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“I hate you,” Allyson shouted. “I never should’ve married you.”
Dane’s chest tightened, squeezing all the life out of his heart until there was nothing left. He knew the words were false, and yet it still hurt to hear them. “How can you say that?”
She sneered at him. “You’re broke. You have nothing left. Why would I want to be with a man like that? You’ve lost everything.”
His mouth went dry at his worst nightmare coming true. Hearing those words made his entire body go rigid. Made his mind fog up as he tried to reach for the words to say to her. “I guess the truth is out now. My mother was right. You are just a gold-digger.”
“You bastard!” She glared at him.
“No worse than you.” He swallowed. Allyson knew how to play her part well. Almost too well.
“I want a divorce.” Brushing past him, she sauntered over to the large window of Nicholas Handel’s new office. “I’m getting out of this marriage before you drag me down into the abyss with you.”
“I thought you loved me.” He shook his head. Her words hit him as hard as any punch. And though he knew she didn’t mean them, it ripped him wide open to hear them. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t hurt.
She turned her back to him as she stared out of the window. “I never did,” she said coolly. “It’s over. I’m not going home with you.”
“I suppose you’ll be going home with Nicholas Handel,” he accused.
“That’s none of your business! But Nicky has money and power,” she snapped. “What have you got now? Nothing.”
“The three-hundred-million I gave you,” he ground out before taking a desperate step towards her. “Are you going to give it back?”
“Not on your life,” she said loudly. “It’s mine. And I’ll spend it however I want.”
“You’re going to leave me penniless?” he said. “You can’t do this to me.”
She whirled around to glare at him. “Watch me.”
A loud cough sounded in the office. Dane turned to find Nicholas Handel slipping in to the office from the adjoining conference room. The room he always stayed in right before a meeting started. No doubt his sister Katherine was there already. Listening in.
Swallowing a smile, Dane narrowed his eyes at Nicholas. “What do you want, Handel?”
A cruel smile appeared on Nicholas’ face. “Trouble in paradise?”
“Let’s get this meeting over with.” Allyson glared at Dane and stomped into the adjoining conference room.
Dane followed her, and frowned when he noticed that not only had Katherine Handel taken a seat at the large conference table, but so had Allyson’s conniving sister, Monica. Allyson’s plan to get their money back from the Handel siblings hadn’t accounted for Monica, so it looked like they might have to play things by ear.
A sinking feeling settled in his stomach. If this backfired Allyson might lose most of her trust fund, and the family fortune would be out of reach. Maybe forever.
Nicholas motioned for them to sit.
Dane made sure to sit beside Katherine Handel, on the opposite side of the table, away from his wife. Allyson took a seat beside Nicholas Handel and started whispering to him. No doubt she was proposing he jump ship and invest in the Canadian company she had invested in. Or asking him out for dinner. Either pissed him off. Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to quietly say, “I’m ruined. You’ve all ruined me.”
A mocking laugh escaped Katherine. “If only you had picked a woman from your own class. I would never have hung you out to dry.”
“What do you know?” Dane scowled.
“I know that Prescott Global has very thin walls.” Katherine smoothed back her silky blond hair, the very picture of arrogance. “I also know something that you don’t know. Something my daddy told me earlier today.”
“I’ve had enough of your games,” he retorted.
Katherine got to her feet and glanced at Allyson and Nicholas, who were still whispering in hushed tones. “Well, it looks like your wife had enough of yours. Divorce rumors have been circulating through all the tabloids since this afternoon.”
Before he could respond Katherine exited the room, heading back into the adjoining office.
“What’s this meeting about?” Dane demanded, and then glowered at Allyson. “You know what’s going on, don’t you?” He took satisfaction in seeing Monica’s eyebrows rise.
“We’re downsizing. And while you’re still part of the company, it was decided it would be best to have you help us figure out which departments to veto,” Nicholas replied. “Your sweet wife knows the administrative staff inside out. She knows which ones to lay off.”
Dane crossed his arms. “I’m not helping you lay off anyone, asshole. Find someone else to do your dirty work.”
“Don’t worry. I will,” Nicholas said, shooting Allyson a meaningful glance. “We also want you gone. Out of here completely. Need to convince the board, but it’s going to happen. But first, I have an important matter to discuss with my sister.”
Nicholas rose to his feet and headed out of the room, leaving the conference room in a tense and uncomfortable silence.
“I’m glad you two could make it to this meeting despite all your troubles,” Monica finally said.
“Why the hell are you here?” he asked in annoyance.
“I was going to help reshuffle Prescott’s entire medical department. Katherine’s making me the head medical officer,” Monica said.
He leaned back in his seat, hoping that he hadn’t given anything away. “Why did you lie to the board about my health? Whose bed are you trying to get into?”
“It wasn’t a lie,” Monica said breezily. “It was my honest opinion.”
“I’m fit, and you know it,” he said harshly. He’d had regular medical checkups the entire time he had worked at Prescott Global and knew he was in good health. Monica hadn’t so much as examined him. It was clear she was willing to say and do anything for the Handels.
His eyes landed on Allyson. Her face was as rigid and unmovable as stone. Monica’s callous indifference to her suffering must be hurting her deeply, but Allyson was playing her part beautifully. Without revealing a hint of emotion his wife suddenly reached down to her wedding ring and twisted the emerald-encrusted band.
That was the signal. The Handels had taken the bait. Which meant they’d probably slipped away to make a phone call to their father. Dane clenched his jaw, trying to bury his anxiety over John’s role in the plan. John was the part of the plan that was beyond his and Allyson’s control. Allyson had already given him her money. That meant if John wanted to take her money and betray them, he could. And there was no way to stop him.
“None of that matters now,” Monica said. “You don’t run Prescott anymore. So, who cares what you think, Dane? You’re a loser.”
He fought to control his temper. Getting angry would cost them if he blurted out something that he was supposed to keep hidden. Right after Allyson had explained the rest of her plan in the park, Dane had agreed to it. He hadn’t liked the fact that his wife had gotten roped into his financial woes, but at least this plan wouldn’t taint her soul.
Sure, it hurt to hear her say those things in Nicholas Handel’s office, but it had been a necessary part of the plan. Making their divorce seem imminent needed as much believability as possible, and having the Handels overhear an argument had been part of Allyson’s clever strategy. His mother using her connections in the local tabloid papers to spread gossip about Allyson divorcing him had been the final piece of the plan. Somehow, his mother had gotten the tabloid press to buy the story in less than an hour. Record time. Now the entire city probably thought he and Allyson were headed for a messy divorce over money.
Monica plastered a phony smile on her face and turned her attention to Allyson. “And you, dear sister...rumors of a divorce already. Didn’t I tell you that you were in over your head?”
“Mind your own business for once, Monica,” Allyson bit out. The hurt in his wife’s voice was unmistakable. She wasn’t faking it. Monica’s presence was genuinely upsetting her.
He wanted nothing more than to walk over to her and take her in his arms. Kiss away the hurt. But he had to keep up the charade. Had to pretend that the woman he loved had revealed herself to be nothing more than a gold-digger.
Katherine and Nicholas stepped back into the conference room, both looking beyond pleased with themselves.
“The meeting’s over,” Nicholas said. “We have to reschedule.”
“Why?” Dane asked. “I thought you wanted me gone.”
“We do. But something’s come up,” Katherine replied quickly. “Business that doesn’t pertain to you.”
Dane got to his feet. “Then there’s nothing more to say. I wish you both the best of luck. You’ll need it, running a company as large as Prescott. You’ll fail, miserably.”
“Like you did?” Nicholas snorted with laughter.
He strode past the Handel siblings and headed out into the hallway. Her heard Allyson shift in her chair and Katherine tell her to get out as well.
As Dane walked towards the elevator, he heard Allyson’s heels clicking on the floor behind him. He didn’t need to turn around to know she was walking with more confidence than she had in weeks.
When he stopped at the elevator, Allyson appeared beside him. They stood together in stone-cold silence, waiting for the elevator to show up. Finally, the doors slid open and they both stepped inside the empty elevator.
She pushed the lobby button and glared forward as the door closed. Alone and away from prying ears, her face softened. “I felt awful saying those things to you.”
“So did I,” he said gently. Now, he was certain that his wife hadn’t changed. She was still the same kind, caring woman she had always been. Only now, she was so much more. There was a confidence that radiated off her. Like she knew she belonged by his side no matter what they had to face. “I love you, you know,” he murmured.
There was still the very real chance that John Handel would betray them. Knife them in the back for one reason or another. However, no matter what happened, Dane was unbelievably proud of his wife. The strength in her shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did. She had more than held her own in the conference room. Especially considering all the emotions she must have been feeling while she stuck to the plan, filled Nicholas Handel’s ear with lies, and kept calm with her sister in the room.
“I love you, too.” A smile lit up her gorgeous green eyes. “What do we do now?”
He reached down to squeeze her hand. “Now? We wait.”
* * *
ALLYSON HAD NEVER SEEN such a bright shade of pink. The blinding color was hideous. She squinted at the text message on her cell phone. Her mother had just sent ideas for the color scheme for the reception she was helping Dane’s mother plan.
She chewed her lip, desperate to come up with a subtle way of letting her mother know that she hated the color.
A knock at the front door made her get up from the living room sofa.
When she opened the door, her mouth fell open. Monica stood in the doorway, fabulously dressed and wearing dark sunglasses. Allyson groaned inwardly. Her sister was the last person she expected to see. Dane had gone to Tanya Olson’s office to wait for news about the state of their finances. Since their meeting with the Handels had abruptly ended yesterday, there had been no news. No way of knowing if their plan had worked.
“Monica,” Allyson finally forced out. “How did you get in?”
“Easy,” Monica replied. “The guy at the front desk thought I was you, and he let me in.”
“You could’ve called.” Allyson regarded her sister warily. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“You ignore my calls.” Monica frowned. “Also, you don’t have to act like you don’t know why I’m here.”
She sighed. “Why are you here?”
“You won.”
Allyson’s eyebrow shot up. “What’re you talking about?”
“The Handels screwed me over, thanks to you,” Monica snapped.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Allyson crossed her arms. Whatever trick Monica had up her sleeve, she wasn’t going to fall for it.
Monica lifted her hand to remove her sunglasses. Her eyes were red and puffy like she’d been crying. Which was impossible. Because Monica never cried. Ever.
Allyson sighed and motioned to her sister. “Come in.” She wasn’t thrilled about letting her treacherous sister into her home, but she apparently didn’t have a choice. Leading her sister into the living room, she continued, “Dane isn’t here, so if you’ve come to pick a fight don’t bother. I’m not in the mood.”
“How could you do it?” Monica blurted out.
Allyson sat back down on the sofa. “Do what?”
“It’s all over the news. Katherine Handel just stepped down as Prescott’s CEO. The board is going nuts. Everything thinks the board will have no choice but to let Dane back in.” Monica sank onto the sofa, her face pale. “What the hell did you do?”
Allyson’s eyes widened. It had worked. Her plan had actually worked. At least partially, if Monica was to be believed. Katherine had taken the bait and jumped ship because she thought there was more money to be made. Allyson fought to keep her face expressionless, not ready to give away anything to her sister. “What about Nicholas?”
“He’s selling his shares. He doesn’t want anything to do with Prescott Global. He says it’s tainted,” Monica said. “He’s going back to England. He’s...leaving.” She stared off into the distance like she was slowly slipping into a trance.
“Why do you care if Nicholas Handel goes back home?”
“For one thing, he handed his money over to his dad,” Monica replied. “He just handed Dane’s shares over to his father. I don’t know how you did it, but you won.”
Her heart started racing. Nicholas had fallen for their ruse. He’d invested Dane’s fortune in his father’s Canadian company. Everything was going according to plan. “What does it matter to you? It’s not like that money was yours.”
“Katherine Handel promised me a job as the head medical officer.” Monica balled up her fists, her face turning red. “I quit my job at the hospital to work at Prescott. Now she’s stepped down as CEO and Nicky’s gone. I’m screwed. There’s no way Dane will let me work at Prescott. I did everything Katherine wanted. And now I have nothing.”
“It’s always about you, isn’t it, Monica? You didn’t seem to care about Katherine’s way of doing business when she was trying to ruin Dane and me,” Allyson said sharply. She was shaking with fury at her sister’s nerve.
“I only helped Katherine do all those things because I was trying to help you,” Monica said shrilly. “You were in over your head. You still have no idea the kind of world you’ve married in to.”
Allyson squared her shoulders, determined to finally stand her ground against her sister. “That’s a lie and you know it. You were jealous. Jealous I made something of myself. Jealous I finally found love. And you did everything you could to try to sabotage my happiness. How dare you show up here to make accusations after everything you’ve done to Dane!”
“I knew there was no way you were divorcing him! You played the same twisted game! Well, you’ve won now, haven’t you?” Monica snapped. “You’ve got a rich husband. And I’m unemployed and my marriage is...who am I kidding? My marriage is over.” Tears fell down her face. “I’ve lost everything. My husband, my job, my reputation, my family. I have nothing.”
Despite everything, Allyson’s heart clenched painfully. The anger that had been building in her melted away. She ached for her older sister. She’d never wanted to destroy Monica. She didn’t trust her sister, but she still loved her no matter what. Still held out hope that one day they might be friends. She took no joy in discovering that her older sister’s marriage was crumbling. “I can help you financially—”
“I don’t want your money!” Monica’s green eyes were wild with barely-contained anger.
“At least let me be there for you,” Allyson pleaded. “The reception Mom’s planning with Dane’s mother is in a few weeks and we can come together as a family to—”
“To what?” Monica snapped. “Celebrate you and your rich husband? How you’ve managed to fall in love? How you managed to lose and then save a multi-billion-dollar company in less than a week?”
Allyson’s lower lip trembled. Hot tears threatened to spill over. This was all wrong. Her plan had been to save the Prescott family fortune and bring the two sides of her family together. Not drive a wedge between everything. Monica was mean, but was she beyond helping? Beyond saving? “Look, maybe when we’ve both calmed down we can talk. I don’t want us to be enemies. Maybe we just need some space. We’re both angry.” She blinked and tried to smile, not sure she was doing a very convincing job. “Let me call you in a few weeks, okay?”
Monica got to her feet and shoved her sunglasses back on. “Maybe.”
That one little word filled Allyson with hope. Wordlessly, she got to her feet to lead her older sister to the front door. As Monica pushed her way out of the door, she brushed by Dane. She didn’t say hello, just disappeared into the elevator.
“What’s she doing here?” Dane stepped inside, a newspaper in his hand.
Allyson stood up on her tiptoes to plant a gentle kiss on her husband’s mouth. “Monica’s going through a tough time. I think she’s the one who’s actually going to be getting a divorce. She’s lost her job. She’s struggling.” As they headed into the living room, she quickly filled him in on what Monica had told her.
Dane tossed his jacket and the newspaper aside, then sat down beside her on the sofa. “I know she’s your sister, and you love her, but she’s made her bed and now she has to lie in it.” He paused. “But since Monica’s here, you’ve obviously heard the news.”
“She told me I won. Nothing more except that Katherine’s not going to be the CEO and Nick’s going back to England.” Allyson smiled. “I’m guessing everything with the Handels has worked out?”
Her husband grinned. “We lost and then gained a company in a few days. It’s crazy. Your plan worked perfectly. Katherine and her brother took the bait. She left Prescott high and dry by jumping ship to her father’s company. Nicholas put all the Prescott shares into the company as well. Then, their father handed all the money over to me. Along with the money you invested.”
“He’s an amazing man,” she said softly. “That’s a lot of money. For his children that he passed up on. Hard lesson learned for them.”
“It is. The Handel siblings were so embarrassed that their father played them, they hopped on the first plane back to England.” He wrapped his powerful arm around her, holding her close. “You did it, Allyson. You saved Prescott.”
She looked up at him and flashed a shaky smile. “It’s funny...Katherine Handel got taken in by the very same tabloids she tried to use against us. How fitting.”
“The divorce rumors Mother planted in the local press really were a stroke of genius,” Dane said. “They’ve already been squashed, ironically by my mother.”
“Are you happy?”
“Only if you are.”
“I am.”
He leaned down to press his lips to hers. Her body tingled all over. The apprehension she felt over her sister faded as she lost herself in the sensation of his kiss. She clung to him, needing his body like nothing else.
Pulling away to break the kiss, Dane cupped her face in his hands. His touch soothed her. Made her feel cherished and loved. “I know things are difficult with your sister right now,” he said, “but I’m here for you no matter what.”
“Even if I want to try being friends with her?” Allyson asked, knowing that her husband didn’t like Monica.
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “Even if I have to make small talk with her over the holidays.”
That made her laugh. She pressed her mouth to his, eager for another kiss. As she drank him in, she realized that she hadn’t told him about how heavy her heart had been over her sister. Dane had just taken one look at her and seen her pain.
As their tongues met, she knew that they loved each other so deeply that they didn’t even need words to understand each other.
* * *
FOUR WEEKS LATER, ALLYSON stepped out onto the lawn of the Lockhall Country Club. The guests at the reception had already taken their seats at the elegantly-set tables. The tables were set with fresh flowers and small candles. Instead of the garish pink that her mother had suggested, Dane’s mother had managed to talk her down to tasteful, soft pink decorations that Allyson loved.
She scanned the lawn, searching for her sister. In addition to Prescott Global’s staff and Dane’s close and extended family, her own friends and family had shown up to the reception as well. Everyone was here. Except for Monica.
A lump formed in Allyson’s throat. Ever since Monica had shown up at their apartment to unload her anger, Allyson hadn’t been able to get a hold of her sister on the phone. She’d sent her sister an invitation to the reception, but Monica hadn’t responded.
With a happy yet slightly sad sigh, she turned her attention to her husband. It was their day. Again. It almost made her laugh.
Dane stood beside her, looking gorgeous as ever dressed in a casual gray suit. He extended his arm to her. “Ready?”
Gladly taking his arm, she nodded. “Yes. As long as you’re here with me.”
He smiled and escorted her to their seats at a table their parents were sitting at.
Allyson’s mother sat beside Dane’s mother, ironically getting along and both looking quite happy. Her father sat talking to Dane’s father. They seemed to be getting along, which was such a relief.
After Dane helped her into her seat, he sat down beside her. “Still feeling queasy?” he whispered.
She had been nauseated all morning before their afternoon drive down to the country club, but her stomach had finally settled. It was probably just jitters over having so many guests at the reception. “No,” she replied. “I’m feeling much better.”
Dane’s mother turned her attention to Allyson, a tiny smile on her face. “You’ve done very well, my dear. Worthy of the Prescott name.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Allyson said to her mother-in-law. “The decorations are amazing.”
“I was referring to what you did for the company. That was a significant risk. Thank you.” Liliana paused only a second. “The decorations are beautiful.”
The reception had been a way to introduce Allyson to high society, but she suspected Liliana was also using the event to make a statement to the East Coast’s upper class. The Prescotts weren’t going anywhere.
A lot of the guests were senior staff members from Prescott Global, eager to show their appreciation for their jobs being saved from the unscrupulous Handels. Dane was back as the company CEO. For now. He still hadn’t made up his mind about staying on permanently.
Right now, her husband was talking to her mother. Seeing Dane make an effort to talk to her mother warmed her heart. Monica might not have shown up, but everyone else in her life had. And that meant so much to her.
Lunch was served, and after eating Dane reached his hand out to her. “Would you like to dance?”
The string quartet on the far side of the lawn had started playing a soft, romantic melody.
“I’d love to.” Placing her hand in his, she let him lead her towards the quartet.
As he took her into her arms, she realized now that they didn’t have to hide anymore. Didn’t have to pretend to be something they weren’t. The entire world knew they were married.
“You look so beautiful,” he said. He was staring at her with tenderness in his blue eyes.
She smiled, feeling weightless as he guided her across the lawn. The way he held her possessively let her know that he was proud to show her off to the world. Proud to have her as his wife. It felt like her heart was singing along to the melody. Singing because they could finally celebrate their love.
THE END
Never Tell a Lie Coming December 2017
