“Is that like Tinder?” Avery asked.

“Yeah,” Trina laughed. “She didn’t admit that, of course, but when he insisted on meeting her son and daughter-in-law, Judah let that information slip.”

“His name is Judah?”

Trina nodded. “Very religious. I think he’s given Vicki a ‘come to Jesus’ moment. He’s a widower, has two grown kids and a granddaughter. Anyway, between him being in her life and Wade buying her a place that isn’t right under our noses, Vicki is moving out.” She shook her fists in the air in celebration.

“That’s the best news ever.”

“Tell me about it. It’s amazing what happens once someone is finally getting laid,” Trina said.

Shannon raised her hand. “I can attest to that.”

The four of them laughed and planned their next First Wives meeting, which was to take place in Texas. They had originally planned for something down in New Orleans, but with two of the four of them pregnant, they decided to keep it in the comfort of one of their homes. And it was Shannon’s, Lori’s, and Avery’s turn to travel.

“So, Shannon, how is Victor handling the media coverage?”

“I think he kinda likes it.” Pictures of the two of them at the charity event were snagged from the GTF website and splashed on the cover of one of the most popular gossip magazines. Then two others picked up the information and ran with it on consecutive days. “The only reason I think it’s become a thing is because Paul announced his run for Congress.”

“That was my thought,” Lori said. “It will all blow over soon. It always does.”

“That dress was spectacular,” Trina told her. “Daring for you.”

Shannon sat back and grinned. “Hey, I sunbathe in the nude these days. I’m evolving.”

That brought a chorus of cheers and a new direction of conversation.

An hour after they finished their video chat, a call came through from an unknown caller. Shannon nearly let it go to voice mail before answering.

“Hello?”

“You raging bitch!”

Shocked silent, Shannon waited for some clue as to who was on the phone.

She didn’t need to wait long.

“You were screwing him all the time, weren’t you?” A woman, could have been Corrie, but didn’t sound like the soft, careful girl she’d met all those months ago.

“Who is this?” Shannon asked, her guard up.

“You told me to leave him, that he didn’t deserve me. All so you could snag your claws into him.”

Yup, it was Corrie. “That is not what happened,” Shannon said, trying to calm her down.

“Right under my nose. I feel so stupid. Which is exactly what you wanted, isn’t it? Now Victor won’t take my calls. You’re on the cover of those magazines with my fiancé when it should be me.”

“Corrie, calm down.”

“Don’t you fucking tell me to calm down. You’ve ruined my life. I’m the ‘blonde bimbo that was cast aside to make way for royalty.’” Corrie was quoting the article. The only way Shannon knew that was because Samantha Harrison had texted the quote and said, “Welcome to the monarchy.” They’d laughed about it.

“You and I both know that is not what happened. You walked out on him. We were all there.”

“You told me to.”

“I did no such thing.” This conversation was going nowhere.

“Yes, you did!” Corrie was screaming now.

Shannon pulled the phone away from her ear. “I’m hanging up, Corrie.”

“Don’t you fucking dare. I’m not finished—”

Click!

Shannon stared at her cell phone, wasn’t surprised when it immediately rang again. Unknown caller.

She let it go to voice mail.

Victor dropped the latest magazine with an article about Shannon on his desk. This time the images were mainly of her behind the camera as she took pictures of him at his doomed wedding.

Someone at the rehearsal dinner caught the two of them in the background of a selfie when Shannon had poured her drink all over him. It was out of focus and grainy, but it was definitely him with Shannon’s hands on his chest. She’d been attempting to apologize. The memory of the moment brought a smile to his face. She’d really hated him at that time.

Okay, maybe hate wasn’t the right word.

Irritated.

Which he deserved.

Only this picture accompanied an article with direct quotes from Corrie, according to the reporter, about Shannon stealing her man. There was a picture of Corrie in her wedding gown, an image he’d never seen, probably taken by one of her friends.

It was the ugliest article to date. While it didn’t touch Victor, he couldn’t help but wonder what it was doing to Shannon.

Every time he brought up the media, she waved it off. “I’m not a Kardashian. This will all blow over. Trust me. I’m used to it.”

Yeah, well . . . she might be used to it, but he wasn’t.

A knock on his office door had him putting the magazine aside.

Stephanie walked in with the daily agenda. Her gaze skidded past the magazine on his desk before she set the folder she carried right on top of it.

They went over his schedule, and she brought his attention to a summit meeting he normally attended in Asia the following week. “I’ve already booked the flights and hotels.”

“How many nights?”

“I have you flying into Beijing Sunday and leaving the following Saturday, per normal. Did you need me to change it?”

He shook his head. As much as he wanted to shorten the trip, he knew he couldn’t. With the new ban on plastic recycling imports going into China, his presence and keeping his finger on the pulse of the scrap metal industry in the country were imperative to his company, for all the employees that worked for him and depended on their paychecks to feed their families.

“Okay, I’ve scheduled our interpreter to meet you at the airport. All the files and articles that will be brought up are in there.” She pointed to the folder on his desk. “All translated and highlighted.”

“Perfect,” he told her.

She stood to leave and hesitated.

“Anything else?” he asked.

She glanced at his desk. “That one was mean-spirited.”

He looked at the garbage magazine under his mountain of work. “All lies.”

Stephanie nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

“I’m guessing the staff has been up on their reading.”

“Hard not to when your private boss’s personal life is splattered on the front page.”

“Don’t believe a word of it,” he told her. “Shannon is nothing like what these people say.”

With a timid smile, Stephanie left his office.

He tapped a pen against his desk in thought. He had an eleven o’clock board meeting to discuss China.

Lunch would have to be quick, maybe a sandwich at the café across the street.

“Acknowledge the elephant in the room.”

His decision made, he picked up his phone.

Shannon’s voice made him smile.

“Hey, sexy. Do you have plans for lunch?”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Victor heard her laughter when he opened the door from the board meeting.

“This one is my favorite,” he heard Shannon say when he rounded the corner. His executive staff followed him down the hall that led to their row of offices.

She half sat, half leaned on Stephanie’s desk, pointing at an open magazine. She wore a dress that went past her knees with a kitten heel that looked like she was working in the office instead of visiting.

He’d hinted that he needed her help dispelling some of the office rumors and would she mind coming by so they could go to lunch together. Obviously she didn’t need any more coaching than that.

She caught sight of him and stood. “There you are,” she said as she crossed to his side.

He caught her kiss on his cheek and placed a hand on her waist.

“You’re early,” he told her.

“No, you’re late,” she teased.

He looked at his watch. Two minutes past twelve.

“Now you’re just being picky.”

She smiled and turned her attention to the audience standing beside him. “Stating facts, hon.” She reached out her hand to Andrew, standing at his side. “I’m Shannon.”

Victor jumped in to make the introductions. He could tell by the expressions of his staff that she’d charmed them all with a smile. To seal the unity, she turned to a stack of articles on Stephanie’s desk and handed it to Andrew. “I brought some fun reading material for the water cooler. I especially like the one about how my anorexia is back in full force after Victor and I met.”

Laughter, and lots of it, filled the hall.

She turned to him. “Since you said you had to have a quick lunch, I brought some from that deli you mentioned. I thought we could eat in your office, if that’s okay with you.”

“Great idea.”

Shannon turned to his staff. “Lovely meeting all of you. Sorry I took some of your lunch time away.”

Victor pushed her toward the open doors of his office and closed them inside.

He turned to her the second they were alone and removed her lipstick the best way he knew how.