Free The Girlfriend Contract 2 by Lucy Lambert Page A

this.
    "How did you two meet?" Sylvia said.
    "At a party thrown by the Astors," Aiden said.
    Pretty easy so far.
    "Tell me, Aiden," Sylvia said, "What do you see in Gwen that attracted you to her? Aside from her pretty face, I mean."
    Aiden looked at her, then straight back at the camera. "Gwen is kind-hearted and passionate, trusting, optimistic. And she can be quite stubborn, too."
    Gwen couldn't help smiling. Although the only part she really agreed on was the last one. It felt nice when he paid her compliments.
    The questions went on like that for some time, relatively innocuous fluff things. Gwen did notice that their interview seemed to drag on considerably longer than any other. A few of the others reporters moving through the room finished two or more in the time Sylvia spent grilling them.
    But she and Aiden managed to answer all her questions. Until they got near what Gwen thought (hoped) was the end. She had to keep making her hand relax, trying not to squeeze all the feeling out of Aiden's fingers.
    "Gwen, is it true that you're experiencing some financial difficulties? My sources report that you were in arrears on your rent to the tune of thousands of dollars."
    The smile dropped from Gwen's face. "What?"
    "What kind of question is that?" Aiden started, trying to rush to her defense. This little "interview" had to be set up by Bradley. It was the only explanation. He must have told Sylvia to hold off on that bombshell until last.
    "Yes," Sylvia said, ignoring Aiden, "That's what my sources tell me. Isn't it a little strange that one week you're just a college student struggling to get the bills paid, and the next you're hanging off the arm of one of New York's most eligible bachelors?"
    "I don't like what you're insinuating," Gwen said. She could feel her composure falling apart. Wasn't this just supposed to be a fluff piece? She hoped that no one she knew was watching. She hoped it wasn't live, that it was just a recording.
    "I'm not insinuating anything. I'm merely stating facts," Sylvia said.
    "This interview is over. Come on, Gwen; we're leaving. Sylvia, if I see one word of this in print, if it comes out on some talk show or news piece, your editor can expect a libel suit," Aiden said. He helped Gwen to her feet.
    "It's only libel if it's not true, Mr. Manning," Sylvia said.
    A few of the people at the other tables must have overheard, at least in part. Little mutters chased them out of the conference room. Mutters and stares.
    Rather than leading her back out through that gauntlet of camera flashes and curious reporters, Aiden took her out through a side entrance and had the Limo meet them there. He opened the door for her and then climbed in beside her.
    "I'm sorry about that," Aiden said. He slammed his fist into the door. "I can't believe he did that!"
    "How did she know about that stuff? About my rent?" Gwen said.
    "Bradley, of course. He did say he'd find out everything about you. He probably just passed some of it onto Sylvia. I just didn't think he'd be so brazen, is all. I thought it was just going to be an interview trying to trip us up on some detail of the relationship..."
    "Can you take me home, please?" Gwen said.
    Aiden told the driver to get them back to her building as quickly as possible.
    They stayed quiet for a while, the two of them listening to the muffled rush of the road beneath the tires.
    Gwen hugged herself, chewing on her bottom lip. That had really shaken her, she realized. Much more than she thought it would. She figured that she'd managed to convince herself that maybe Bradley wasn't as bad as he seemed, that maybe he'd go easy, considering that Aiden was his son.
    What else did he have planned?
    She began doubting herself, her motivations and feelings. That vehemence she'd felt earlier, trying to convince both herself and Aiden that they could get through this interview and that she could then get on to getting him to admit that he did really like her.
    That just didn't ring