Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 156392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 782(@200wpm)___ 626(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 782(@200wpm)___ 626(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
I leave his office, a new idea popping into my head. There’s nothing my husband hates more than other men. He made that clear way before he married me.
To this day, I have no idea why he became my watchdog after I started attending uni. He made it impossible for me to go home with any guy. However, I did the same, so it seemed like a little game we played.
Pathetically, driving away each other’s romantic interests was the only thing we shared at the time.
Who knew there’d be a day where we’d have a legitimate claim on each other?
Anyway, Remi is a perfect candidate to ruffle Eli’s feathers. As I leave, I tell Henderson’s assistants, “When Mr. King comes back, can you tell him I’m catching up with Remi at Steel Corp?”
They nod. I thank them and then head to the other unnecessarily huge corporation my husband holds a role in.
This time, it’s easier to get in since the receptionist isn’t as insufferable as Tyler. Instead of going to Eli’s office, though, I go to Remi’s.
His secretary, a tall redhead, stands up and tries to stop me. “Mr. Astor is…rather preoccupied, miss.”
“Don’t worry, he’ll love this.” I place a forefinger to my mouth. “I ordered his favorite sushi. When it arrives, please bring it in.”
I open the door to Remi’s office and stand in a dramatic pose. “Surprise, Rems!”
My jaw nearly hits the floor when I find Remi kissing a girl against the wall. And it’s not just any girl.
It’s my headache of a sister. Ari.
Upon hearing me, he immediately wrenches himself away from her, but the little shit wraps her arms around his neck. “Go away, Ava.”
“Ariella Jasmine Nash!” I stride toward them with big-sister rage radiating from me in waves.
“What’s up, Ava Dahlia King?” she asks with visible annoyance.
“You think this is funny?”
“Nope. I thought we were calling each other by our middle names.”
Remi has the decency to appear a bit ruffled and even gives me an apologetic look. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“It’s exactly what it looks like.” Ari slides her arm around his and leans her head against his bicep. “We’re getting married in maybe six months.”
“No, we’re not.” He gently pushes her away.
“He’ll come around.” She continues smiling at him like an idiot, then gives me an exasperated glance. “He’d come around sooner if you hadn’t interrupted. Thanks for nothing, sis.”
“So it’s my fault?”
“Duh.”
“I can’t believe this.” I catch her by the ear. “Shouldn’t you be at uni?”
“I have two hours free.”
“And you chose to spend them here?”
“I do that every day. Let me go.”
She manages to release herself while I’m distracted with glaring at Remi.
“Don’t look at me. I never encouraged her.”
“Your tongue down my throat certainly did,” my sister says with glee.
“Ari!” I shout.
“Ariella,” Remi scolds at the same time.
“Don’t care. I’m going now. Try not to miss me too much, I’ll text later.” She attacks Remi in a hug before he can dodge it, then she kisses my cheek once and whispers, “Don’t pussy-block me again. That’s totally against the girl honor code.”
Then she saunters outside, humming a happy tune and probably planning to broadcast what just happened to the entire world.
“What the hell did I get myself into?” Remi plops on the sofa after she disappears.
“One word.” I join him. “Trouble.”
He stares at the now-closed door. Remi is classically handsome. Straight, high nose, slightly curly brown hair, whiskey-colored eyes, and sharp, unforgettable features. A European prince through and through. He literally has aristocratic French and English blood, as he likes to remind us.
A heavy sigh rushes out of him. “Is there a chance she’ll give up?”
“Not when you encouraged her. Besides, seeing as she’s had a major crush on you since she was thirteen, I don’t believe giving up is on the menu.”
“Sort of like you, huh?” he jokes.
“Yeah, well, if you break her heart, you’ll have me to answer to.”
He smiles with no apparent humor, then seems to sober up. “What brings you here?”
“Your company?”
He finally notices my outfit and his brows shoot up to his hairline. “Does that include my funeral? Because if Eli sees you dressed like this beside me, he’ll have my head.”
“Don’t be a wuss. Why are you scared of him?”
“I’m not scared of him. I just value my life.”
I roll my eyes. “Honestly, all of you seem to be my friends until he tells you to back off.”
“Hey! I refuse to take part in any fight. Especially a nonsensical one like this.”
“Nonsensical?”
“Come on, Ava. Everyone knows you love him.”
“I do not.”
“You surely look at him like you do.”
“You mean as if I hate him?”
“There’s a fine line between love and hate, and you’ve been teetering it for a long time.”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
“And you’re still in denial. But anyway, bugger off before he comes back. He’s graced us with his tiresome presence today and is hell-bent on turning everyone into insufferable workaholics like himself. I don’t need to give him incentive to up the wanker behavior a notch.”