Page 80 of Hate To Be Mine

Elizabeth hugged me, then walked inside. I stood there for a moment, looking up at the stars, thinking about tomorrow.

I went back to my bungalow, the bed still rumpled from earlier, and tried to sleep.

But my thoughts were all over the place. Well, they circled around one thing—her.

28

BERNADETTE

The morning started with my father’s phone call, which should have been my first warning that the day was going to be terrible. I was still in bed, trying to work up the energy to face Sebastian after last night’s panic-induced exit, when my phone rang. Dad’s name on the screen made my stomach drop.

I’d been dodging him, hoping if I pretended he didn’t exist he would somehow just go away. And that was wrong. He was my father.

But dammit, he was such an asshole. And I wasn’t sure he even loved me like a dad should love his child. His love was conditional. If I did a good job and made him richer, he loved me. If I failed, he withheld his love. I felt like a trained monkey.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Bernadette.” His voice was clipped. Colder than usual. “I’ve been waiting for updates about any violations that would invalidate the policy. You were supposed to check in. I’ve heard nothing.”

I sat up, pulling the sheets around me like a shield. “Things are going smoothly. No problems at all.”

Silence. The kind of silence that meant he was irritated.

“That’s disappointing,” he finally said.

“Disappointing that no one’s been hurt? That the production is running safely?”

“Don’t be obtuse. There’s always something. Equipment failures, safety violations, or maybe some environmental damage. I know my daughter won’t let me down. Look harder.”

The way he said “my daughter”—like it was a threat rather than an endearment—made my skin crawl.

“Dad, everything is fine. You’re not going to have to pay anything out. There are only a few more shots left, and then it’s just the runway show. Everyone’s been incredibly careful.”

“It’s the show I’m worried about.” His tone shifted, became almost eager. “There’s a major storm system developing in the region. Depending on which way it turns, all flights to the island could be canceled. The whole event would collapse. And if Blackwell can’t deliver the runway show they promised, the policy pays out. Substantially.”

I felt sick. “You want the show to get canceled.”

“I want what’s best for the company. If a storm happens to interfere with their plans, that’s an act of God. Not our problem. But it does mean we keep all the premiums they’ve paid without the risk of covering any actual incidents.”

“That’s diabolical.” I struggled to find words. “You have no idea how much work these people have put in. They’ve put millions into this campaign.”

“Again, not our problem. That’s the risk they took when they insured with us.” He paused. “I’m counting on you to document everything properly. Make sure there are no grounds for them to dispute the claim when we deny coverage for weather-related cancellations.”

“You want me to help you screw them over.”

“I want you to do your job. Which is to protect the company’s interests. Or have you forgotten who you work for?”

My hands were shaking. “I haven’t forgotten.”

“Good. Keep me updated. And Bernadette? Don’t let personal feelings cloud your professional judgment. I’ve heard rumors about you and that Blackwell boy.”

My blood ran cold. “There are no personal feelings. I’m doing my job.”

“See that you continue to do it.” He hung up without saying goodbye.

I sat there holding my phone, feeling like I might throw up. My father wanted the show to fail. Wanted these people—people I’d been working with, living with, laughing with—to lose everything they’d worked for. Just so his company could keep money it hadn’t earned.

And he’d heard rumors about me and Sebastian. Which meant other people were talking. Which meant I’d been even less careful than I’d thought.