Chapter 4

Shawn ignored me and turned to Glen. "I told you to bring that Lynch girl back, and instead, you drag in some random woman to try to fool me."

Here it came. Classic move.

I took a deep breath, getting ready for the humiliation that was about to hit.

However, Glen pulled me behind him. "Grandpa, she's not some random woman. She's the one I've decided to spend my life with."

What? Mr. Griffin, this definitely wasn't in our contract. You were totally improvising here.

Shawn sneered. "Really? You young people treat life like a game. Stop lying. I knew you were all worked up over that Lynch girl the other day."

"That's all over," Glen said firmly. "The one I care about now is Nicole."

As he spoke, he glanced back at me, his eyes filled with genuine affection.

I almost believed him.

"Fine," Shawn said, putting down his cup and getting to his feet. He walked right up to me, but his gaze never left Glen. "You say you like her, but do you really know her? Do you know who she is?"

He pulled out a stack of photos and slapped them onto the table.

He said, "Nicole Jones, twenty-two years old, parents divorced, and mother gravely ill. She spent three years as the mistress of a man twenty years older than her for money. Am I correct?"

My heart sank.

The photos showed a middle-aged man and me together in all kinds of places. Some were outside hotels, some were at fancy parties, and in one, he was holding me closely by the waist.

That was Cal.

I always thought that part of my past was buried for good when I ended up inside this novel. I never expected it to be exposed so brutally.

I could feel Glen freeze up next to me.

He glanced down at the photos, then back at me, his eyes full of shock and disbelief. "Nicole, this is—"

"It's true," I said, my tone eerily calm. "Everything Shawn said is true."

I avoided looking at Glen.

I knew our partnership was done.

No man could accept a girlfriend with such a shady past, especially when he just claimed she's the one for life.

For him, it was like getting a huge slap in the face.

"Did you hear that?" Shawn said smugly. "Do you still think she's innocent? Do you still want to be with her?"

The air seemed to freeze. I waited quietly for Glen's answer.

I wondered whether he would kick me out or hand me a check. Either way, I could accept it. This was a truth I learned on my very first day in the business.

Unexpectedly, Glen grabbed my cold hand and held it tightly.

He pulled me close, looked Shawn straight in the eye, and said, "I said that's all in the past. I love her for who she is now and who she'll become.

"Her past isn't my business, but I will always be there for her future."

The yard went quiet, with only the wind whispering through the trees.

I stared at Glen's profile in a daze. His jaw was tight, but his gaze was more determined than ever.

For a moment, my heart, hardened by years of training, slammed against something invisible. I felt a sour, prickling ache, and a sharp sting that made me flinch.

Shawn probably never expected Glen to be so stubborn. He glared, furious. "You ungrateful brat. Do you have to piss me off?"

"Grandpa," Glen said, his voice softening but his resolve unwavering, "I only want to be with the person I love. Is that wrong?"

"Love?" Shawn jabbed a finger at me. "What's so special about her? She's simply after your money, and she used to be someone else's mistress. Women like her are not welcome in the Griffin family."

Glen said, "At least her desire for my money proves I'm useful to her. She's honest and upfront, way cuter than women who say they don't care but are really calculating."

He looked at me while talking, and there was this little look of affection in his eyes.

"As for her past," he paused, squeezing my hand even tighter. "Everyone has a past. If the past is enough to deny someone, then no one in this world deserves to be loved."

He said it perfectly.

I almost clapped for him.

Shawn was left speechless, clutching his chest as if on the verge of a heart attack.

"Grandpa, are you okay?" Glen's expression shifted instantly as he hurried over to support him.

The whole argument wrapped up with Shawn going back to his room, fuming.

I stood in the courtyard, staring at the photos scattered across the table, feeling totally at a loss.

Glen came out of the room after making sure Shawn was settled, looking upset.

I figured he'd be mad at me, so I lowered my head and said, "I'm sorry. I should have told you."

"Told me what?" he asked, stepping up to me, his voice unreadable.

"About my past."

"So what? Did you steal or do something illegal?"

"Nope, nothing like that," I whispered. "We had a contract. I wouldn't do any of that."

He chuckled and reached out to ruffle my hair. "Nicole, what on earth is going on in your head?"

His palm was warm, his touch gentle.

My heart skipped a beat. "I—"

"What I said just now wasn't an act," he interrupted, locking eyes with me, his voice earnest. "Our beginning might have been ridiculous, but I'm serious now."

"Mr. Griffin, I—" I said nervously, trying to slip my hand out of his grasp.

Our contract said no feelings involved. He was about to break it.

"Don't call me Mr. Griffin," he said, frowning. "Call me Glen."

"Glen," I replied.

He met my eyes, "So, what do you think?"

"About what?" I was confused.

He said, "Do you want to make our deal real?"