Jaclyn slid the letter from the envelope, dragging something small with it onto the bed. She looked down at the fragile gold chain, and the linked hearts in the center. It was her necklace. The one she’d lost—or that the girls broke off—in dance class a lifetime ago.
“Oh my God. How? How is this possible?”
“Just read the note,” Margot said gently, nudging her arm.
Unfolding the sheet of paper, Jaclyn shot a skeptical glance at Margot before moving on. “One second. You don’t seem at all surprised by the miraculous reappearance of my necklace that’s been MIA forever. Did you read this?”
Margot tapped the letter, reengaging Jaclyn’s focus. With a hand squeezing hers and an arch to her brow, she nodded. “You bet your sweet ass I did. Go on.”
When Jaclyn began reading silently, Margot waved a hand, interrupting her.
“No, no. Out loud.”
Glaring at her sister, Jaclyn reluctantly caved to Margot’s request and read the letter out loud.
Jaclyn,
A very long time ago, a dashing young boy made a promise to a sad, sweet, determined, and very loud little girl—one that, at the time, he couldn’t keep. Despite his best efforts, he let her down. Through life’s twists and turns, no matter where he was, he couldn’t help but keep an eye on her. With every trail she blazed, he did his best to keep pace. Without realizing it, she inspired him to achieve everything he’d set his mind to, except for one.
Well, for the second time in my life, I’ve let you down. So today, I’m finally keeping my word. I know this won’t repair what’s been broken. But maybe it’s a start.
I know you feel conned and betrayed. Blindsided. Lied to. And I know I have no one to blame other than myself for losing everything we had.
But I swear, this had nothing to do with a business deal. And the last thing I wanted to do was break your heart. Every piece of this meticulous plan had a single selfish goal—to give an obsessed man a chance to show the most brilliant, brave, and beautiful woman in the world who he really was.
I love you, baby. I have for a very long time, and I always will.
Yours forever,
Richard
Wiping her tears, Jaclyn looked up and caught Margot full-on ugly crying all over the corner of her bedsheet. “Margot!”
Her sister glared back. “What? I’m connecting with my feelings, and the tissues are all the way over there. And another step in these Louboutins will demolish my delicate feet.”
Jaclyn jumped off the bed, tugged several tissues from the box for herself, then tossed the box to her sister’s ready hands.
Softly blowing her nose, Jaclyn stared at the note. “But what about the business deal? The meeting with Dad?”
“Did you read it? The partnership plan?”
Her frustration poured out. “Why would I? He deceived me. Disguised himself. Lied!”
“That’s not completely accurate,” Margot said. “I mean, he did color his hair and shave. Those of us in the room who haven’t, say ‘aye.’” She paused for effect. “And he didn’t tell you his name. You sneaked a peek at his driver’s license and gleaned the information yourself. If you weren’t so predictably nosy, he would’ve gotten nowhere.”
Chastened, Jaclyn averted her eyes.
“And finally,” Margot said, “he didn’t actually lie. He couldn’t. He wasn’t allowed to.”
Jaclyn’s irritation climbed to new heights. “What the hell do you mean, he wasn’t allowed to? What, there were rules?”
“Of course there were rules. There’s no way he was flying by the seat of his pants on this one. The stakes were too high. Sticking to the truth forced him to think it through.”
“What stakes?” Jaclyn huffed, feeling more and more like Alice in Wonderland, lost and confused.
Margot slipped off her shoes, standing to cup her sister’s heated cheeks with softness and love. “You, Jaclyn. You were the high stakes. This was never about the company—or your status. And it certainly wasn’t about your money. It was about you. Getting to know you, and letting you get to know him without your preconceived notions getting in the way.”
Jaclyn let out a sigh, wanting to argue, but didn’t interrupt.
“We all know,” Margot said, “that if that didn’t happen before you crossed the threshold from COO to CEO, it never would. With your track record and his, there was no way you’d let him within a hundred yards of your hand sanitizer, let alone your heart.”
Margot released her with a slow exhale as she lowered herself to the corner of the bed. “So I agreed to help him. The rules of engagement were that he had to change his looks, lure you with nothing more than a fake name, and under no circumstances could he lie.”
Jaclyn squinted at her sister, letting every word sink in, then broke out into a sly smile. Knowing Margot, she’d only revealed half of her plan.
Curious to hear the rest of it, Jaclyn moved to the chaise and pushed aside Margot’s clutch before she sat. “And what did you get out of it?”
Margot pointed back to her own chest with her pristinely polished manicure. “Moi? How about the altruistic satisfaction of seeing two great people find each other in this crazy, mixed-up world?”
Jaclyn’s eye roll was pronounced.
“Fine. I got five percent of Black Technologies, regardless of the outcome.”
Shocked, Jaclyn nearly fell off her seat. “Oh my God. He gave you five percent of his company?”
Her sister let out a satisfied hum. “And . . . five million dollars up front as good-faith collateral.”
“Margot!”
“And I might have exclusive use of the penthouse at Crescent Court. At least for the next three months.”
Jaclyn did a double take. “Come again?”
Margot proceeded to spell out all the details of everything that had transpired. The glasses that provided the video feed. Richard choking on the bourbon. The way she, Paco, and the general manager at the hotel managed to walk all over a man whose sights were set on love.
They scrambled for another box of tissues as Margot detailed the terrifying events before the rescue mission. All these things that Jaclyn never knew—they changed everything. Or, rather, changed everything back.
It was all so unbelievable. And confusing as hell.
“But you really need to read the deal he gave Dad. Where is it?”
Jaclyn took a minute, then remembered. “Evie,” she whispered.
“What’s Thieving Evie got to do with this?” Margot shot up straight where she sat, her eyes narrowed to slits.
“Well . . .” Jaclyn stretched out the word in her best Lucille Ball whine. “I gave her a ride home the other night because we’re sort of friends now.”
“What?” Margot scoffed. “After the nickname she gave you, and her part in the loss of the necklace, and the string of boyfriends she stole from you all throughout high school with her promiscuous ways? You can’t be serious.”
Confronted with the laundry list of Evelyn’s misdeeds, Jaclyn winced. “Um, we sort of made up, and I’m kinda about to be her maid of honor. But more importantly,” she said as she scrolled through her cell, “she has the offer.”
Margot jumped up, shoving the cookie dough back at Jaclyn. “I’m gonna need something stronger than this if Evie’s coming over.”