The grand ballroom of the Gosling Hotel fairly sparkled from the illuminations of a dozen or more crystal chandeliers, the atmosphere filled with soft chatter and even softer music playing in the background.

Ryan stepped through the wide open double doors, resisting the urge to just turn around and get the hell out of dodge when eyes focused on him.

Some of the assembled guests - the cream of New York high society - recognized him instantly and he could see surprise quickly turn to avid curiosity, no doubt wondering what he was doing here, but too well bred to come right out and ask.

He could damn well ask himself that same question.

Adopting a demeanor meant to discourage anyone crass enough to approach, he ignored the looks and murmurs, instead scanned the room in search of his target. A jolt of anxiety pressed like lead in his stomach when he spotted her, looking coolly elegant in a short turquoise dress that showed off her figure.

She was standing at the far end of the room, unaware of his presence, surrounded by a group of young women, listening and nodding at something a red thin brunette was saying.

Nicola Gosling, in the flesh.

He swallowed, hating how the sight of her pushed his anxiety levels through the roof.

A waiter wandered by with a tray of drinks and Ryan snagged a glass of what could only be champagne, draining the chilled bubbly liquid in a few gulps. He grimaced at the taste, champagne was not his drink of choice, craving something stronger.

He spotted a bar at the opposite end and determinedly made his way towards it.

Nicky could wait. He bloody well wasn't going to talk to her without something to soothe his nerves first, all on top of a particularly shitty week thanks to his dad and his fucking sick games.

"Whisky, neat."

The bartender nodded and turned to fetch the bottle. Ryan slid onto a stool and watched the man set a shot glass in front of him and pour the liquid. He downed it in one gulp, the burn running all the way down to his stomach.

He gestured for another, this time asking for some ice and sat, nursing his drink while his thoughts strayed to Sam.

The past week had been nothing short of torture. It had been a new level of hell to be in the same room as Sam, trying to act normal when all he wanted was to take her in his arms and carry her somewhere private.

"Silverton! Is that really you or have I indulged in too much champagne?"

Ryan looked up from his glass as a tall, sandy haired man in a slim-cut deep purple blazer and tan pants slid onto the empty stool beside him. Shrewd brown eyes studied him intently for several moments then a smile lit up classically good looking features.

"It is you!" Paul Manning shook his head in disbelief. "Wow, talk about an unexpected twist to the evening."

"Manning." Ryan acknowledged the older man with a crisp nod. Paul Manning was a good friend of Nicky's and also a realtor who worked in the same real estate agency. As a couple, Ryan and Nicky had gone on a couple of double dates with Manning and his husband, Rick.

Manning leaned close, curiosity etched on his face.

"You're the last person I expected to see tonight." His gaze travelled to where Nicky stood and back. "Considering the circumstances."

"I reckon I'm here for the same reason you are, Manning. To welcome an old friend." Ryan met the man's eyes and held steady.

Manning's lips thinned. His next words held a sharp edge. "That so?"

"Yes," Ryan picked up his glass and drained the contents, setting the empty glass back on the bar and stood. "And if you'll excuse me, I intend to go do just that."

Manning's hand shot out and grabbed his sleeve. Surprised at the action, Ryan stopped and arched a brow.

"If you're here to stir things up -" Manning began, his voice tense.

"I'm not." Ryan shook off his grasp and straightened his jacket. "You can drop the watchdog act, Manning. I'm simply here to talk to Nicky."

He turned and strode away without waiting for a response, irritation and anger burning in his gut. It irked him how people assumed Nicky was some delicate flower to be protected from the likes of him, when in reality, she was capable of ripping a man's heart out all by herself.

Right. He squared his shoulders and stalked through the crowd, oblivious to the way they stepped aside for him. He would say what he'd come here to say and get the fuck out.

One of the ladies whispered something in Nicky's ears and she whipped around, face draining of color and green eyes going impossibly wide at the sight of him.

The group of women clustered proactively around her and his lips twisted bitterly.

Of course.

Their relationship had been a very public affair between two offspring of New York's most influential families, and the wedding had been one of the most highly anticipated events that season.

Needless to say, the sudden breakup had made waves, with wild speculations flying around as to the cause of it. He'd had to deal with media agents calling relentlessly to ask for details. Soon, the general consensus was that he'd been the one at fault and neither of them had bothered to correct that impression.

He, because he couldn't be bothered to give a fuck. As for her...of course she would want to preserve her public image of the sweet, innocent woman.

Now, he could only imagine what was going through their heads when they saw him here.

And it pissed him off.

Still, like he'd told Manning, he wasn't here to cause trouble, but neither was he here to do Bradford's bidding and make friends.

No, he was here to clear up whatever misconceptions Nicky had about using his father as a way to get them back together. That was never gonna happen and he needed to shut it down before it went out of hand.

"Nicky," he said, his voice coolly polite. "Nice to see you again."

"R..ryan," she stuttered, looking flummoxed. Then she took a deep breath and seemed to pull herself together, a cool facade replacing the shocked expression. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I heard you were back in New York and just wanted to welcome you back."

Confusion flitted across her face as she absorbed this. "Oh...thank you. It's good to see you too."

On a scale of one to five on the scale of awkward conversations, this one hit a solid five. For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other in silence.

"Listen, can we talk?" His eyes swept over their avid audience. "In private."

One of the ladies spoke up, her tone barely polite. "She's busy, can't it wait?"

"No, it's okay." Nicky said hurriedly. She stepped away from her friends, not breaking eye contact with him. "Please come with me."

He followed her out of the ballroom to a large office on the third floor.

"This used to be Erin's office before she moved to Chicago," Nicky said as she stood aside to let him pass. She shut the door and stood watching him, looking apprehensive.

"She's no longer in New York?" He recalled seeing her in a club with Sam about three months back.

"No,." Nicky moved to sit on the beige sofa. "She's transferred so she could move in with Ethan. They're dating." She added, seeing his surprised look.

"Ah…" he nodded, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.

"I'm glad you're here, Ryan." Nicky said, nervous fingers tucking her hair behind her ears. She'd let it grow out from the sleek bob since the last time he'd seen her and now hung shoulder length.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why?"

When she flushed and ducked her head, he realized he'd uttered the question harsher than intended. His anger was threatening to slip out of control and he forced it down.

"I planned to call you sometime in the next couple of days," she looked up, locking eyes with him. "But I wasn't sure if you'd take my calls."

He wouldn't have. Talking to her was the last thing he wanted, but he didn't say that, merely shrugged, aware he'd basically crashed her party.

"Was there any particular reason?" He asked, though he had a clue what she wanted to talk to him about. He'd seen the brief flare of hope in her expression when he'd asked for a private chat.

"Well, because there's something important I need to say to you, and it's way past due."

She took a deep breath and stood, coming to stand before him, an earnest look on her face. "I never apologised for what I did to you. I hurt you badly and was too much of a coward to face you and admit my wrongdoings. And...Ryan, I'm so sorry for cheating on you. I was such a fool and there's no excuse for what I did but I'm sorry for causing you so much pain."

Ryan stared at her and he couldn't help wondering if the apology was sincere or if it was simply an act. With Nicky, it was so damn hard to tell.

"See, the thing is," He crossed his arms and continued. "I'm not sure why exactly you're apologising."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you say all that because you're truly sorry, or is it just a means to an end?"

"Ryan," she stared at him, puzzled. "I...I'm not sure what you're getting at. I'm not after anything, save letting you know that I regret how I ruined things between us."

"I'm talking about the fact that my father - who I never told the real reason for calling off the wedding - has known the truth all along, yet somehow, still believes you and I should get back together."

He straightened from the desk and glared at her. "Do you also believe that, Nicola? Was that why you approached him first and played the victim because you knew he wanted the wedding to happen at all costs?"

*****

Ryan stared up at the dark ceiling in his bedroom, ignoring the throbbing in his head as he played the conversation with Nicky over in his head.

His cellphone rang, breaking his thoughts. He reached for it where it rested on the nightstand and squinted at the too bright screen with bleary eyes.

He swiped up and buzzed in the visitor, then sat up, scrubbing a hand over his face and grimaced at the scratch of stubble on his chin. He dragged his weary ass out of bed and crossed to the huge walk in closet, eyeing the neat row of empty luggage.

He selected one, black four wheeled bag and had just hauled it on the bed when he heard the front door open.

"Ryan?"

"In here."

Moments later, Lola walked into the bedroom, already dressed for the day in a crisp white blouse and black pants. Her hair was swept up in an elegant chignon, makeup flawless. Ryan looked at her and couldn't help thinking how efficient she looked at only six in the morning.

"Good morning," she held out two cups of coffee bearing the logo of his favorite cafe.

"Mor…" he winced at his voice and cleared his throat. "Morning."

He set one of the cups on the dresser and took a long sip from the other. "Thanks for this."

Lola swept her eyes over him and frowned. "You look like you barely got any sleep. Is everything okay?"

"Just had a bit too much to drink last night." He waved away her concern.

"Let me get you some tylenol," she crossed to the desk where he kept a stash of painkillers. "It won't do sitting on a long flight with a hangover."

He watched her bustle about, thinking how familiar she was with his place. Which wasn't surprising, since she was his assistant and close friend next to Hailey since middle school. She knew everything there was to know about him, and he liked to think he knew her equally well.

They'd had a very short lived thing during their senior year, a combination of too much weed and alcohol during homecoming had almost ended up with them having sex, save for the timely intervention of Hailey who'd walked in the hotel room and given them both hell for getting wasted.

They'd both quickly agreed to never speak of that night and their friendship had survived the awkward encounter.

"Here," Lola held out two pills. "Do you need water?"

"No, I'm good." He swallowed the pills and chased it down with coffee. "Did you confirm the flight schedule"

"Yep. First flight leaves at 9:30am for Kahului and from there, you'll catch a connecting flight to Maui," she checked her watch. "We need to leave for the airport soon if we hope to avoid rush hour."

"Yeah, just gotta pack first."

"I'll handle it. Go take a shower." She walked to the closet and began selecting outfits.

Ryan leaned against the doorway and watched her for a few moments. "Have you talked to Bradford lately?"

She paused in the act of folding up a shirt and looked at him, puzzled. "No, I haven't. Why?"

He hesitated, mulling over her answer, trying to ignore the feeling that welled up in him.

"It's a weird thing really," he scratched at his chin. "I had a strange conversation with him the other day."

"Oh? What about?"

"Nicky."

She looked thoughtful, absently picking up a shirt and folding the arms. "Nicky, as in your ex?"

"Same one." He folded his arms across his chest, still studying her. "I had no idea he knew she cheated on me. Imagine how surprised I was when he just casually brought it when we had an argument. Turns out, he's known for a long time."

"Oh my god!" Lola gasped in astonishment. "What...I mean how did he find out?"

"That's what I'd like to know." He shook his head.

"Maybe Nicky's parents said something?" Lola suggested, leaning one hip against the counter. "I mean, they're close friends with Bradford and have to know the truth about their daughter, right?"

"See, I thought that at first too. I even imagined that maybe Nicky herself said something."

"You thought…" she repeated. "That means you no longer think it's the Goslings?"

He pictured Nicky's face when he'd flat out asked her if she'd told Bradford, or if her parents may have mentioned it somehow.

She'd looked stricken, going so pale he'd been scared she would pass out.

"Your father knows?" She swayed alarmingly and with a curse, he'd leaped to her side, gently grasping her arm and helped her back to the couch. She'd let him lead her, lost in a stunned haze while he hunted down someone to get her something to drink.

"How could he have found out?" She rasped when he came back with a glass of water. She stared at the cup unseeing until he pressed it into her shaking hand. "I...I never said anything. Oh God! He knows I..."

"Maybe you dad said something to him." Ryan sank to his haunches beside her.

"He couldn't have." She shook her head, blonde strands quivering with the move. She raised red rimmed eyes to his. "He can't say what he doesn't know."

"You mean -"

"I haven't told my parents the truth." Red stole up her cheeks as she glanced away from him. "All they know is that we had been having problems in our relationship and after a huge fight, we decided to split up."

"No, I don't." He pushed off the doorway and came to stand in front of Lola, his expression grave. "But, I know you did, Lola. Just like you told him about Sam and I."

She took a step back, her mouth falling open. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about." He fairly growled the words, finally letting loose the anger and betrayal he'd held in since last night.

Any lingering doubt of her innocence vanished as he watched the play of emotions on her face,the guilty look she shot him.

"How long have you let yourself be Bradford's puppet?" He asked in a deadly calm voice. "How long?"

"I'm not his puppet!" She burst out. "I told him about what that bitch did to hurt you because it was clear he blamed you for it. I knew he would pressure you to get back together with her and I had to do something to stop that."

Her voice broke with emotions and she sniffed back tears. "You were already torn up by what she did and I couldn't stand seeing your dad make things even more difficult. So I marched to his office and gave him a piece of my mind as well as the truth."

She glared at him through her tears. "And it worked, didn't it? He left you alone and that's what matters."

"No, Lola. What you gave him instead was ammunition. He never backed down, simply bidded time until he could use that information to try to bend me to his will."

He raked a hand through his hair. "How did you find out about Sam?"

"How could I not find out?" She scoffed. "It was obvious to anyone with an observant eye that you two were fucking. But I didn't have proof until I saw you two making out in the elevator right here on Tuesday."

That had been the morning after the party when Sam had stayed over at his place. He remembered kissing her while they rode the elevator to the parking level and the memory of that kiss sent a pang of longing through him.

"So you saw us and went straight to Bradford?" His tone was the calm before a raging storm. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"She's wrong for you, that's why." Lola snapped, eyes flashing malice. "She's a manipulative and ambitious bitch who merely sees fucking you as her ticket to the top. And just like Nicky, you let yourself be blinded by a pair of - "

"Shut up!"

She shrank back in the face of his fury, fear oozing from every pore.

Ryan forced his temper down, dragging in deep lungfuls of air until he felt calm enough to continue.

"For the sake of our past friendship, I won't fire you outright. However, I cannot continue to work with someone I can't trust. So, I'm giving you a choice. Transfer to a different department - I don't care which one.

"Or you can consider this your three month notice to find a new job at another company."