Claimed Hard by My Best Friend novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: Term Three

Kate's POV

By Saturday night the old video had two million views.

Dane's caption was one line: The girl who got a better offer. Tonight at the Gilt.

Lucy had watched it half a dozen times and wanted to throw her phone into the ocean.

"You don't have to go," she said.

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because Malachi drove out to his father's house on Monday before sunrise and wouldn't tell me why."

I had asked him twice.

He had kissed my forehead and said it was family business.

Then he had gone to work, and I had stood in his kitchen with a bad feeling I couldn't name.

I wore the green dress again.

The anniversary party filled the floor of the Gilt with three hundred people in evening clothes.

They held champagne glasses, and they all looked at me.

I knew what they had seen.

I lifted my chin and walked in.

Malachi stood by the staircase in a black suit.

He turned when he saw me, and for one second his whole face opened.

Then it closed.

"You came," he said.

"Everybody saw that video. I'm not hiding."

"Kate." He dropped his voice. "After tonight, whatever you see, I need you to..."

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

Dane stood on the little stage by the roulette wheel with a microphone and a wide, easy smile.

The room turned to him.

"Thank you all for coming to celebrate ten years of the Gilt," he said. "A lot of you know my father built this house. He's resting tonight. But he sent me with a message."

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