“He can get pretty annoying,” I admitted. “But he’s not a bad guy. And he does send the money to the right places.”

“So you’re saying he’s taking advantage of rich people’s egos?” she asked.

I turned to look at her finally. The side light was still on, giving me a good look at her makeup-less face.

She looked… unguarded. The hate she harbored for me seemed to have disappeared, even for just a moment.

“You talk like you aren’t in the same circle as them. I remember how you used to act at those,” I noted, even if I knew she didn’t see herself as a Mercer anymore. I realized it before she came home with me.

At least not like what the Mercers used to be.

“You know your dad would drop millions at these types of events,” I said before I could stop myself. I had been with him on more than one occasion. It never sat right with me how he’d just throw around his money. He was greedy. And that was what fucked him in the end.

“I know.” A frown appeared on her face. “At one point, he started hanging some of the pieces in my room because he’d run out of wall space.”

Her eyes met mine. I knew what she was going to ask. But I didn’t want to answer it.

“You went with him to a few,” I said. “I remember seeing you.”

The frown grew deeper.

“I don’t remember seeing you.”

I looked back up at the ceiling.

“I was lingering at the back,” I said. “I didn’t want to get involved in what he was doing there.”

More than that, I found it insulting. How he paraded her around. I had already started the process of getting into business with him and if anything, tying myself to his side at the auctions would have given me even more shit on him.

“Besides buying art, you mean?”

I turned back to her, searching her face.

She didn’t know.

I bit my cheek, not wanting to say anything, but she had me, and she knew it.

“What was he doing, Warren?”

My fingers dug into the sheets.

“Lots of networking, negotiations… marriage shopping.”

“He what?” Addi pushed up, her eyes searching my face for an untruth that wasn’t there.

“It’s well known in our circle. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”

“He wouldn’t… I mean, I would have known… Did he really?” The last part was whispered.

“He didn’t settle on anyone, but Maxwell was a candidate. Ask him if you don’t believe me.”

Her eyebrows pushed together.

“Maxwell?” she whispered to herself.

My hand gripped her arm and tugged her back down to the bed. I was too exhausted and too afraid of what else I might spill.