Chapter 188

Liam’s POV

I’d been on hold for ten minutes before the owner of one of the news outlets finally picks up the phone. I knew Chuck well enough. We’d hung around at the same parties and same events in my younger years, back when I’d been a driver with a partying reputation to uphold.

Since I fell out of that scene, Chuck and I had drifted apart. Even so, I hoped those good old days would mean something to him, because I was calling in one hell of a favor.

“Liam. Long time no see. When my secretary told me you were on the line, I didn’t really believe her.”

“Yeah. Sorry. I meant to reach out, but…”

“I get it. You calling about the engagement? I got the invitation.”

Great. He already got it. I didn’t want to think about how much Joanna paid to have those invitations all rushed like that. I lived comfortably, but it had been a long time since I could drop a massive amount of cash without feeling anything even a little.

“Yeah, actually,” I sucked in a breath, trying to steady myself. “I need a favor.”

Suspicion immediately rises in Chuck’s voice. “What kind of favor?”

I was botching this already. Acting too nervous, I was making him pull up his guard. Because of this, I’ve already lost the advantage in this conversation.

As part of my job, I wheeled and dealed all the time. Why was this so difficult to manage?

I knew, because this wasn’t about my job. This was about my personal life, and my relationship with Aria was potentially at stake.

“I want to keep this engagement secret,” I said.

Chuck laughed. “Then you shouldn’t have invited me.”

“Please, Chuck. For old times’ sake.”

Chuck’s laughed slowly stilted into a few heavy huffs of breath. “You drop the biggest gossip of the year on my lap and then want me to keep quiet about it? For how long?”

Forever was what I wanted to say, but I knew he wouldn’t go for that.

“Just for a while…” I said vaguely.

Chuck paused for a minute. “You are serious about this?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Why keep it secret?”

“I… can’t say…”

“I want to be on your side, Liam, but you are making it difficult.”

“I’m sorry, Chuck, really. I’ll make it up to you.”

“Doubtful.” Chuck paused a moment, then sighed. “For old times’ sake, I won’t say anything until Sunday. If you want to keep this a surprise for Joanna, I can help you with that. At least as long as no other channels pick up the news. If that happens, all bets are off.”

Looking down at the list, and all the calls I had to make next, I bit back a groan.

“I understand,” I said. “Thank you, Chuck. I mean it.”

“Sure. It will be nice to see you at society events again, Liam. You’ve been slumming it for too long. Oh! I have to go. Another call. Ciao.”

The call abruptly ended, which was probably a good thing. With the way he was attempting to insult me, I almost said something that I would have probably regretted – especially because I really did need this favor.

It seemed I had to call in every favor I could to keep the news of the engagement a secret – until Sunday.

That didn’t give me a lot of time. I’d have to talk to Aria first thing on Sunday, before she could see the news, to clear everything up.

She’d be mad at first, but surely I’d be able to convince her that it was all done in the best interest of the family. Then she’d see… She’d understand. And we could move forward together for real this time.

“All this to spare the feelings of Aria,” Joanna said. “Such wasted efforts. Truly. Why don’t you just let her go already? She clearly doesn’t understand the high society way of life.”

I might have understood the high society way of life but that didn’t make me partial to it. The opposite, having to negotiate for everything was exhausting. Everyone was out for themselves. Chuck agreed to keep things quiet until Sunday, but I imagined even that wasn’t entirely selfless.

In a few months, or even less than that, I was certain I would have Chuck on the other end of the line wanting something from me in exchange of this.

Looking down at the list, I was about to owe a lot of favors.

Not acknowledging Joanna and the ridiculous she was spewing, I started another call.

All of this was a harsh reminder of why I wanted to leave the high society lifestyle behind in the first place. I’d keep fighting. I wouldn’t be trapped here again.

Aria’s POV

Markus’s butler showed me into the house. Markus was once again in his conservatory, surrounded by his flowerless plants.

He was paler than the last time I’d seen him. Frailer, too. It was jarring how a man so fragile could possess such vitriol for his own son.

“Aria. Back again.” Though Markus’s voice was quiet, it still kept a hard edge. This man, on death’s door or not, was not one to be trifled with.

I was walking into the lion’s den right now. But I needed answers about this invitation, and the best place I could think to come to get those answers was here, straight to the source.

“Somehow I doubt you aren’t here to tell me you give up and want the money after all.”

“I don’t want your damn money. I don’t want anything to do with you. I wouldn’t be here at all if I didn’t have to be,” I said.

“Then why are you here?”

I reached into my bag and pulled out the white envelope with the invitation inside. “I received this, and I want to know what it’s for and why it was given to me.”

“And you believe I have those answers for you?”

“Someone matching your butler’s description was seen to have delivered it.”

Also, I’d been thinking this over. Not anyone could just walk into our team headquarters off the street. Any visitors had to go through security screening at reception.

Someone either had to have a purpose for entering… Or they had enough money and influence to bribe half the staff and know they could get away with it.

All just to deliver this invitation? Who but Markus would spend that much in bribe money just to make sure I received this envelope?

Markus had to know what was going on, even though he glanced at my invitation with curiosity more than recognition.

He could be lying. He had to be the one to send it. No one else would have.

I had already run the address on the invitation too. It was for an event ballroom with a garden attached. From the website photos, it looked beautiful. A place where a lot of expensive weddings took place. None of my friends could afford a place like that. It was almost-exclusively high society.

Which once again pointed to Markus.

“You’ve clearly come to accuse me of something,” Markus said. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. “As much as I would love to rub in whatever game you think I am playing. I assure you, this time, I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“This invitation…” I started.

“Is that what it is?” Markus asked. “I’ve never seen it before.”

My worrying compounded. I didn’t want to believe him. He could be lying.

But if he didn’t send this to me… then who did?