“Pass me my laptop, Dillon.” I gritted my teeth. “Don’t let me leave this room until I’m finished.”
Four Weeks Later
Should’ve Let You Stay
Chloe
Seattle, Washington
Why am I so nauseous today?
I stared at the galley proof on my desk, attempting to read the first page, but my vision was blurry.
Confused, I opened my drawer and put on a pair of reading glasses.
No dice.
“Oh, great, you’re here early!” Hazel burst into my office without knocking. “I need you to give me something intelligent to say to our secret buyer.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The private buyer, Chloe,” she said. “He started messaging me via our app the other day and I think I’ve put him off long enough. He’s trying to be nice, so this may not be a hostile takeover like we’ve feared. He doesn’t even plan to fire anyone.”
For now. I sipped my water. “What does his message say?”
She held out her phone.
FutureRoguePublishingCEO:
I hope you won’t find this intrusive, Miss Swift, but one way I like to get to know people is by the books they read. I’m a fan of everything from thrillers and mystery to YA and romance courtesy of my mother. What are your favorite genres?
“Seriously?” I looked at Hazel. “Why do you need help with this?”
“I want to sound as sophisticated as he does.”
“He sounds pretty simple and straightforward,” I said. “You could say you enjoy the same genres and you’re excited to meet him.”
“Can you type all that for me so the message can have your energy? My nail tech will be here at any moment, and I don’t want to get hand cramps.”