Chapter 4

Winston James helped me up, gentle as anything.

Of the three candidates, he spoke the least, and he was the coldest, the most level-headed.

Before, I'd always thought him distant, and I'd had the least to do with him.

Yet now, he was the one who stepped forward to steady me.

My eyes stung again all at once.

"Winston, I did nothing wrong."

He nodded and gave me a soothing look.

"That's enough for today!"

Emmet's whole face was set with defiance, and he still tried to lunge over and grab at me.

"Winston, you don't know what this Ellie Fox did today!"

But one look from Winston stopped him, and then he turned to Boris.

Boris raised an eyebrow and stepped up to hold Emmet back.

"Enough. Listen to Winston."

Emmet's face flushed dark red, but in the end he said nothing more.

Winston walked me out of the office, supporting me the whole way.

I gripped his arm, my voice shaking, thick with all the hurt.

"Winston, actually, I'm—"

He looked at the wretched state of me and cut in, his tone mild.

"Ellie, let's not get into that now. Go clean up your cuts first, and change your clothes."

I nodded, moved.

Winston led me to the storage room.

"You'll have to make do in here."

"Nowhere else is convenient."

Then he handed me a white shirt.

I took it and turned to go into the storage room.

But I'd barely stepped inside when Winston locked the door from the outside.

I heard the chain drop into the latch, and panic seized me.

"Winston! What's going on?"

I wrenched at the handle, trying to get the door open.

It didn't budge.

Winston's cold voice came through from the other side.

"Ellie Fox, did you really think I'd put up with a liar like you?"

I pounded on the door with everything I had.

"I'm not lying! I really am the Fox heiress."

Winston only let out a scornful laugh.

Beside him, Boris's and Emmet's voices rose.

"Never gives it up!"

Emmet was still muttering.

"Why wouldn't you let me throw her out of the company?"

Winston's voice was calm, without a trace of warmth.

"Mr. Fox gets back from his trip today. You want her making a scene right in front of him?"

"Mr. Fox is taking in a live-in son-in-law for his daughter. That's something we keep to ourselves."

"If it gets dragged out into the open, how's Mr. Fox supposed to see us?"

"We'd all be stamped as opportunists!"

Boris chimed in.

"Right. Mr. Fox kept this from us, so we act like we don't know."

"Besides, Libby doesn't want anyone knowing she's the Fox heiress either."

Then Boris shot Emmet a warning look.

"You already let it slip today. Watch yourself."

Emmet's face went pale, and he slammed a fist hard against the wall.

"I'm just angry!"

"Who'd have known this Ellie Fox wasn't the Fox heiress."

"The three of us danced attendance on her for that long!"

"Just thinking about it burns me up—getting played by some woman."

"If the Fox family driver hadn't dropped Libby off for work, we'd still be in the dark."

Winston settled it in one stroke.

"Keep your mouth shut."

"When Mr. Fox arrives, make a good showing."

"Once the three of us are the Fox family's sons-in-law, what won't you have?"

He glanced lightly at the storage room.

"Ellie Fox."

"After Mr. Fox leaves, we'll settle your account!"

...

Inside the room, I laughed until the tears came.

They were right. My father was coming to the company today, straight off his trip.

Today, he would announce to everyone that I was the Fox heiress.

And announce which man was marrying into the family.

Now, not one of them was qualified for it!

...

My father took my call the moment he got off the plane, and the sob in my voice threw him into a panic.

He raced into the company as fast as he could.

Boris, Winston, and Emmet were still gathered around Libby, fussing over her.

The instant they saw my father, they straightened their clothes, faces warm and easy.

Every one of them wanted to make a good showing in front of him.

My father's face was full of fury.

"Where's my daughter?"

"Where is she right now?"

Boris looked utterly lost, past pretending now.

"She's sitting right here."

Winston dropped the lofty act too and cleared his throat.

"Mr. Fox, rest assured, Ms. Fox has been well looked after here."

None of them noticed how ashen Libby had gone.

Emmet kept nodding along at his side.

Then my father kicked Boris hard, sending him to the floor.

"My daughter is Ellie Fox, damn it!"