Chapter 22 22

Chapter 22 22

Karin's POV

I power-walked through the crowded streets. I’ll never get used to these busy Los Angeles sidewalks, no matter how long I’ve lived here. I was exhausted—up half the night having sex, and I hadn’t gone back to sleep since leaving Adrien’s at four a.m.

God, what a nightmare. And who the fuck is Josephine?

I ordered my iced coffee, then grabbed a Morning Ledger at the newsstand. I’d read it at lunch. Maybe they had job openings—I’d probably need one soon.

With a heavy heart, my mind drifted to Adrien. Why did everything go wrong with the men I liked? If only he were just… normal. A normal apartment, a normal shitty car, and no women texting him in the middle of the night—he’d be perfect.

In every way.

I shivered as I remembered last night—making love, kissing for hours—and a wave of sadness hit. I hated how deeply we connected physically.

It was just sex, you idiot. Bone-shattering, mind-blowing, toe-curling sex.

I imagined Adrien Vale doing that with every woman he slept with. That’s the kind of guy he was… and the kind of dick.

Ugh.

I sipped my coffee and trudged to the office, determined not to think about him today. Definitely not going to tell him I knew about Josephine. Whoever she was.

If she was texting him at 4 a.m., fine. She could have him.

I might be a lot of things, but a man-stealer? I’m not. Douchebag. How dare he use me for sex? Last night had been perfect—more than perfect—and then he had to ruin it.

I thought I’d spent the night with Rien, but instead, it was the sleazebag Adrien Vale version. How had I not seen it?

I trudged into the building, made my way to my floor, and fell into my seat in disgust.

“Hi,” I muttered.

“Hey.” Maël spun toward me. “How did it go?”

I glanced at the security camera above. Is he watching? “Good,” I lied. “I’ll tell you tonight. We’re drinking.”

“Drinking?”

“Everything we see.”

His face fell. “Oh… it went that kind of good.”

“Precisely,” I muttered flatly.

“What’s going on around here today?” Maël whispered.

“What do you mean?” I looked up from my computer.

“Matt is buzzing around, and Adrien has been down to the floor already.”

“What time is it?” I glanced at my watch. “Only 8:45. They’re never down here at this hour, if at all.”

“I know.”

I watched Matt talk to the floor manager, his face stern. “Do you think something’s wrong?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Did you piss Mr. K off last night?” Maël smirked.

“Maybe he’s upstairs throwing a tantrum.”

I smiled happily as I opened my computer. Good. I hoped he was pissed.

Two hours later, I glanced up and saw two men I hadn’t seen before. “Who are they?” I whispered.

Eva looked up, and her face fell. “Oh Lord, have mercy . . . thank God.”

“Huh?” I frowned.

“That’s Elliot and Christopher Vale. They’ve flown in from the UK. Must be a board meeting or something going on this week.”

My eyes widened. “Adrien’s brothers?”

She smiled dreamily as she watched them. “Uh-huh.” She looked over at Maël, who was also openly staring. “I call Elliot.”

“Good, because I call Christopher,” he whispered back.

“Can you please set us up on a brother date?” she whispered.

“Yes, and we need to swing,” Maël replied. “Because I want all four. I can’t choose.”

“Can you imagine?” Eva murmured. “Makes me blush just thinking of it.” She fanned her face with her manila folder as her eyes stayed glued to the brothers. “Imagine all of them in bed together . . . taking turns with your body.”

I rolled my eyes in disgust. “The Vale brothers are overrated, if you ask me.”

They weren’t, though. I was lying through my teeth. All with dark hair, tall, and built . . . square jaws in their designer playboy suits. Everything about the four of them screamed power and gorgeousness. Assholes.

Adrien hadn’t been to see me today. I hadn’t heard from him, and if the truth be known, he was probably upstairs making out on his office couch with Josephine as we spoke.

Ugh. I was off all men. How could I have been so stupid?

4:30 p.m.

“Oh my God, did you see the story in the Morning Ledger?” Eva said.

“No, what?”

“The Angel of Death. I don’t even feel safe on the subway tonight.” My eyes flicked to her. “What?”

“Yeah, it’s one of their lead stories today. I was reading it online just now.”

“Are you kidding me?” I clicked onto their website and searched for the story, and sure enough, it came up, almost word for word . . . my words.

I put my hand over my mouth in horror as I read it.

Oh my God. That’s why they were all here today; they were in damage control.

I stared at the story on my computer. It was there in black and white, but I couldn’t actually believe it. I looked at all the people in the office acting calm and professional. Who was it?

Thieving bastard.

“I’ve got to go see someone. Back in a minute.” I practically ran to the elevator and took it to the top floor. Why hadn’t he said anything to me?

“Hello,” I said as I brushed through reception.

“Excuse me, Karin,” the receptionist called. “He’s not taking visitors right now.”

“Whatever.” I stormed through to Adrien’s office and knocked on the door.

“Yes?” he barked.

I opened the door to find him sitting behind his large desk; blue eyes rising to meet mine. “What is it?” he asked coldly.

I walked in and closed the door behind me. “I saw the story.”

“And?”

“Well . . . why didn’t you tell me? It was my story. I thought you would have at least told me.”

“Ms. Ellis.” He clenched his jaw as if I were a huge annoyance. “I don’t have time to play your juvenile games.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m very busy.” He went back to typing.

I stared at him for a moment. What?

“Close the door on your way out, please.”

The fucking nerve of this man. He slept with me while he was seeing someone else and then had the audacity to treat me like this. Something snapped deep inside me. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Here we go,” he muttered under his breath.

“What?” I cried. “Here we go? Are you fucking serious?” He rested his chin on his hand as he glared at me.

“What was last night? Huh?” I cried. Alarm bells started screaming around me. This was the worst thing I could possibly do, but I’d lost all control. “You’re seeing someone else?” I stammered. “Who’s Josephine, Adrien?”

His eyebrow rose, and he stood and walked toward the door. “Out.”

“What?” I snapped in disbelief. “You’re kicking me out?”

“What I’m doing is being professional. I suggest you do the same thing.” He stood over me.

“You know what?” I whispered up at him through tears of rage. “You can go fuck yourself.”

He glared at me. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Josephine is my masseuse. I had an appointment with her last night that I wasn’t home for. Those text messages came through hours after she sent them.”

I stared at him as my heart hammered in my chest.

“Do not check my fucking phone ever again.” He sneered as he turned his back on me and went to sit back at his desk.

I stared at him through tears. I felt . . . used. “I thought we had something.”

“So did I.” His cold eyes held mine. “But you fucked that up this morning when you left like a two-year-old.” He turned back to his computer.

“Do you sleep with your masseuse?”

His eyes came to mine. “That is none of your business. Now get out.”