Baby Be Mine(Spinsters & Casanovas Series Book 1)(128)

Hunter’s head snapped back to the crowd and sure enough, he saw Clarice walking towards Anton with a fierce determined look on her face.

Oh shit. She’s going to confess. And this time, there was no backing down. Hunter still held his wine glass in his hand. He had to do something. Shit, he had to think of something fast. Otherwise, everything would turn into custard. From this distance, it was too far to stop them.

Hunter scanned around the hall quickly, trying to find anything at all to distract Clarice from confessing to Anton. Then he saw the microphone standing on the stand on stage and an idea brewed inside his head. Handing Caroline his wine glass, he told her to stay put and climbed up on stage. Caroline was so surprised by Hunter’s action that she just stared blankly at him in confusion.

Up on stage, Hunter could see Clarice was just a few meters from Anton. Any minute now and she would confess. He hadn’t enough time to stop them. He needed to do something fast. Then he picked up the microphone.

Clarice walked towards Anton with a determined stride and only one purpose: to confess and then go home. She’d had enough of today. If she didn’t escape, she could guarantee she would faint into Hunter’s arms. Yes, she must get away from him, stop him from distracting her so she could make her confession and then leave. Except she didn’t know Hunter was standing right behind her onstage, holding on to the microphone awkwardly, staring at her making her way towards his cousin.

As Clarice neared Anton, she saw him talking to Fern. She really didn’t want to interrupt them. She had a strong feeling Anton liked Fern, but she had to tell him, just to get the guilt out of her system. So she tapped him on the shoulder, making Anton and Fern turn around. Without allowing Anton and Fern to greet her, she spoke, “Anton, I have—”

“You can’t, Clarice!”

Clarice froze, hearing Hunter’s shout, the sound of his voice through the microphone echoing around the main hall.

Shit, what have I done? Hunter thought. He’d just literally shouted out without thinking when he saw Clarice was about to confess to Anton. And now he’d alerted the entire audience who were now standing still, staring at the heir of Silverton Enterprises, who was standing up on stage, holding the microphone like he had a special announcement to make.

Hunter was sweating. The eyes of everyone down below gazed up at him. But his only focus was on Clarice as she turned to him, staring with a confused expression on her face. He felt his forehead dotted with perspiration and his hands felt like they’d been dipped in a jar of water. The microphone kept slipping from his hands.

“You can’t, Clarice,” Hunter repeated, his eyes still zoomed onto Clarice, not caring and not seeing the sea of faces that continued to stare in his direction, waiting and watching for the event to unfold before them. The many faces that included Anton, who was thinking at that moment just what was his young cousin was up to now. Fern was smiling because she knew what was about to happen, Clinton was in shock, as he had never seen his son act like this before, and Caroline fisted her hands so tightly by her sides, afraid of what Hunter was about to say.

“Don’t,” Hunter spoke again. God help him. He felt awkward standing onstage like this, but there was no way around it. He needed to stop Clarice’s confession; otherwise, Anton would get her.

Clarice was confused. She turned away from Anton and started advancing towards the stage until she stood just at the edge, staring up at him from below.

“Don’t confess to Anton,” he said, looking down at her, only seeing her.

“Why?” Clarice asked.

“Because… because…” His hands trembled and his voice shook.