Page 93 of The Rebel Billionaire

"Neither," Lucas said in answer to my question. "It just makes it harder to pin down her motive. If she's completely cracked, it could be impossible to determine why she fixated on yourfamily."

"And if she's not completely cracked? If she really does knowsomething?"

"Princess," Lucas said, reaching out to take my hand in his, "I don't want you to get your hopes up. It's possible she does know something. But we can't make her talk, and even if we could, her accusations won't hold any weight. Not with her locked up underpsychiatriccare."

"I know it wouldn't bring them back," I said in a low voice. "But I still want to know what happened. Someone took themfromus—"

I stopped talking. I wasn't going to cry and ruin my makeup. I took a quick breath in through my nose and letitout.

I was fine. Everything was fine. Once I had my roiling emotions under control, I said, "So you guys think she was the stalker the whole time, right? I'm in theclear?"

"That's the working theory," Lucas admitted. "Hayward has had eyes on him nonstop since before you left Winters Inc. If he were pulling the strings here, he did a better job of hiding it than he did hiding all the shit he was up to with his company. Which would be out of character. Still, you should be careful for now. Keep the alarm on when you're home. Carry your panic button. Justincase."

"I can do that," I said. "But you think I'm probablysafenow?"

"We'll see," he said, shooting me a sidelongglance.

We pulled up to the valet parking line outside the hotel where the benefit was being held. A few minutes later, Lucas led meinside.

Vance and Maggie were in the lobby, and my jaw dropped when I caught sight of Maggie's dress. Lucas let out a low wolf-whistle. I elbowed him in the side,grinning.

Maggie had been right. She never would've picked a dress like that for herself, but I could absolutely see Vancechoosingit.

The navy silk clung to her curves, outlining the hourglass of her figure, a high slit on one side revealing most of her leg, covered in sheer creamy stockings. The deep V of the neckline revealed the inner curves of her breasts. I hoped the fabric was taped in place, otherwise she risked a wardrobemalfunction.

The dress was elegant, classy, yet unabashedly sexy. Around her neck, she wore a choker of diamonds and sapphires, with matching jewels at her ears and on her wrist. Her red hair was a mass of fiery curls, spilling downherback.

Lucas and I joined them and I said, "I like thedress."

Maggie's cheekswentpink.

Vance said, "Toldyou."

Maggie sent him a mini-glare.

"You look beautiful," Lucas said, and the pink in Maggie's cheeksturnedred.

"You really do, Maggie," I said. "You should hire Vance as your personalshopper."

"That's what I keep telling her,"Vancesaid.

Maggie's mini-glare went full-throttle.

"If I let you pick all of my clothes, my breasts would be in danger of falling out every time I lean over," shecomplained.

"And that's a problem?" Vance asked,laughing.

Vance asked Lucas about Marissa, and we changed the subject. Aiden arrived with a date, some woman I vaguely knew by sight but whose name I couldn'trecall.

We said hello, then wandered off to find a drink. There was dancing, and hors d'oeuvres carried around by waiters in white tuxedos, but no sit-down dinner. Along one side of the ballroom, long tables were set up displaying items for silentauction.

Arm in arm, Lucas and I strolled down the line, me sipping champagne and him a beer. Neither of us bid. Aiden had already made a donation on behalf of the family, and I didn't have the extra cash for luxuries Ididn'tneed.

There was a house on the market three streets away from mine that needed a lot of work, but it had potential. I wasn't sure if I could swing it, but if I did, I'd need every spare bit of cash I could get myhandson.

I was just starting to wonder how long we had to stay when a hand closed around my elbow. Beside me, Lucas went stiff. I turned and met a pair of familiarhazeleyes.

Harrison. The first of my ill-fatedfiancés.