"It’s not easy witnessing the effect you have on others.”

She got the impression he wasn’t pleased that she knew so much about the inner workings of the business world. “Most men would be relieved their partner knows what they’re doing, so they don’t embarrass them.”

“It’s impossible to embarrass me.” His eyes tracked over her face and rested on her lips. “You argue and laugh with people who have the power to influence entire industries. It’s not easy witnessing the effect you have on others.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Guy Reed.”

It took her a moment to place the name, and then she tipped back her head and groaned. “Oh my God, you’re still harping on him? The only reason I gained his attention is that he found out I was a Hennessy.”

“You captured his attention because you showed him up and made a fool of him,” he corrected. “But he isn’t the only one.” When she gave him a bewildered look, he said, “There’s also Matthew, Lincoln, Preston, Julius…”

“I saw them at my father’s funeral. Our families are close. It was expected they’d attend and pay their respects.”

“They didn’t leave your side. They fetched you drinks, handed you tissues, and you were seen with Julius the day after the funeral.”

She was having trouble keeping up with this odd line of questioning. Those hellish weeks after Dad died were a blur of grief and loneliness. “Julius showed up at my apartment to see if I was okay. I didn’t want to invite him in because my place was a mess, so I suggested we go out for coffee.” She scowled. “How was I supposed to know there were paparazzi following both of us? It was good press for him since it distracted from his messy divorce, but it was hell for me. The speculation that I was going to become a politician’s wife…” She shuddered. “He apologized for the ruckus.”

“Which is why you took up residence at Tuxedo Park again where you had dinner with Matthew later that week.”

“His estate is five minutes away and when he called to…” She narrowed her eyes. “I thought you didn’t have access to Tuxedo Park.”

“Things changed once Maximus died.”

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Confessions. Please do not share or distribute.

This a reference to her childhood playmates that were shown in the Bitter Secrets flashback. In the first chapters of this book, in an attempt to clear the air and start over, Roth's bringing up things that have bothered him that he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer to in the past.