Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
In DC, anonymity is the name of the game. People hide behind shell corporations to keep their involvement in various nonprofits and business ventures as quiet as possible. They work through proxies and boards installed to shield their involvement. It’s an extra layer of protection for politicians and important people who want to help without turning the work into a media circus or their own personal raison d'être.
I never questioned who owned the company. I figured if they wanted the credit, they’d have claimed it by now instead of letting the board make the decisions. But maybe I should have asked. Because the man behind the curtain isn’t some politician. He’s Archer.
Why didn’t he tell me?
God. Do I even need to ask?
I know why. It was one more way for him to keep me close. I was supposed to go back home to California when this job fell into my lap, literally out of nowhere. And I was so fucking happy about it because it meant I didn’t have to leave Micah. I didn’t have to leave him.
I was so excited when I told them about the job. They both acted surprised, but Archer knew the whole time.
Did Micah know, too? Is that what he meant when he said I didn’t even know Archer? Is that why he’s so damn mad? Because he knows Archer has secretly been my boss for the last six months? Does he know his best friend is obsessed with me?
My stomach churns with anxiety.
Montaque’s lips compress into a line, his irritation obvious, but he doesn’t negate what Alice said. “It’s just a simple inquiry, Alice. I’m trying to get the timeline and facts right, that’s all.”
“Right,” she snorts, disbelief heavy in her voice. “As if facts matter to you one little bit, Montaque. They never have. You’ll do everything in your power to paint a picture that makes him a villain, just like always. Meanwhile, the actual villain is the man looking back at you from the mirror every day. Wren has no comment. Archer has no comment. The Carvers’ organization has no comment.” She pauses. “I do, however. If I were you, I’d take a long, hard look at the facts of your life. That’s where your nose should be. Print that.”
Montaque opens his mouth to say something, but I can’t listen to this anymore. I can’t think. I can’t even breathe. I feel myself spiraling, questions whipping around in my mind so fast I can’t even catch the edges of them.
“Get out of my office, Montaque,” I say, my voice shaking with emotion. “I don’t care what story you’re trying to spin or why, I won’t help you do it. You know nothing about Archer or my brother, and you don’t know anything about me. So just get out.”
“Ms. Erikson–”
“Get. Out.”
He sighs heavily and then dips his head in a nod before turning for the door. “If you change your mind, you have my card.”
“I won’t change my mind.” It doesn’t matter how I feel right now—how confused or hurt I am. Hell will freeze over before I tell this man anything that might hurt Archer.
Montaque walks out without another word. For long moments, Alice and I don’t say anything. I don’t know what to say. I feel…numb.
“Wren?” Alice finally says. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I whisper.
She sighs quietly. “He’ll run whatever he has. Nothing we said to him today will stop that. I’m guessing he already has the marriage license or he wouldn’t have come to you. You need to decide how to break the news to Micah, sweetie. Before he finds out from Montaque.”
“Archer really owns Helping Hands?”
“He does,” she says softly. “He has several different charities in DC.”
“Why this one?”
“I think you already know the answer to that.”
Yeah, I think I do too. I’m just not entirely sure what I’m supposed to do about it. He should have told me. And I’m mad as hell that he didn’t.
“What are you going to do?”
What am I going to do?
“I’m going to Detroit,” I say, determined to get to the bottom of this even if I have to drag the truth from my infuriating husband’s deceitful lips.
Chapter Thirteen
Archer
“Micah.”
He flicks a glance in my direction and then grunts before stepping onto the elevator at the hotel, intent on ignoring me. But to hell with that. This is important.
I reach the doors just in time to shove my foot through the crack, preventing them from closing.
“Motherfucker,” Micah growls, glaring daggers at me when I step on beside him. He’s the only one inside. Good. “What do you want, Archer?”
“Have you heard from Wren?” I ask.
“Nope.”
“Goddammit.” I shove my hands through my hair, exhaling a shaking breath. “I’ve been trying to call her since we got to the hotel this morning. She isn’t answering my texts, either.”