Switched Bride, True Luna - Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Logan
I stood at my office window, coffee in hand, watching as morning sunlight crept across the pack compound. I still felt uncomfortable about the date last night. I had expected so much from it, but it had fallen even more than flat.
Not to mention that Emily and I were as tense as ever when we were together today. She didn’t share her usual bright smile with me during our morning briefing.
The worst part was that I wasn’t sure where to go from here, which is unlike me. This was all unfamiliar territory. I didn’t even know how to apologize.
A car drove up to the packhouse, and I wasn’t all that surprised at the person who stepped out of it. Chloe had decided to drop by.
I hadn’t expected to see her so quickly. She must be growing restless, which would work in my favor. I had to play my cards carefully here.
Her timing was great. Emily was in with the pack accountant, and she would probably be gone for a while. That way, she wouldn’t have to deal with her evil step-sister.
Every muscle in my body tensed. Was this what Emily was talking about? Here I was, making plans and doing things behind her back.
Suddenly, I felt dirty.
My office door opened, and Chloe Crowley stepped in like she owned the room.
She smiled too brightly. “Morning, Alpha. Can you spare a little time to see me?”
“Good morning, Chloe. What can I help you with?”
“Actually, I’m here to see how I can help you.” She glided to the edge of my desk, perching on the corner. “I thought I’d bring you something to brighten up your day.”
She lifted a covered tray, unveiling a cup of coffee and a few flaky croissants.
“You brought me breakfast?”
“Just being helpful. You can call it a peace offering.” Her voice purred around the words, but to me it was no better than nails on a chalkboard. “You’ve been so stressed lately. And I thought you’d appreciate a little kindness.”
I stared at her. Everything about her was carefully curated. Her lip gloss, silk blouse, and floral perfume were all a part of the act.
She was trying too hard.
I leaned back in my chair slowly. “You didn’t strike me as the catering type.”
Chloe gave a soft laugh. “People can surprise you, Logan.”
“Maybe,” I said. But my tone had cooled.
She slid the cup toward me. “Try the coffee. I had it made the way you like it.”
I didn’t move. Instead, I stared at the cup. Accepting a drink from someone that can’t be trusted was a dangerous move.
When I didn’t pick up the cup, Chloe laughed again, but nervously, this time. “Oh come on. Don’t be paranoid.”
“I’m not,” I said, voice clipped. “I’m cautious.”
She blinked at the sudden steel in my tone.
“You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to. I’m trying to be nice. We will be family soon, you know?”
The way she said it had the hairs standing up on the back of my neck. Her words were poison disguised as purity. Even then, this was an opportunity I can’t pass up.
“I’m glad you’re getting used to the idea of me and Emily being together,” I said. Her smile almost slipped.
“I wasn’t sure the two of you were a good match. In fact, I’m worried about you.”
“How so?”
“Emily’s never really been good at anything. Plus, with her dormant wolf, it seems like she’d do more harm than good. It seems like she might be using you.”
That was familiar rhetoric. The media had reported something very similar. I’d be careful here as I didn’t want to spook her. I needed to get her to confess.
“I appreciate the concern, but I don’t think there is anything Emily needs me for.”
“I’m sure there is. You’re handsome, powerful, and well-connected. I bet there’s nothing you can’t do.” She slid across the edge of the desk, drawing closer to me. I didn’t move. “Not to mention, you’re rich. Emily wants money. That’s why she started that lawsuit, after all.”
“What would she need the lawsuit for if she’s marrying me for my money?” I asked. Chloe giggled and placed her hand on my shoulder. Despite being repulsed by her touch, I remained where I was.
“That’s how greed works. She’ll always want more.”
“But you’re not like that?”
“Of course not. I don’t want to use you,” she answered, her voice so sweet it made me sick to my stomach. I needed to end this quickly so I didn’t lose my patience. Every word out of Chloe’s mouth was a sugar-coated lie, and I despised it.
“Then what do you want?” I asked her.
“You, Logan. I can do things for you that you can’t even imagine. If you’ll give me a chance, I will show you.” Her hand slid down my shoulder, and her fingers circled the knot of my tie.
I lowered my voice. “What would you do for a chance to be with me, Chloe?”
She didn’t have a chance to answer. A crash came from behind her, and the both of us turned to see where the sound came from.
It was Emily.
The tablet she had been holding was now lying on the floor, the screen cracked. She stood in th doorway with wide eyes. Her attention flicked first to Chloe, then to me, then to where Chloe grabbed my tie. Her expression was of nothing but horror.
Only then did I realize what the scene looked like to outsiders. Anyone who walked in on us would have thought they were witnessing something intimate.
“Sorry,” she said bitterly. “I didn’t realize you had company.”
I opened my mouth, words lining up to explain, but Chloe beat me to it.
“Oh, I brought Logan breakfast,” she said sweetly, giving my tie a tug. “I thought he could use something warm this morning.”
The way she said it, something warm, wasn’t accidental.
I quickly pulled Chloe’s hand off me, stood up, and stepped back. A storm brewed in Emily’s eyes, though she tried to keep it behind a mask of professionalism.
“I see,” she said coolly. “Well. Let me know when you’re ready for the finance update.”
She turned.
“Emily—” I started. But she was already gone.
I rounded on Chloe. “Get out.”
Her smile cracked. “But—”
“Get out. Before I call someone to escort you.”
For a moment, she wavered. Tears pricked at her eyes. After a moment, she spun on her heel and stormed out.
I followed behind her to make sure she left the office, even going as far to stand at the top of the staircase as she walked out the front door. As soon as she was gone, I hurried off to find Emily.
I followed her scent, one of cherries and almonds. It was the first time I truly observed how pleasant it was. Even then, I didn’t have the time to ruminate on that. I needed to find her and try to explain.
I found her in the conference room. She typed something into the financial report system, her fingers pounding the keys.
“Emily.”
She didn’t look up. “I sent the updated invoices to your email.”
“Emily, please.”
That got her attention. Her spine stiffened, and she slowly turned to face me. When she met my eyes, I saw more than irritation. I saw disappointment, which hurt more.
“It wasn’t what it looked like,” I said.
“Oh really? Because it looked like you were flirting with my step-sister, who tortured me for years. Including cheating on you with my fiancé.”
Her words stabbed like a fiery blade. “I wasn’t flirting. She came in on her own, and I was trying to see if I could get any information out of her.”
Emily stood up so fast her chair almost fell over. “What information could you possibly need from Chloe?”
“Someone’s leaking stories about us to the press,” I said quickly. “I don’t think it’s random. I needed to see if she’d slip.”
Her face twisted with disbelief, her voice rising. “So you let her touch you?”
“I didn’t let her.”
“You didn’t stop her.”
The silence after that felt volcanic. My pulse roared in my ears.
Emily’s hands curled into fists at her sides, shaking. “Is this about what happened last night?” she asked, quieter now.
“No. I was going to tell you everything, I swear.”
“When, Logan?” she said, eyes glassy. “After she published the next article? After my face was on the front page again?”
I stepped toward her. “I didn’t have proof. Only a suspicion. And I needed to be sure before I dragged you into it.”
“And that’s the problem!” she snapped, backing away from me. “You keep making decisions that involve me, without me. What is so hard about trusting me? About communicating?”
“I do trust you!”
“Then act like it!” she shouted, her voice cracking. “Stop treating me like I’m a figurehead for your little P.R. fantasy. I’m supposed to be your partner, but I feel like your pawn.”
She pushed past me toward the door. I caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were red-rimmed, furious, and hurt. “And I can’t believe you let Chloe touch you like that.”
I followed her out into the hallway. “Emily, I have no interest in Chloe.”
“It doesn’t matter!” she spun around, fire in every word. “You should’ve shut it down. You should’ve told me everything. You should’ve chosen me, Logan.”
I froze. Those words hit somewhere deep, deeper than logic, any deal, or any contract. The truth was, I hadn’t done more than fail to inform her. I’d made her feel replaceable.
And now I was losing her.
“I don’t know how to trust you,” she said softly, like it hurt to admit. “And that terrifies me.”