I forced a smile. “Of course not.”
Why would I mind? I’d be leaving soon anyway. Brian didn’t love me, so whether I cared or not didn’t make a difference.
I didn’t want to waste my time chatting with them, so I headed upstairs to my room. I left the door open as I began packing.
Brian appeared moments later, leaning against the doorframe. He walked toward me, hands in his pockets, then pulled out a ruby necklace with a gemstone the size of a pigeon egg.
“It’s, um, peace offering. Will you forgive me?”
He thought I was upset because he had postponed our engagement party. That wasn’t it at all. I was tired of his charade. Tired of seeing him force himself to love me.
When I said nothing, Brian unfastened the necklace and slipped it around my neck.
“The company is hosting a celebration tonight. Come with me,” he said.
“I can’t,” I replied, pushing my suitcase past him. “I have plans.”
“You wouldn’t want your fiancé to show up at the party with another woman on his arm, would you? Besides, there’ll be a lot of big names in the industry tonight. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
I hesitated, releasing the handle of my suitcase.