Free Mastered By My Guardian by Opal Carew

the chairman asked when Bill finished speaking.
    “Wait.” The tall stranger in the navy suit stood up. “I just received word that the owner of my firm wants to be present for the vote personally. He’s at reception.”
    Bill stood up. “I’ll bring him in.” Then he disappeared out the door.
    The tension was unbearable as Chelsea sat waiting for her world to crumble beneath her. Finally, she stood up and walked out of the room, determined to do something. She walked down the hall then turned toward the reception area
    Then she saw him. Zane standing talking to Bill.
    But Bill had never met Zane before. Why would he…?
    Then Bill shook Zane’s hand.
    “I’m glad you’re on board,” Bill said. “It’s a good offer.”
    Her heart sank. Oh, my God. Zane is the other major stockholder.
    She pushed aside the shock. With everything that had happened between them on the weekend, he must have bought the shares to protect her. He was here to help. Somehow, he would make it all right. She knew it in her heart.
    “You will be voting with me?” Bill asked.
    “Of course,” Zane said. “As you say, it’s an excellent offer.”
    Chelsea sucked in a breath. Her heart compressed and she felt nauseous. Zane was betraying her.
    Zane glanced in her direction.
    “Chelsea.”
    “You know each other?” Bill asked in surprise.
    But Chelsea ignored him. “I can’t believe you would do this.” Anger seared through her. “That you would betray me like this…” Oh, God, her voice was shaking. She couldn’t… she wouldn’t let him see her tears.
    She turned and hurried down the side corridor toward the elevator, racing past Sandy, then jabbed at the elevator button.
    “Hey, Chelsea, you’re white as a ghost. Everything okay?” Sandy asked.
    Chelsea just shook her head, relieved when the elevator doors opened and she stepped inside, then pushed the button to close the doors. But her heart sank even more when she realized Zane wasn’t following her.
    Oh, God, had last week and this weekend been all about keeping her preoccupied so she didn’t know what Bill was up to? Everything Zane had said he felt for her…she realized now it had all been a lie.
    * * *
    Chelsea flinched at the pounding on her apartment door. Zane had texted to say he was on his way over, and someone must have let him in the front door.
    “Chelsea, let me in,” he said in exasperation, the knocking getting louder.
    She’d been refusing to acknowledge him for a good ten minutes, but clearly he wasn’t going to give up. She walked to the door and turned the lock.
    When she opened the door, the sight of his handsome, determined face threw her totally off balance.
    “I don’t want to talk to you.”
    He pushed past her. “We’re going to talk about this.”
    She closed the door and turned to him. “There’s nothing you can say—”
    “That’s not true. Now come and sit down.”
    She walked into the living room but refused to sit. Tears welled from her eyes and all the things she’d wanted to say to him over the past hour…all the pain he had caused her… bubbled to the surface.
    “I don’t understand how you could…” Her throat tightened, choking off the words.
    She drew in a breath, trying to calm herself. “When I was younger, I trusted you. Then our parents died and you turned into my father and never listened to me or cared what I wanted. But then… this weekend… you turned everything around. You convinced me you …” She choked up again. She sucked in a deep, wobbly breath. “You convinced me you were in love with me.”
    “I am.”
    “Not just you loving me like someone you’re obligated to take care of...” she continued, ignoring him.
    “That’s not—“
    “But like you were really in love with me.”
    “Chelsea—“
    She turned her back on him and walked to the window, unable to look at him anymore.
    She felt him approach and wanted to stride away. To get as far from him as she could. But her legs