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“Yeah, and he’s doing this by pretending to be a good guy, working for the bookshop lady and stealing it out from under her. And, he’s making me the bad guy in this,” Ryder says.
“You turned up at the party.”
“He was going to kiss her.”
“Part. Of. My. Plan.” The kissing part wasn’t, but it doesn’t make a difference. Zoey’s attracted, and yeah, okay, I’m attracted back, but that’s what makes this work the way I’m playing it. I can play her.
“You took her to a party?” Scarlett’s giving me that look that says she thinks she understands but doesn’t.
“It’s not his kind of party. I was there.”
“Ry, that makes no sense. We attend lots of the same things.”
“But you took a woman who’s totally not your type.”
Hudson glances at his wife. Honestly, he’s gone soft. “That might go south in ways you don’t get.”
“Can we leave it?”
“No.” Ryder sips his champagne. “I want to know why I’m the bad guy.”
“Because I can’t clone myself. And I just said I told her you were evil and I worked for you. That’s all. It’s not like I want you to waltz in and win some kind of acting award. I don’t want you anywhere near her.”
“Why not?” Scarlett asked.
“We look like brothers and he likes to do things that win him labels and infamy. She doesn’t like billionaires—”
“She’s worse than you. To you I’m evil, and now she hates me without meeting me.” Ryder shakes his head. “You’ll be needing to give me those earrings when you get them.”
“I don’t want earrings,” I mutter. “They’re really not my style.”
“Don’t knock it. Dangly jewels might look good on you.”
Ryder’s an idiot.
“Look, I’m doing this for all of us. Keep the family company in our hands. And I need her damn building gone so I can build my legacy. She won’t hand it to Magnus Sinclair, but…maybe to a nice guy down on his luck, desperate for money to help his dear, imaginary gran. And I’ve got a plan.”
“A gran and a plan?” asks Hudson.
“I’m playing the small guy. Zoey will see all the pressure I’m under and she’ll hand over her business, thinking she’s saving my fake gran and me.”
I don’t even know why I’m explaining this to them.
Scarlett frowns. “Are you sure this is the way forward, Magnus? Things have a way of biting you when you’re not looking.”
“Zoey…” I trail off. I almost say she doesn’t have teeth, but that’s not true. She’s got more bite than people give her credit for. But she just doesn’t use it in the ways others do. She uses her teeth for good.
My metaphors are all over the place and I have limited time to get things moving. “I’d love to say this has been a good talk, but…well…you know.”
“Be careful, Magnus,” Scarlett says softly.
I glare. “I have a meeting.”
And with that, I head out and back to my office. I call Georgio and tell him to meet me. We’re upping the game. Attacking on all fronts. Subtle and not subtle. I need to see her under fire. I need to see her with the pressure on. I need her defenses strained to the limit.
I need to make my move.
And my fucking family?
