Page 65 of Sweet Wicked Vows
The media agreed, running the story and twisting their own narrative that made Reynolds look mighty guilty.
Reynolds’ PR team jumped into overdrive, filing injunctions left and right to whatever news outlet or publication dared tryto spin the story in a negative light. They were doing whatever it took to squash the story before it ran further out of control.
Evelyn said very little when the news broke. She’d been sitting at the kitchen table eating her dinner and reading a book while I sat at the other end, unable to stop myself from peeking glances at her every five seconds, when Poppy ran into the kitchen and informed us of what was happening.
She didn’t react how I expected. She didn’t run out of the house and ask Saunders to drive her straight to her family home. Instead, she closed her book and made a quick phone call to the carer in charge of looking after her father, then took herself off to her bedroom for the night.
Not before I witnessed the disappointment lining her perfect face.
Sitting alone in the darkness of my makeshift office, I tried not to think about how she looked before she left. I tried not to dwell on the uncomfortable swirl in the depths of my stomach when I watched her walk away.
I wasn’t an entirely heartless bastard. Although Evelyn was merely a pawn waiting on the chess board to be played when needed, it didn’t mean I truly enjoyed doing it.
She was supposed to be nothing more than business. A means to an end, and after one year, a distant memory that required no more thought.
But the more time she was around, the more she buried herself deep into my flesh.
Everything about her threw me off balance. Her perfume. The curls that refused to be tamed. The way her teeth skimmed her bottom lip when she was thinking. Her blushing freckled cheeks when she was embarrassed or overjoyed. The way she felt pinned against me in the cloakroom, her body melding against mine like we were two jigsaw pieces connecting together to complete the picture. All those moments when she looked at melike she couldn’t decide whether to fuck or kill me with her tiny bare hands.
I couldn’t stop replaying how she unraveled on my leg and how divine she looked, sucking onmyfingers.
A better man would have walked away.
But I couldn’t let her go, not until Reynolds’ empire lay in ashes.
And maybe not even after that.
“The latest projections are not as positive as we first thought,” Una, Reynolds’ CFO, announced over the video call. “Initially, we predicted a five and a half percent uplift over the next quarter from the latest sponsorship deal.”
“What’s changed?” Evelyn asked. Exhausted purple rings encased her eyes. I heard her moving around the house in the early hours of the morning, and when I finally left my bedroom, she was curled up in the living room, half asleep, reading.
Jeremy, the company’s COO, cleared his throat. The pair looked at each other through the computer, the awkwardness practically bleeding through the screen.
“Last night’s news,” I said. “The other business involved is having second doubts,non?”
Jeremy nodded. “Unfortunately. Although everything is simply speculation, and we have no doubt that the media is twisting the whole thing into something much seedier than it actually is, Marina Kentwood is a bit concerned moving forward with the deal.”
“Marina Kentwood? The wedding dress designer?” Evelyn asked. “Why does a wedding dress designer want to work with a diamond supplier?”
“Her new line incorporates diamonds into the dress itself,” Jeremy said. “She pitched the idea to Mr. Reynolds—sorry, your father, a couple months back. Marina’s sales speak for themselves. He saw it as a perfect opportunity.”
“Why not partner with her? Why a sponsorship?” I watched the red-head yawn. She sat in her own office, staring aimlessly into the camera with the blinds drawn, and was about five seconds away from falling asleep at her desk.
“The concept is still relatively new,” Una pitched in. “Marina doubts herself too much and didn’t want to rush into signing with a company until she was sure it’s worth it.”
“Diamonds and wedding dresses. What sane person is going to say no to that?” Jeremy chuckled, inciting a small laugh from Evelyn. “Mr. Reynolds thought a sponsorship for a year would benefit the woman’s confidence and drive sales for us.”
“Her dresses are beautiful.” Evelyn smiled. “She pours her heart and soul into them, and every single one makes it onto the front pages of bridal magazines.”
“Exactly.” Jeremy mirrored her smile. “The deal your father and I negotiated was that after a year of sponsorship, if both parties involved saw revenue increases, then she’d sign a contract and we’d be her diamond supplier for any future works.”
“It’s a smart investment.” Evelyn nodded.
Jeremy looked as if he’d been handed a cheque for a million fucking dollars. The pair were smiling at each other as Una talked about the lack of faith the dressmaker now had in the company, and the best ways of reassuring her.
I tuned it all out, unable to look away from Jeremy and Evelyn.
Take your eyes off my wife.