6
Olivia
Itake a measured breath to try and steady my racing heart then knock on Jude’s door.
The last time I was near this office was the night I heard him talking on the phone about Eric.
The office I share with Amy is three floors down, so I hardly ever come here. unless if Jude sends for me.
I’m here now to put the plan I conjured up into action.
If this part doesn’t work, I’m screwed.
“Come in,” Jude calls out and I push the large oak door open.
He’s inside sitting behind his desk. He was looking through some documents but stopped the moment I entered. His surprise to see me is evident.
“Well, look at this,” he states, straightening up. “I never expected to see you until I returned from New York.”
When I walk in, his eyes roam over my body.
I wore this dress today on purpose. It hugs my curves and draws attention to my deep cleavage. I wanted to do everything I could to butter him up. It’s working but watching him looking at me with such open desire makes bile churn my stomach. I can hardly look at him without thinking of all the times I’ve been with him coerced by his threat to kill mom if I disobey.
“I needed to speak to you about something,” I reply stopping before his desk.
“What?”
“We started planning for the wedding and I found out the designer I wanted my dress from is going to be doing a show in L.A. with her new line. I wanted to ask you if it would be okay to go.”
That’s the plan. The idea to get me to L.A.
Amy and I spent yesterday mulling over how I could do it and that’s what we came up with.
We actually found a wedding dress show by a famous designer who’s going to be in L.A for seven days.
Seven days will hopefully give me a window of time to get to speak with Aiden Romanov. All I need is for Jude to agree.
When his endless gaze darkens, however, my heartbeat speeds again and for a moment I wonder if he’s figured me out.
“You want to go to L.A. to get a dress?” He quirks a curious brow.
“Yes.”
“This is a very interesting change of heart toward our upcoming nuptials.”
Shit.
Of course, he would say that, and this is the exact thing I was worried about. Jude knows there’s no fucking way in hell I want this wedding, let alone a dress, no matter who made it.
When he told me he was marrying me to get ownership of the company I fought within an inch of my life with my fists not even considering the first time I saw his true colors.
I ended up getting another taste of his wrath and being locked away from everybody for a month. So, this conversation is not going to be an easy one.
I have to pull out all the stops and try to look believable.
“I just want to get married in the dress I want. That’s all.”
“Is it?” His flinty gaze is unyielding. Even to make me crumble under the weight of his scrutiny. But I school my mind and try to exercise iron clad control over my fears.