A Cosmic Kind of Love(84)

Therefore, I was knocked on my ass when Navid came dashing into my office that afternoon, eyes wide with panic. “I tried to tell him he needed an appointment, but he just started searching for you, and he’s out there—”

A man suddenly appeared in my doorway, his eyes on the nameplate on my door.

Navid gave me another wide-eyed look as he stepped aside and mouthed, “I’m so sorry.”

Recognizing the man who was now in my office staring at me, I stood on shaking knees and gestured to Navid. “It’s okay, Navid.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

He gave me a worried look but left us alone.

I stared at Chris’s father, already knowing in my gut that it was not a good thing Javier Ortiz had taken time out of his very busy schedule to stop by my office on the same day photographs of me and his son kissing were splattered all over the internet.

“Mr. Ortiz.” I couldn’t round my desk without giving away my nervousness. “How can I help you?”

It was strange, as he looked me over like I was a bug, Chris’s resemblance and non-resemblance to his father struck me. While objectively Javier was a very handsome man, his features, so similar to Chris’s, seemed carved out of granite, and the dark brown eyes he’d given to Chris were nowhere near as beautiful. All because, where Chris’s expression was open and warm and his eyes filled with kindness, his father’s expression was severe, his eyes blacker, colder.

Javier’s gaze dragged down what he could see of my body and then flickered around my small office. He sighed heavily, like he was exasperated. Then his gaze came back to mine, and I touched my desk to hold myself up against the distaste he couldn’t hide. “While I’m sure you’re perfectly good at your job and a capable young woman, it’s obvious you and my son exist on entirely different planets. I don’t know why your paths crossed, and I don’t care. All I care about is that my son has the future he deserves. Being photographed with a party planner who clearly enjoys a good time—”

What the hell did that mean?

“—is a mar on his record that can easily be forgotten once the good-time girl goes away.”

“Good-time girl?”

“We both know what you are, Ms. Goodman.”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“Oh, I know exactly who you are.” He stepped forward and pulled something out of the inside of his suit pocket. “How much will it take to make you go away?”

My jaw literally dropped as I gaped at his checkbook.

It was like something out of a movie.

People did this in real life? “You want to pay me to break up with Chris?”

Javier stared at me, his eyes hard. “How much?”

I was horrified. And not because this man had insulted me, judged me, and decided in his outrageous arrogance that he knew me from a photograph. I was horrified for Chris. I was heartbroken that this was his father and that he would go behind his son’s back and do this to him. What else had he done? What other parts of his life had he interfered in and manipulated and tainted?

“There isn’t a number in the world you could get to, to make me break things off with Chris. Now, if you’re done insulting me, I think you better leave before I call security.”

He raised an eyebrow as if I was the audacious one. “You’ll regret this.”

“Is that a threat?”

“A warning. I can make your life very difficult.”

“Go ahead,” I dared him.

His eyes flashed in outrage, but he turned and stalked out of my office without another word.

Trembling, I practically fell back into my seat. What the hell just happened?

“Hallie? Hallie?”

I blinked, looking up past my computer to find Althea. She stared at me in concern. “Was that Chris’s father?”

I nodded, barely hearing her over the rushing blood in my ears.

“What did he want?”

“To . . . uh . . . to pay me to break up with Chris.” I laughed hollowly. “Who does that? He was like some pantomime villain.”

“Hallie.” Althea crossed the room, leaning over my desk to touch my hand. “Call Chris and tell him.”

I bit my lip at the thought. It would hurt him.

My friend read me like a book. “Hallie, Javier Ortiz is a powerful man. He could do a lot of damage to your life, so you need to pick up the phone and call Chris right now.”

Oh shit.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

Feeling sick to my stomach, I grabbed my phone off my desk and hit Chris on speed dial.





THIRTY-TWO





Chris


I’m going into a meeting in ten minutes, so I don’t have time for whatever this is.”

It took every ounce of self-control I’d ever gained over the years to stop myself from throwing a fist into my father’s face as he glowered arrogantly at me.

As soon as I’d gotten off the phone with Hallie, who’d tried hard to hide the shaking in her voice but couldn’t, I sped into the city. To his office. He had to know why I was here, but he just stood there like I was an inconvenience.

“You’ll make time, you son of a bitch.”

My father raised an eyebrow. “If you’re going to be disrespectful, at least shut the door.”