The Runaway Bride And The Billionaire. Kate Hardy

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СКАЧАТЬ as his temporary second-in-command, would hardly sack himself. ‘I’ll be speaking to Priya in HR, but I guess it’s going to be awkward in the office tomorrow.’ She paused. ‘Unless you maybe call in sick.’

      ‘And then get sacked for lying?’ he scoffed. ‘Hardly.’

      So, even though he was completely in the wrong, he wasn’t going to make this easy for her? ‘Your choice,’ she said. She couldn’t do anything about the work situation, but she could at least do something about the home situation. And this was her flat, not theirs. He hadn’t paid a penny towards the mortgage and he couldn’t claim any rights in it. ‘Did you pack your stuff?’

      ‘No.’

      Clearly he’d expected to talk her round. He’d got that one wrong, too. Something else to add to her list, then. ‘Go and stay with Jamie. I’ll have your stuff delivered to his place.’

      ‘Immi, it doesn’t have to be this way,’ he said urgently. ‘We can get through this.’

      ‘No, we can’t,’ she said. She’d never told him about Shaun’s betrayal, and she wasn’t going to tell him now. But she’d never, ever trust him again. Personally or professionally. ‘I’m not going to change my mind. The wedding’s off. Please just go, Stephen.’

      For a moment, she thought he was going to argue with her. But then, to her relief, he left without a fight.

      As she double-locked the door behind him, she realised that he still hadn’t said sorry.

      And that was somehow the saddest thing.

      She was halfway through composing a text to her family when her phone beeped.

      The message was from Andie.

      You OK? Xxx

      Twin-sense again.

      I’m fine.

      She wasn’t quite sure if it was true or not, right at that moment, but she knew she would be fine. She’d get through this.

      Have news. Telling everyone at same time. Give me five minutes. xxx

      Please, don’t let her twin think that Immi was playing catch-up again and following in her footsteps with news about a baby. That wasn’t happening any time soon. If ever. Not that she’d ever discussed any of that with her family.

      And now she definitely had to tell her family about her broken engagement. She had less than five minutes.

      There wasn’t a way to break the news gently. She blew out a breath and typed the bald statement.

      Am calling off the wedding.

      If she told them why, all hell would break loose. Then again, if she didn’t tell them why, all hell would break loose. Better to tell the truth.

      Stephen has met someone else.

      Though she didn’t have to tell them quite how she’d found out, did she?

      I’m fine. Don’t worry. But I don’t want to talk to anyone right now, OK?

      No way would her family respect that. But she wanted to allay the fears she knew they’d all have straight away. The fears they’d always have, thanks to her teenage years: anorexia was a mental illness with physical symptoms, and of course they’d worry that she’d relapse. Even though she’d spent quite a while in counselling and worked hard to overcome her problems.

      PS I *am* eating. Don’t worry.

      She ended with a smiley face she didn’t feel. And three kisses.

      Then she added a second text to her parents.

      Please do *not* rush home from India. All is under control. Or it will be. See you next month. Love you! xxx

      Then she called their HR manager. ‘Priya, I’m so sorry to call you outside work, but we’ve got a bit of a tricky situation.’ She explained what had happened.

      ‘What a bastard,’ Priya said, sounding outraged. ‘I can’t believe he did that to you. Are you all right?’

      ‘I will be,’ Immi said. ‘I was kind of hoping he’d offer to resign.’

      ‘But he’s too selfish for that.’ Priya sighed. ‘What he did was despicable—but it’s to do with his personal life outside work. So, much as I’d like to sack him, I can’t. I can’t even give him a written warning or put him on gardening leave.’

      ‘Dad will probably want to kick him out.’

      ‘And then Stephen could take him to a tribunal and make a claim for unfair dismissal.’ Priya paused. ‘Do you think it’s likely that he can do any damage to the business?’

      Would he really turn out to be that nasty, and try to damage the business now his ambitions had been thwarted? ‘I guess anything he does will leave either a paper trail or an electronic trail that would lead straight back to him. If he’s determined to stay then I don’t think he’s stupid enough to do anything where Dad could sue him for misconduct or negligence.’

      ‘Do you want to move your desk to my office first thing, so you don’t have to face him?’ Priya offered.

      ‘You are the world’s biggest sweetheart,’ Immi said, ‘and I really appreciate the offer, but no. I’m not letting him drive me out of my office. Maybe seeing me every day will make him feel guilty enough to do the right thing and leave.’

      ‘Once people know what he’s done—and it won’t be from me,’ Priya said, ‘I have a feeling that nobody in Marlowe Aviation is going to talk to him ever again.’

      ‘It’s a mess,’ Immi said. ‘But I’m going to stick it out. I’m not letting him drive me out of my family’s business.’

      ‘Good,’ Priya said. ‘And my door is open any time you need it, OK?’

      ‘Thanks.’

      When she’d finished the call, she saw she had a screen full of texts.

      Get that you don’t want to talk, her twin said, but do you need a hand unpicking the wedding?

      Typical Andie, being practical.

      Immi texted back.

      Thanks, but am fine.

      And she was surprisingly fine. It felt as if a huge weight had just been lifted from her shoulders—which in itself told her that cancelling the wedding had been the right thing to do. Marrying Stephen would’ve been a huge, huge mistake.

      Will let you know if I get stuck on anything.

      There was one from Posy.

      Love you, let me know if you need anything. Portia’s been at the villa. Go there if you need a break. xxx

      Thanks. Might take you up on that later. Love you, too xxx, she texted back to Posy.

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