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"I was in that bathroom to sprinkle alcohol on my suit so people could smell it on me. The best way to sell a story and ensure that it gets into the news is for people to think it’s a scandal, and nothing makes more of a scandal than a spoiled rich kid getting drunk and doing something stupid."
The silence lasted so long, I glanced up.
"It's all fake?"
"Pretty much," I replied. "There were a few instances where I was just caught in awkward situations beyond my control, but most of what you've probably seen on the news was purposely set up by me because I needed people to see me as a spoiled rich kid with too much time on his hands and not enough brains to do anything else but create a scandal."
"Why?" Alejandro asked. "Why do you need to create scandals? Why is it so important that you are on the news?"
"Like I said, I needed the public to see me a certain way. Creating scandals was the best way to do that. They think I'm an idiot, and I need them to think that."
Alejandro's eyes narrowed. "What are you hiding?"
So, so much.
Chapter Thirteen
~ Alejandro ~
I took a slow sip of my scotch as I waited for Delancy to answer me. The guy seemed to be considering his words. Whether what came out of his mouth was truth or lies remained to be seen.
"From what you've said so far, I'm assuming that you have secrets that you don't want made public."
I nodded.
"Well, so do I."
"Which is why you get your face plastered all over the news?" I asked because I wasn't making the connection.
"Since you told me your secret, I'll tell you mine. But be warned now, if you leak word of this to anyone, cement shoes will be the least of your worries."
I raised one eyebrow when I realized I had just been threatened by my new husband. I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or impressed. "Like I told you before, this room is secure. What you say in here will stay in here."
My mouth dropped open when Delancy shot back the remaining scotch in his glass. For a man who didn't drink a lot of alcohol, he sure knew how to take a shot.
Delancy set the empty glass down on the desk and stared down at it. He started running his fingertip along the edge as he spoke. "I received my first computer when I was seven years old. Due to who my grandfather is, it was, of course, top of the line. It had all the latest bells and whistles. I was amazed by what it could do, and it could do a lot."
I could only imagine what type of computer his grandfather's money could buy him, something I could only dream of at that age. I kind of had a love/hate kind of relationship with computers. While I could use one, I was more comfortable with a gun.
"When my grandfather figured out I liked computers, he kept getting me the latest gadgets every time they hit the market. I think he was trying to provide me with a distraction to keep me from feeling miserable since my mother and father were crap people and even worse parents."
Yeah, I had kind of gotten that impression about them.
"When I was thirteen, my grandfather sent me away to computer summer camp." Delancy let out a small chuckle. "That was probably his greatest mistake."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because not only did I learn about computers there, but I made friends. Only a couple, mind you, but they could have hacked the Pentagon if they truly wanted to, and they taught me everything they knew."
"So, is that your secret?" I asked. "You hack places like the Pentagon?"
"Yes and no," Delancy replied. "I do hack places, but usually not the Pentagon. I could if I wanted to, but it hasn't come up yet."
"So, what does all of this have to do with getting your picture in the papers?"
Delancy's eyes rose to meet mine. "If you had seen any of those videos, would you think I could hack the Pentagon?"
It took me less than a second to let out a chuckle as I put the puzzle pieces together. "No."
