Chapter 85
Chapter 85:
She looked straight into Declan’s mocking blue eyes. “Actually,” she said, her voice dropping to a cool, clinical register, “based on the physical trajectory of the spill and the angle of the corner, you were walking at high speed without looking forward. The liability is split fifty-fifty p>
Declan blinked. The arrogant smile froze on his lips.
He was accustomed to women either flattering him or flinching when he raised his voice. He was not accustomed to being met with cold, hard physics.
Before he could respond, June opened her leather briefcase. She produced a sleek, minimalist business card and five crisp hundred-dollar bills and placed them both on the wooden counter beside them.
“This is for the dry cleaning,” she said, her tone strictly transactional. “If the suit is ruined, have your legal team contact the proxy on that card. I’ll reimburse the full replacement cost p>
She didn’t wait for his answer. She turned and walked away, posture perfectly straight.
Declan stood holding the wet napkins, watching her go. He picked up the business card. He had expected the Compton Group logo.
Instead, he found the name of a top-tier independent Manhattan law firm. No mention of Cole. No mention of the Compton family.
He looked at the five hundred dollars.
𝘙om𝘢n𝖼𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽аs𝗌𝗂oո о𝗇 ѕ.𝖼𝗼𝗆
The pathetic, money-hungry image Cole had painted of his wife developed a hairline fracture in Declan’s mind. The woman who had just calculated collision angles and handed over cash with absolute detachment bore almost no resemblance to the rumors. This was getting very interesting.
“What the hell happened to you p>
Declan turned. Cole was crossing the lobby toward him, face dark, eyes scanning the crowd restlessly.
Declan slipped June’s card into his inner pocket and wiped the coffee from his tablet. “I just ran into a very interesting woman,” he said, the slow smirk returning.
Cole wasn’t listening. He was still searching for the navy silk shirt he’d seen by the elevator.
“Are you looking for Alycia?” Declan asked, deliberately poking the bear.
Cole scowled and pulled at his collar. “She’s resting in the room. I’m just getting some air p>
Declan saw the lie immediately. He saw the frantic, obsessive energy radiating off Cole like heat.
“Julian rented out the private dock,” Declan said, clapping a hand on Cole’s shoulder. “He’s hosting a yacht race in an hour. Since you’re just getting air — come drive a boat p>
Cole wanted to refuse. But he knew the private dock sat right next to the beach. June might be there.
“Fine,” Cole muttered.
Declan turned toward the exit, his fingers resting against the pocket holding June’s card. His pulse quickened slightly.
This game had just gotten very interesting indeed.
At two in the afternoon, the sun beat down hard on the Emerald Cove private dock. The air was thick with expensive sunscreen, salt water, and spilled champagne.
Julian had rented the entire outer pier. Six sleek, aerodynamic racing yachts bobbed in the water, their massive engines idling with a low, aggressive rumble.