She was supposed to be in New York. She was supposed to be caring for her sister.
Had that been a lie? Had she been lying all along, and taking everything she knew about Phantom to Bolton?
The same guy Kendra had cheated on him with.
Had Minh been sleeping with him too?
The mere possibility sliced him apart.
And what the fuck was she wearing? Gone was the buttoned-up look she’d had when they’d first met. Casual, relaxed Minh was gone too. She was dolled up in a bright red, low-cut, tight top, her hair down and curling over her shoulders, teasing the skin at the top of her breasts, and she was wearing makeup.
She looked like a practiced seductress.
The fear that he’d been duped again took hold, and he gestured to Harmon to go ahead. “I’m so sorry, I just have to go say hello to someone I know. I’ll be right back.” He didn’t bother to wait for an answer, just strode over to Minh’s table.
As he got closer, he could see that she was wearing heels, too, and what looked like a short skirt. What the fuck was going on? Was she one of Bolton’s girls too? No way. No fucking way.
He walked faster.
He knew the second she saw him. Her eyes got big and she started shaking her head. She looked…caught.
She was saying something to Bolton, who had his back to Chris, and now she was standing up, so that by the time he reached the table, she’d come around close to that fucking son of a bitch, almost like she was protecting Bolton from Chris.
Protecting a scum-sucking asshole like Bolton. No. Not like Bolton. The actual fucker, himself.
That said everything to Chris.
“Hi, sweetie!” Minh’s smile was too bright. Strained. She leaned forward, reaching out to hug him, but he caught her hands and brought them down in front of her body, making it look like he was clasping their hands together in greeting. He didn’t want her cheating arms around him.
“Don’t pretend that you’re happy to see me.” His teeth were gritted together so hard, he was surprised they hadn’t shattered. “You lied to me. You were supposed to be in New York. I cannot believe you used your own sister’s drug addiction like that. Or was that just a lie too?”
Minh recoiled as though he’d slapped her and yanked her hands from his. “I wasn’t—”
But he held up a hand, stopping her. Don’t lie to me. “I saw you leaning close to him. I saw you. How could you cheat on me like that?”
Minh frowned. “Cheating on you? Are you seriously accusing me of that? Last time I saw you, you made it clear that I was only temporary!” Her whisper was harsh and furious, and for a second Chris faltered.
But then Bolton reached out and stroked his hand down Minh’s arm. A sensual, possessive gesture. She jerked her arm away, but there was no way she could fool Chris into thinking that she’d been offended by Bolton’s touch. That touch was too familiar to be anything but intimate.
Fine. Maybe she hadn’t cheated on him in her mind, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t sharing his secrets. She knew how he felt about making a statement in this industry. She knew him. She’d seen him. And he’d been a fool and let her deeper in than he ever should have.
How could he have ever thought that she could see into his soul? He’d given her his heart, thinking she really understood how to take care of it, and now…
“Don’t bother finishing up the gig. You’ve clearly gotten what you wanted out of it. I never want to see you again.”
He turned and headed back to the table where Harmon was waiting with raised brows.
“Everything okay?”
Chris nodded. “Fine. Just an old business acquaintance of mine who—”
Behind him, there was a clatter, and the sound of a few people gasping. He looked up in time to see Minh rushing out the door.
“Looks like your old acquaintance had some trouble with her date.” Harmon gestured behind Chris, and he swiveled in his chair to see Bolton standing, mopping at his trousers with a napkin, like he’d spilled something.
Or had it thrown on him.
Had Minh taken out her embarrassment on Bolton? It didn’t seem like something she would do, but then again, neither was cheating. She’d put so much emphasis on respectability and maintaining a façade. She hadn’t even bothered to run after him, to try to convince him that he hadn’t caught her in the act.
Because he had. Obviously, he had, and she wasn’t going to deny it.
Chapter Seventeen
Beep.
Minh ended the call without leaving a message and dropped the phone on her bed.
It had been five days since Chris had accused her of cheating on him, and even though she’d called him a million times, he hadn’t answered.