"I was?" James asked, disinterested. "But I wasn't even there long."
Unable to relate, Madison found herself half-listening. She'd tried college for a time, but just as quickly dropped out. She'd missed her father too much to be away too long, and the only thing her classes taught her was that she wasn't cut out for business.
Or school, period.
Maybe one day she'd go back to pursue something she actually enjoyed.
"Are you kidding me? Professors used your projects as the golden standard, and all the orgs you led talked about the way you ran things. Plus you were on full-ride. Like, how?"
James shrugged. "Good time management?"
Madison scoffed. It wasn't his ability to keep a timetable straight that made him a known success. But it was interesting to hear about this period in his life, as James never talked about it out of indifference.
He worked impressively hard, she'd known that. Her father personally chose James to mentor, and Arthur didn't surround himself with unimpressive people.
"We should go," Madison cut in, sparing him from further conversation. She sent Drew a cheery wave. "Thanks for today! I hope we meet again soon."
Drew returned the chummy motion.
"Let's do that. Nice meeting you, Lacey!"
Madison choked, biting down on her tongue. Searing pain rendered her unable to speak.
He didn't.
". . . Lacey?" James questioned, after an unnervingly still pause.
"Oops." Drew brought a hand to his mouth, digging his grave deeper. "I-I meant M-Madison. Lacey's a friend . . . and they look alike, so . . . oops. Ha-ha."
Even Madison could lie better than that.
Both of them sweat bullets as James wordlessly looked from Drew to Madison, his expression cryptic.
"I see."
An unnaturally bright smile took over, stretching from ear to ear. But James's pearly whites did little to hide the murderous glint in his crinkled eyes.
It was terrifying.
"We'll be going now, thank you."
Still smiling, James put a hand on Madison's shoulder to guide her out.
Drew hesitantly shut the door behind them.
At least he was safe—the same couldn't be said for her.
The walk to the car was eerily silent, but James's grip on her shoulder didn't loosen. It wasn't until they both sat that he finally turned to her, with the same chilling smile from earlier.
Madison gulped—he was absolutely livid.
"Mind telling me what he really meant by 'Lacey'?"
YOU ARE READING
The Sweetest Decisions
Romance» Whosever name she picked out of the jar, he would become her future husband.« Madison Summers, wealthy heiress of the Grand Seasons Hotel, is getting married. At twenty-one years old. To a man she's never met before. You would think she'd reali...
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