Chapter 215
Jocelyn stepped out from behind the banquet chairs.
“You like her,” she said. It wasn’t a question.
Justin turned slowly. He didn’t look embarrassed. He looked resolved.
“We’re family now, Jocelyn,” he said, his voice measured and cool. “So let’s be clear. I know what this arrangement with my brother is. I’ve been watching since the announcement — a deal this clean, this sudden, leaves a paper trail for anyone who knows where to look. And I don’t care, as long as he’s happy. Let’s simply operate on the assumption that we’re on the same team.”
Jocelyn felt a chill run down her spine.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, working to keep her voice steady.
Justin adjusted his stained jacket and flicked a piece of lint from his shoulder.
M𝗼𝘀t 𝗿𝘦𝗮𝘥 t𝗁𝗂ѕ 𝗐e𝘦𝘬 𝘰𝗻 𝘨𝖺l𝘯𝗼𝘷e𝗹𝘴.c𝗈𝗆
“The contract,” he said. “The arrangement. Whatever you call it.”
Jocelyn’s blood ran cold. He knows.
“Does — does Elbert know?” she whispered.
“Dad sees what he wants to see. He sees a happy couple. He sees grandchildren,” Justin said, walking past her. “I see the paperwork. I see the lawyers.”
He stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.
“But don’t worry. As long as Gaston is happy, I don’t care about the legality,” he added. “Just make sure he stays that way.”
He walked away toward the elevators, leaving Jocelyn trembling in the hallway.
She needed to find Gaston. Now.
She rushed to the lobby. Gaston was waiting by the valet stand, checking his watch. The Aston Martin idled at the curb.
“There you are. We have an errand,” he said as she approached.
“Justin knows!” Jocelyn hissed, grabbing his arm. Her fingers dug into his bicep. “He knows about the fake marriage. He knows it’s a contract!”
Gaston looked down at her. He didn’t look panicked. He looked almost bored.
“Justin is a politician, Jocelyn. He knows everything. He probably knows what you had for breakfast three weeks ago.”
“Aren’t you worried? He could blow our cover — the trust fund, the hotel!” she pressed.
“He won’t,” Gaston said calmly. “He has his own distractions.” He glanced meaningfully toward the elevator bank where Carmen had disappeared ten minutes earlier.
“Now come on. I need you to help me pick a gift,” he said, changing the subject and opening the car door for her.
“A gift? For who — Jovanni?” she asked, her defense mechanism snapping into place. If he’s buying gifts, it must be for his lover.
Gaston rolled his eyes so thoroughly it looked painful. “For a friend. Just get in the car.”
They settled into the back of the Aston Martin. The leather was cool and soft.
“Where are we going?” she asked as the driver pulled into traffic.
“SoHo,” Gaston said. “There’s a pop-up market. Very trendy. Very crowded.”
“Why crowded?” she frowned. “You hate crowds.”
“Because the best way to hide a secret is in plain sight,” he said.
.