Carmen was consumed by a feeling of intense anger, the likes of which she had never encounteredbefore. It was true that she had been through painful experiences in the past, times when even those closest to her had inflicted deep wounds on her heart. Hell, her own mother had once abandoned her in pursuit of a better career, leaving Carmen feeling alone and abandoned.
But what Simon had done to her was far worse than any physical blow. He had always acted as if he didn't know her, as if she were a stranger to him. But how could that be possible when he had known Jenna well enough to help her escape from the wedding? The betrayal cut deep, leaving Carmen with a seething rage that consumed her every thought. The injustice of it all left her feeling helpless and vulnerable as if the ground beneath her feet had suddenly given way.
Had he been lying to her the whole time? Was anything he said or did, or the way he made her feel, even remotely true? Or had he played her like a well-planned chess piece? Anything was possible in the world of wealth, wasn't it? This was why her father had always been worried about her. He didn't want his tiny baby to become entangled in a web of lies and conspiracies. He had urged her to be cautious and not let anyone take advantage of her gullible heart.
God, her head was spinning so wildly that she had to come to a complete halt to get her head straight and her breathing even. There was no doubt in her mind that she needed to confront Simon right away. She needed to know about his relationship with Jenna Rivers, how well he knew her, and what reason did he have to help her out in the past.
But she should have known better. Simon Walsh was too good to be true. The presence of him in her life could not have happened by coincidence, could it? Only a week after her divorce from Ronin, she was sitting on his lap and making out in the back of his car.
How stupid could she have been to walk right into this trap? If it wasn't a trap, that is. Because something was still pushing at the back of her mind, trying to persuade her that there was more to the story than what she could see. As if there was something that still made no sense. But maybe that's why this confrontation seemed like it was absolutely necessary. Because she wouldn't be able to put her mind on anything until she cleared up this huge blunder.
Was she wrong to trust Simon and agree to stay on the cruise?
Ugh. It was far too early to say anything.
No. She would give him the opportunity to explain himself. That was the only right thing to do.
But Carmen must have been a bit anxious because the moment her gaze landed on the door of his suite, she stormed inside and shut the door with a loud bang. Her hands were trembling. Her jaw was clenched. Her skin was scorching, like if she had boiling blood rushing through her veins.
Simon had been seated alongside two men and a lady, all dressed in uniforms that appeared to resemble the cruise crew. Carmen, on the other hand, was too simmered with bitterness and unpredictable with stress to care about his need for privacy. She needed answers, and she needed them soon.
"Carmen," Simon spoke effortlessly, cocking that outrageously gorgeous face as he closed the leather file on his lap and put it on the table. "What's the matter, darling? Are you all right?"
Something about the way he pretended to be unaware irritated her even more. But something about the way he fluttered his thick lashes and pinched his brows in concern had her pulse skip a beat.
What the fuck was wrong with her?
"We need to talk."
Carmen swallowed her frustration and attempted to be as courteous as she could, if only to avoid humiliating him in front of his employees. Or perhaps herself, because who knew whose face this conversation was about to blow up in?
An untainted voice in the back of her mind was promising her that there could be a legitimate explanation for what he did. Perhaps he, too, got swept in by Jenna's crocodile tears. Perhaps the enchantress had manipulated him, like she had done for so many years with the Logans.
Then again, Simon was everything but a fool. She had seen him at work. She had seen him handling a crunch situation like a piece of cake. Other than his seventeen-year-old niece, he didn't care much about anyone else. They both lived alone, and there had never been mention of any other family member during the entire week that she had spent with him. Simon was focused only on his work; his phones ringing all the damn time.
She could never shake off the memory of how he would intentionally put his phone on airplane mode, granting them a brief but sacred ten minutes of undisturbed togetherness before diving back into the unrelenting ocean of his work. It was a small gesture, but one that spoke volumes about his priorities. Simon Walsh was a man on a mission, always on the go, chasing after deadlines and appointments. His schedule was packed, his destinations constantly changing. It was a lifestyle that would have driven most people insane, but Simon seemed to thrive on it.
It wasn't hard for her to understand why. A few years ago, Simon's father had passed away, leaving him to shoulder the weight of the family business on his own. The cruise line was his own startup, his brainchild, and it was evident that he poured all his heart and soul into it. He was a man with a vision, and she admired him for that. She had learned all of this simply by listening to him when he spoke, taking in his words and understanding the passion that drove him forward.
Of course, she had also done her fair share of research. It was only natural to be curious about someone as intriguing as Simon Walsh. A quick Google search had revealed the man behind the name, and she had spent hours poring over articles and interviews, trying to learn everything she could about him. It was a strange feeling, knowing so much about someone she had only just met, but it made her feel closer to him in a way. She was invested in his story, and she couldn't wait to see how it unfolded.
"Why don't you all go ahead and continue with what we have discussed so far? Send me the reports first thing in the morning." Simon said, dismissing his staff and waiting patiently until they collected their files and folders and left.
As soon as the door shut behind her with a soft thud, Carmen felt as though her thoughts had been abruptly interrupted. Her shoulders sagged momentarily, and she took a deep breath to calm herself down. She reminded herself that everything was alright and that she simply needed some answers - it shouldn't be too difficult.
Simon rose to his full height, still dressed in the same immaculate tuxedo that seemed to fit his body perfectly.
"I heard about what happened at the deck…" he started—as if assured that it was the reason for her to burst into his room and act as if she was about to break into some ugly, fat tears. In no time, he was standing too close, lifting his warm hands and cupping her face with one while moving some loose curls out of her face with the other. So damn oblivious to the hurricanes of doubts and questions swirling in her head. Did he really think she would never find out?
"Are you upset?" She asked, wanting to know if what happened a while ago between Carmen and Jenna had upset him in any way. If he had known Jenna the way Ronin had suggested, he had to have something to say about it, right?
"Of course, I'm upset. What kind of question is that?" He looked confused—so damn confused. But he also looked angry, those thick eyebrows snapping between his eyes, in a way that made him look slightly dangerous.
Carmen let out a shaky breath. "I don't know. You tell me." She turned away, walking to the door while fidgeting with her hands before turning back around. "Jenna fell into the water because of me. And I kind of slapped her in front of all the guests." All that dramatic scenario must have gotten him a tad annoyed. After all, it was an important night for him. "And considering you two know each other so well, all this must have come as--"
Simon appeared incredibly perplexed upon hearing the words that had just left her mouth. His confusion was so palpable that he seemed frozen, staring intently at her without uttering a single word. It was almost as if he was attempting to decipher the complex web of her words, attempting to make sense of what she had said, while simultaneously trying to gauge whether his falsehoods had been exposed. Perhaps he was contemplating whether he should continue to feign ignorance, or if it was now time to come clean about the misunderstanding. For a long minute, he remained silent, lost in thought as he worked to unravel the intricacies of the situation.
"What is this really about?" He asked carefully, and cautiously, as if he had finally been able to realize the hurt in her voice.
Carmen was on the verge of exploding. She couldn't contain her emotions any longer. "I'm talking about Jenna Rivers," she said.
Simon appeared perplexed. "Jenna Rivers? Why, yes, I know her. Doesn't everyone?" he responded.
Carmen knew what he meant by those words. Jenna Rivers was one of the most successful models in the country. She had posed for more big brands than Carmen had even heard of. But this was not about who Jenna was. This was about who was she to him, and why he chose to skip the small detail when Carmen revealed to him who her ex-husband was.
"Please don't do this," Carmen mumbled softly, getting more and more sure that he had been lying to her all this time.
He raised a brow. "Do what, Carmen?"
"Pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about."
After staring at her for what felt like an eternity, Simon exhaled and spun on his heels. Slowly, he loosened the bow from around his neck and slid off the suit jacket, draping it behind a chair.
"I believe you heard about the whole wedding escaping thing?" He asked, not facing her yet, as he unclasped the wristwatch and put it on the table before heading to the makeshift bar counter in the room. He made himself a drink.
"Did you really do it?"
Simon turned around, leaning his back against the counter, looking not one bit surprised or nervous or anything really. He looked calm, as if he didn't care how much his lies had cut her deep. "I know a simple yes would suffice to quell your curiosity, for you to have all the answers you want and paint me as a monster who lied to your face. But if it's any consolation, Carmen, the night we met at the club, I didn't know who you were. Ronin had done a good job of keeping his married life as evasive as possible."
"Then when did you...?"
"It was after you mentioned that you were divorced. I had to ask around. You can't blame me for being curious."
"Maybe not, but you could have just asked me upfront. I wouldn't have lied to you."
"I'm sure that's the truth, and you did tell me later." He shook his head gently, his eyes fixated on her. "But I didn't want to upset you by bringing up your ex, you could hardly look me in the eyes at the mention of the divorce. It's as if you can't talk about it without feeling bad for yourself."
"Of course, I felt bad for myself. What else could anyone expect of me? Imagine being married to a man for nine months and not a single instance when he willingly might have looked at you." She said through a tightened jaw, feeling the flood of tears smashing at the backs of her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to move on. And I really thought that I could trust you, but I don't think I can. Not anymore."
"Why? Because I hid the fact that I knew who you were?" He frowned, looking exasperated.
"No." Her voice hardened, while her heart felt the most vulnerable. "Because you're the reason Jenna wasn't where she should have been. And it's because of you I had to replace her and marry Ronin. I couldn't say no to an eighty-year-old man who begged me to marry his grandson, to protect his family's reputation from being tarnished. I had no choice. And for nine months, I suffered through a loveless marriage, knowing that I could never have the life I truly wanted."
Her voice broke as she spoke the next words. "And it's because of you that I'm broken beyond repair. I thought I could love again, but you shattered that illusion. You were the one person I trusted, and you betrayed me in the worst way possible. I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust anyone again."