"You do that. But might I just point out a couple of things?"

  He chuckled and then crossed his arms. "All right, point away."

  "Well, first of all, I recognize that Middleton Communications has an image problem. You don't have enough women on your executive board. You don't have enough women on your team. And the last two women that you had on your team of crisis managers, specifically senior executive level, both quit for undisclosed reasons. Now, while that in itself doesn't say much, it does scream to a lot of old-boy cronyism."

  "Says the woman who's in my building asking for a personal favor from a friend."

  I forced a smile on my face as he said friend. He was no friend of mine. "Actually, I just asked for time from a friend. My resumé speaks for itself."

  His brows popped. "Does it now?"

  "In fact, it does. So you can call Turnings and Forster, find out if I'm any good at my job, which then will tell you that I, in fact, am. You can examine your own company policies to see why there aren't women in executive positions and really recognize that I am here to solve a problem for you. Now, I don't expect to be part of the executive team immediately. I need to prove myself first, of course, and I'm willing to do that. I just want an opportunity to do what I am good at. Before you walked in, I took the liberty of sending you both my CV and my client list. You'll see politicians, actors, athletes, all of whom would be more than thrilled to give me a glowing recommendation. And you will see the proposal I made for you to fix your lack-of-women problem. Because as things are shifting worldwide, you and Middleton Communications haven't really changed with the times. If it is a cultural problem that will need to be solved, I'd meet with you and your father so we can talk about the problem and resolve it. But if there's a toxic environment at your company, at the higher levels especially, I know that you would want to solve that to make it an equitable work environment. Am I correct?"

  The corner of his lips twitched, and his keen gaze took on an icier glint. Had I miscalculated? This was the wrong way to go, wasn't it?

  "You, Miss Varma, are different than I remember."

  "Well, I have grown up just a little."

  "All right, you have me intrigued."

  I gave him a small smile and tried not to look too smug.

  "Why don't I take you to lunch, and you can tell me more about how I can fix my woman problem?"

  "Well, I mean, don't you want time to review my proposal first?"

  "No. You managed to walk in here and disrupt my day and make me a pitch that's interesting enough for me to take notice. I think you'll pitch better in person than it will on email."

  Fuck. He was going to make me have lunch with him. Fine. I would just have to watch what I ate. Because there was no way I was going to stomach several hours with him. What I wanted to do was force him to tell me what had happened to my brother, what he'd done, his part in the whole tragedy, and see if he could look me in the face. But I knew that I had to be patient. Because he was not going to tell me what I wanted right away. This was going to take time. And during that time, it looked like I might be working for the enemy.

  Bridge

  I accepted that I had cocked up the plan.

  That crow didn’t get any better tasting when it was decided that I needed to go plead my case to the old lady. Apologize for being a philandering cunt.

  Except I wasn't a philandering cunt. I was just a single bloke, working some shit out with his dick.

  Great. Go ahead and say that. See if the old lady likes it.

  I stood at attention when her assistant called me forward. "Mrs. Zicks will see you now."

  When I strolled in, Fredericka Zicks scooted from around her desk. Her face looked like what a grandmother should look like. Softly round and heavily lined with wrinkles with a wide smile at the ready.

  But I knew better than to let the immediate warmth fool me. Fredericka Zicks was a shark. And she'd been swimming in shark-infested waters for decades. She knew how to run a business, how to run a successful hotel conglomerate that her husband left her over twenty years ago when he died. She was a force to be reckoned with. And while she might look like the kind of granny who made biscuits and always had a toffee for you, she wasn't. But still, she gave me a warm smile and reached her arms out to me, warmly gripping mine. "Ah, Bridge Edgerton. I always did say you were a handsome devil. If only you and my daughter had ever hit it off."

  I forced a tight smile. Her daughter, while actually genuinely kind, was not my type. She was timid. I was sure that it wouldn't work because I knew that I was gruff and well, if I was being honest, at times, I would terrify her. I terrified most people. That fact normally didn't bother me. But she was actually nice. No need to corrupt the youth.

  "I think that ship has sailed."

  She tsked then got right to the point. "Well, it seems that you've gotten yourself into a spark of trouble, doesn't it?"

  Oh, so we were jumping right in, were we? "Fredericka, I appreciate you taking the time to see me, but honestly, we don't need to talk about that. That's gossip. You know what the tabloids are like.”

  She nodded and gestured for me to take a seat in one of the fine-leather couches she had in her office. "Yes, they are rags. And I'm only relieved that my husband, Timothy, passed before he saw how bad they could really get. Although, you know, when the princess died, things were already pretty brutal. You witnessed that, of course. But nowadays, anyone is fair game."

  "That's true. Anyone is fair game. Even when you're not looking for trouble."

  She smiled at me. "Darling, I know why you're here. I'm sure it reached your ears that I had some concerns when I saw the photos of you."

  Well, I did always like her directness. It made my life easier. "Yes, but there wasn't any merit or truth in what they were saying."

  "My boy, I'll have you know I wasn't born yesterday. I know what young people are like."

  I winced at that. "Yes, but I promise you what they're saying isn't true."

  She pressed her lips together, and I could see the fine lines around the edge of her mouth. "I understand that you broke up with that fiancée of yours."

  I nodded. I'd taken Mina to some charity benefit two years ago and I thought Fredericka had met her then. I couldn't remember for sure.

  "Honestly, I was never particularly fond of her."

  My brows lifted in surprise. Well then, this was certainly easier than I thought. I thought she'd read me the riot act. But she already disliked Mina. And truly, she would understand. "We had our difficulties. It was just time to separate. However, I wish her well because she's not a bad person, per se. It's just that we were incompatible."

  She waved a hand. "Sure. I don't need to read between the lines, boy. I understand she's probably hurt you deeply with her actions."

  I frowned. "Come again?"

  She lifted a brow. "My darling, you can't possibly not know."

  My stomach churned. "Know what?"

  She sighed. "Well, I mean, it's all water under the bridge now, as you two have been separated."

  She was right. It was all water under the bridge. But at the same time, I did want to know. "Right. It doesn't matter anymore, does it?"

  She frowned and nodded. "Unless you are thinking about rekindling things. Perhaps the two of you will wed?"

  I definitely avoided the question. "Mina and I are not rekindling. It wouldn't work."

  She frowned again. "Right. It's just that this hotel is my family's legacy. My husband and I built it from the ground up. Our core values are based on family, elegance, and beauty too. But mostly family. We have great family values here. It’s about tradition."

  "I understand. And I promise you the things you read in the press about me, they're not true. The London Lords remain an excellent partner for Zicks. We've been working on this merger for so long. Please don't let rumor and innuendo sour what would be a fantastic partnership."

  She sat back. "Do you think me born yesterday, boy?"

  I winced. I hated that form of address. As if I was nothing better than a child. I was a grown man who knew his job well.

  "No, ma’am. Of course not."

  "I know sometimes men need to serve their bravados. I just would prefer you to do it at the right time."

  "And that's not the case?"

  She held up a hand. "I've heard the rumors. Granted it was not while you were with Mina, but after. You and your mates, as you say, were a wild bunch once, weren't you?"

  I opened my mouth to argue, but it was true to some extent. Mostly Ben. But I wasn't going to throw him under the bus either. "The things we did when we were young are not what we do as adults."

  "Of course not. But your teammates are settled. They have moved on. And the moment you were no longer engaged, all I saw were stories of you in the papers. You can understand why I would be concerned."

  I could see it then. This was really a problem. There would be no easy smoothing things over. I could say all the right words, do all the right things, and she would still see that image of me strolling out of the wardrobe, hair mussed, clothes askew. Fuck me. The lads were right. I really, really had fucked this up. This was on me. This couldn't be blamed on anyone else. If this deal went south, we’d have no one to blame but me. All the work, the plan of vengeance for Toby, all depended on me getting this right. I cleared my throat. "I didn't want to say anything. but the photo, the woman I was with, she's not some illicit affair. She's someone who has been a friend for years. Obviously, I was with Mina for a long time, and things didn't work out. And my friend was comforting, and we realized that we've had some very strong feelings for years, but we never acted on them. That night, what you saw in that photo was us giving in to them."

  I was lying through my bloody fucking teeth. And as long as Anisa went along with this and didn't say anything, nobody would know it was her and not some hidden woman that I was in love with. Whatever the hell that meant.

  Fredericka’s eyes went wide. "Oh, a love affair."

  "Oh, it's hardly an affair. We’re just not ready to go public. You know, the timeframe with Mina and all. It’s for the best if we remain quiet for a while." My brain was offering scenario after scenario on the fly. There had been a time when I could lie with the best of them. Where I'd scammed and played and worked the system in my favor, because back then, it had been about survival. But I didn't live like that anymore. Except… When the chips were down, I apparently went right back to that. Disgusted with myself, I sat back. "You know, privacy and all that. And if we're going to be together, I don't want her shunned. You know how society can be. People taking sides. I wanted to give a bit more space between Mina and I before we go public."

  And to my shock and surprise, Fredericka was grinning at me. Jesus Christ, she was buying this? The old lady was shrewd. I’d been certain she smelled deception, but oh no, she was giving me a soft gaze that women gained babies from. What the hell was wrong with her?

  "This could not be better news. You're in love?"

  I cleared my throat. "Um, yes. I'm in love. But you know, it's still new."

  She waved me away with a hand. "Uh, you men, always so cautious when it comes to love. You've been in love with her a long time?"

  I nodded. "Oh yes, since we were kids. Before I even knew what love was."

  The more I blabbed, the more she believed me, and her expression grew softer and softer. "Oh, I see now. Ugh, these tabloids. If only you hadn't been seen."

  "Yes, that was careless, to say the least. But we were trying to just get a few moments together while at a public function and not be seen, but you know how these things go."

  She chuckled. "Yes, of course. I was in love once. I was young once. Don't let the withered skin and the white hair fool you. I know what it's like to sneak off with someone you care about."

  Was this actually working? She was believing this pile of shit. I wasn't sure if I was relieved she was buying it or disappointed. Either way, I was going with it. This was so much better than producing some fake fiancée. Now I didn't have to say anything or do anything about it.

  "I insist on meeting her."

  I frowned. "Excuse me?"

  "Your new love. I want to meet her."

  "I— But, it's still so new."

  "Oh, come on. When you know, you know. You just said you've been in love since you were kids. You are going to marry her, right?" And I could see it now. I was in a corner, backed against the wall, and Brenda had known it would happen. The old lady, shrewd or not, a modern businesswoman or not, she was feeling grandma fairy tale vibes, and she was going to get them one way or the other.

  "Now, let's not jump ahead of ourselves."

  "Young women these days, they're so used to time wasters. You're not young anymore. And I promise you, if you were on your way to getting wed, not that I'm pushing you because I know what that's like too, but if you were on your way to getting wed, that would certainly curb the speculation on Mina because I'm sure she's quite sore she has lost a catch like you."

  Oh yeah, that was me, some catch. "Yes, well. Mina is not worried about me."

  The old lady pursed her lips again. "Now, I'm not one who tells tales, but that woman has every intention of keeping her claws in you. If you love the woman that you’re involved with, I would lock it up. Mina is not done. And I promise you, she will make trouble. You're lucky you never had a child with her."

  I thought of the threat Mina made last night, and my stomach roiled. "Right. I'm lucky."

  "So, before you go, let's get Charles out there to put something in the books. I want to meet your girlfriend."

  I smiled wanly. I'd done it now. I had put my own foot in it. I had told this lie. The same lie I'd gotten all over Brenda and the lads for. So now I was going to have to fix it. The question was, with who? I didn't have the time to hire someone.

  Or, you can ask someone you already know.

  I frowned. Livy was obviously engaged to Ben. Nyla was also engaged to East and the others were all taken as well. “I’ll try and convince her to meet you then. I’m sure we can make time.”

  She clapped with glee. I was so fucked. "I love, love. Surely, you’re going to get married soon?”

  I tried to play it off. "Yeah, we're taking things slowly, but pretty soon."

  Just as soon as I found someone to pretend to be my girlfriend. I’d fucked up. And either the old lady believed everything I was telling her, or she was calling my bluff. The problem was I didn't know which. So I had to act as if every word I’d said was true.

  Chapter Six

  Emma

  The thing about great ideas was that sometimes the execution didn't go quite how you planned. As I sat across our lunch table from Francis who was wearing a crisp white shirt, no tie, with his suit jacket impeccably cut to fit his frame, I was losing some of my earlier nerves. "So, Miss Varma—I have to call you that now that you work for me probationally—how have you been? You certainly look well. No longer the skinny knobby-kneed girl I first met." His gaze swept over me slowly, settling at my breasts and then moving back to my face. I didn't budge. I was not going to show my discomfort.

  The thing about Francis was, he was handsome. Perfectly cut jaw, good physique, a wide smile that screamed charm and elegance, and well, money. He exuded the cockiness of someone who was born rich and white. Smooth hair, expensive cut. Everything about him screamed money, wealth, access, and privilege. But there was definitely something off about him. And I was afraid that my face showed exactly what I thought of him.

  I had nothing but disdain for him, his family, his apathy toward what had happened to my brother. The way his family had covered it up said that we, the Varmas, didn't matter. A part of me knew he was just a kid at the time, doing as he was told. But I knew him. I knew his family. They'd been running spin for so long, I was sure that they had no idea what the real truth was.

  "Well, Toby's death was a very long time ago. I certainly am no longer knobby kneed. I'm a grown woman now. "

  His grin twisted with just a hint of a leer. "Well, I would certainly agree you are, in fact, a grown woman. So tell me the truth, now that your unorthodox pitch is over, what makes you really want to join Middleton Communications? In the car on the way over, I did a brief background check. You certainly do have an impressive resumé. Internships and all. Plus, I know your father well."

  Way to get punched. "Probably better than I do." He cocked his head as if he didn't understand what I was saying. But he did. I knew he did. Everyone knew who my father was and that he’d had as little to do with us as possible. "I've had great work experiences. A chance to really dig into what I want to do. And while I love marketing, I think crisis management is really my angle. Which is basically marketing of a person or a corporation to be exactly what the public expects it to be. To deliver on the promise of a premise, as they say."

  He smiled broadly. "I love that. To deliver the promise of a premise. Excellent. Look, you're practically in the family. You just have to tell me what division you want to start in and where you want to go. We could talk about it now, or maybe later over drinks as well. You can ask me anything. I want to make sure that you are aware that I am completely open and available to you for anything you might need."

  I had to work hard not to roll my eyes. He was disgusting. Vile.

  The whole time I was sitting there, all I wanted to do was scream, You killed my brother. It's your fault he's dead. But I didn't. Instead, I walked him through the positions I had done research on and found most interesting and appealing. Also, they paid the most. Because I was going to take him for as much as I could before I found a way to take him down.