جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 164

—Eloise—My breath caught.“Is that supposed to make me say yes?”His eyes dropped briefly to my lips before returning to mine.“No. It's supposed to make you understand why I'm not walking away this time.”The word landed with terrifying simplicity.I stared at him, searching his face for a trace of mockery, but there was none. And somehow, that frightened me more than the threat of losing Damian's shares.I turned to leave.“You have three days to decide whether you'll honor your brother's wager.”I slowed to a halt, my fingers tightening around my bag. Fury coursed through me as I faced him again.“What about your wife, huh?” I approached him. “Is she aware you're planning to marry someone else?”He blinked. “My wife?”“The woman I saw you with.”I fumbled inside my bag for my phone, pulled it out, and tapped the screen. After a few swipes, I found the photo I'd seen that morning and held it out to him.Caleb glanced at the screen and his face changed.Without hesitation, he pulle

—Eloise—I stared at my reflection in the mirror.I was wearing a black fitted top, jeans, and heels. My hair was loose around my shoulders, and I had just enough makeup on to make it look like I hadn't spent the last hour deciding what to do with my evening.The engagement party had started an hour ago.I wasn't going.I was going to the club.I picked up my clutch from the dresser and checked my phone.Three missed calls from Mother. Two from Nathaniel. Several from Caleb.I smiled.Good.Let them wait.For the first time in my life, I was putting myself first before anyone else. And if that'd make the world burn, so be it.I turned away from the mirror and my eyes landed on the velvet box sitting on the dresser.The bracelet.I stopped.Of all the things Caleb had sent, why had I put that one back on the dresser instead of putting it away like the rest?I stared at the tiny crescent moon and star through the open box. Seven years ago, I had believed those two belonged together. I