Page 127 of Unwritten Rules

“No, sweet Mila, I’m definitely not an idiot. I know he won’t give you up for the estate alone. I realised that when he wouldn’t so much as entertain getting back together, not with you in the picture…so, I’ve found some new leverage.”

She drops the sizeable brown envelope over my shoulder, so it lands on my lap with a thud.

“Your fine…displays, shall we say? Yes, displays. They’re precisely what I need to force Nate’s hand. Say, if I were to advise him that I’m going to send what’s inside this envelope to a certain best friend of his, then you can be guaranteed he’d give you up. In a heartbeat. Because nothing, and no one, is more important to him than those two idiot friends of his. Not even you, despite what he may tell you. They’ll always come first!”

Sliding the contents of the envelope onto my lap, I can’t stifle the gasp that escapes me when image upon image of Nate and me fall out.

Pictures of us hugging on the pool table of The Nook.

Kissing on the steps of Hawthorne House afterwards.

In the library with Nate on his knees.

In the orchard yesterday during our most private moments.

My face contorts in anger as I stand and throw the pictures at her.

“You’ve been following us?”

“Oh, God, no. That’s beneath me. I paid someone to follow you. And he delivered.” Stepping closer, she smirks, plain and simple spite pasted across her face. “In fucking spades.”

She bends to retrieve the scattered photos, looking up at me as I tremble with unconcealed rage. “I simply can’t wait to see what your brother makes of them.”

My heart sinks as the realisation hits me. To keep me, Nate will lose everything.

“No. We’re going to tell Henry. The right way, not like this! You can’t—”

“Go on and beg all you like. Ask Wetherby here – he’ll confirm I do so love a good spot of begging. And besides,” she snorts, “you’re delusional if you think Nate ever planned on telling his precious friends about this little affair.”

“That’s not true. He’s the one who wanted to tell—”

“I’m sure he did,” she cuts me off with a snarl. “Nate’s very good with his words, after all. But at the end of the day, words mean nothing if you can’t act on them.”

My heart is screaming that she’s wrong, so wrong. But my wormy brain is telling me that there could be a small truth in there.

Am I just a fling to him?

“Please, Zara. Don’t do this. My brother will never forgive either of us!” I’m not above begging and pleading with this absolute monster.

Pride has no place here.

“There is an alternative, you know. One where these pictures will never see the light of day. A future where Nate keeps what’s his, we get what’s ours, and you won’t have to live with the guilt of taking everything from him. Or the blame placed on you for destroying your brother’s friendship. A future where Nate and Henry’s lifelong bond shall remain unbroken, and his legacy retained.”

Her wink makes me physically ill.

“It’ll be our little secret.” She leans forward and stage-whispers, “After all, I’m sure you know how much loyalty and duty mean to Hawthorne men.”

Sweat breaks out across my forehead at the knowledge that she’s played me right into a corner, a game I excel at, and it’s altogether nauseating to be on the receiving end.

I swallow roughly against the bile creeping up my throat, croaking the inevitable question.

“What do you want me to do?”

Without missing a beat, she narrows her eyes and smiles triumphantly. “Find a hole, and crawl into it!”

CHAPTER 36

NATE