The Billionaire's Wife (6 page)

"Part of the art experience," she said with a wiggle of her eyebrows that told me she thought this whole thing was ridiculous. "Can I be honest with you?" She didn't wait for me to say no. "I think all of this is excessive. And gaudy. All this money and for what? To make a rich chick who has so much that she never had to work for look like a rich art chick who has so much that she never had to work for?"

On one hand her comments were unwelcome and detrimental to this process, but on the other, she clearly had strong opinions. I wanted to find out why the public didn't find Jessica relatable and warm and help them see her in a new light.

I blinked, my eyes suddenly heavy before I turned to the far wall where her paintings stretched down the expanse of the room. "So what do you think of the paintings?" I blinked again, the lights shaking, then going still. They were probably perfecting the angle of the imported fixtures. Trying to create ambience.

Tyler was still off dealing with some scandal, so I decided to pick the server’s brain, shuffling her down the tour. She stopped at each one, head tilted to the side as she evaluated the canvases. She moved quickly, clearly excited to be asked her opinion.

"They're beautiful. They're all beautiful. But I'm more concerned about the story they tell."

"What's the-" My head spun and righted itself but I still felt like I was strapped in a tilt-a-whirl. I gave her a small, clenched teeth smile. "I'll be right back."

I made a beeline for the bathroom, still feeling like I was in motion, even after I gripped both sides of the sink. My mouth was so dry and foreign. My body felt incredibly heavy. My veins felt like they were filled with lead, my movements sluggish.

It sounded far away but the door was behind me, swinging open and nearly slamming into the wall.

"It's you," I said with a grunt of surprise when I took in the entrant. It was the blonde—the chatty, opinionated waitress. "Did I leave something?” I stumbled backward my body crying out in pain when I collided with the sink. "Sorry I don't, I don't...feel like myself. Must have been something I ate."

"Or something you drank,” she said with a white teeth grin.

It seemed to take every ounce of energy in me but I focused on her, confused. "What?" Her weird comments, the fact that she was the only one serving and it was still an hour plus until the event, stacked up and the picture before me didn’t make sense. Or something I drank.... "My drink—did you put something in my drink?"

She crossed her arms, her face suddenly dark and ominous. "I knew you were a smart one."

My eyelids wouldn't stay open. My body was no longer my own. There was a part of me that embraced the silence. The loss of control. It was the part of me that didn't want to know the answers to my question.

Who was she?

Why was she doing this?

I slumped to the ground, stretching out as my words ran into each other. It was easier to not fight. To not talk.

I laid my cheek against the floor. It was so smooth. So cool.

The bathroom door swung open a second time and the shoes and legs didn't belong in the girl’s bathroom. My eyes pulled upward and when they hit blond, shaggy, familiar locks, my heart dropped.

Before everything went black, I saw Cole's face.

****

T
hank you for taking the time to read The Billionaire’s Wife (Part Three). Please consider leaving a review. xoxo, Ava

******

T
he Billionaire’s Wife Series

The Billionaire’s Wife (Part One): November 2014

The Billionaire’s Wife (Part Two): December 2014

The Billionaire’s Wife (Part Three): January 2015

The Billionaire’s Wife (Part Four): February 2015

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A
va Claire is a sucker for Alpha males and happily ever afters. When not putting pen to paper or glued to her e-reader, Ava likes road tripping, karaoke, vintage fashion, and fantasizing about her favorite book boyfriends.

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