Chapter 2

Chapter 2 It had taken an entire bottle of bourbon to numb the memory of what I had done, and even after that, Wilson Gates refused to leave me alone. Over the past few days he had pursued me with an endless flood of messages that popped up on my phone at the worst possible moments and dragged me back into a reality I was desperately trying to escape. I winced as another notification appeared on my screen while I sat behind my desk, surrounded by files that had been waiting for my attention since morning. That made fifteen messages. Blocking him hadn't worked. I had figured that out after the first three attempts. Wilson simply got himself another number and carried on as if nothing had happened, which was both impressive and unbelievably annoying. The situation was almost ridiculous if I thought about it too long. For years I had wished for William Gates to notice me, for years I had wondered whether I would ever see the man who had saved my life again, and somehow I had managed to get his twin brother obsessed with me instead. Excellent work, Jennifer. Sighing, I picked up my phone and read the latest message. It's been days already, Jennifer. I don't know what I did to make you ignore me, but I can make it right. Come to dinner with my family tonight. I'm inviting you. I promise I won't bore you. For several seconds I stared at the screen before putting the phone back on the desk. A mountain of work still awaited me, and the headache brewing behind my eyes made it increasingly impossible to concentrate. Coffee was probably the only thing standing between me and falling asleep at my desk, so I pushed back my chair and headed for the cafeteria, hoping two strong cups would be enough to get me through the rest of the afternoon. I had barely reached the coffee machine when a familiar voice stopped me. "Have you heard the news yet, Jennifer? Your little crush is back in Chicago." Slowly I turned and saw my best friend Elena Brooks in front of me, watching me with shining eyes and the mischievous smile she always wore when she had found out something she knew would embarrass me. When I didn't react right away, she nudged my arm and pulled an exaggerated pout. "Come on. I thought you'd be happy about it." "And who exactly is supposed to be my crush this time?" I asked, trying to sound uninterested as I poured coffee into my cup. Elena rolled her eyes. She knew exactly who she was talking about. She knew my entire history with William Gates, including the details I sometimes wished I had never told another soul. For years she had listened whenever I talked about him, had accompanied me on my search for information about him, and had never missed an opportunity to remind me that I had apparently fallen in love with a man whose full name I hadn't even known when he saved my life. "Who else?" she asked. "William Gates." My hand froze around the cup. Elena's smile immediately grew wider. "William Gates is back in Chicago." For a moment I honestly thought I had misheard. Beside me the coffee machine kept humming while people walked past us carrying their lunches and talking about perfectly ordinary things, but suddenly everything felt far away. My thoughts had stopped at those four simple words. William Gates is back. "There's the reaction I was waiting for," Elena said with a satisfied grin. "So what's the plan? You've wanted to see him again for years. You're not seriously going to stand here and pretend you don't care." "I don't know what I'm going to do," I admitted quietly, although my thoughts were already racing faster than I could control. Seven years had passed since I fell into the icy waters of the Chicago River that night and, for one terrible moment, believed I was going to die. I could still remember how the darkness of the water closed around me, the burning in my lungs as I desperately gasped for air, and the sudden appearance of a stranger who had pulled me back to the surface. I remembered his face and his voice. And I remembered the dark mole on his shoulder. For years that memory had followed me everywhere. I had searched for the man who saved me, desperately hoping to thank him and perhaps to understand why he had vanished before I could even learn his name. When I finally found out who he was, it had felt almost impossible to believe. William Gates. And now he was back. Suddenly an idea formed in my head as Wilson's message echoed through my thoughts again. Dinner with my family tonight. My fingers tightened around my coffee cup. It was risky. I knew that. Wilson was already interested in me, far more than I liked, and accepting an invitation to meet his family would almost certainly make him believe there was something between us. But if William was back in Chicago, there was a chance he would be there. A very small chance. But it was more than I'd had yesterday. "Jennifer?" The first time, I barely heard Elena. "Jennifer!" I blinked and turned to her. The amusement had vanished from her face and been replaced by concern. "Are you okay? You've been staring at your coffee for almost a minute." "I'm fine," I said quickly. Then, against my will, a smile slowly appeared on my lips. "Actually, I'm better than fine." Elena immediately narrowed her eyes. "Jennifer Morrison, what are you planning?" "Nothing." I said it too fast, too sharply, and Elena knew it. Before she could question me further, I turned and hurried back to my office. "Jennifer!" she called after me. "I'll talk to you later, Elena!" The moment I reached my desk, I grabbed my phone. Dinner with your family sounds great. Send me the name of the restaurant and the time. I'll be there. For several seconds I stared at the message before finally pressing Send. Almost immediately I regretted it. What on earth was I doing? Wilson would definitely misread my intentions, and I was using his interest in me just to get closer to his brother. The guilt lasted about three minutes. Then my phone vibrated. Great. You don't need to drive yourself. I'll send you a driver. Only the best for my princess. I physically winced at that nickname. Princess. I had known the man for less than a week. But if I had to endure his ridiculous flirting for one evening to get the chance to see William again, I would survive it. The rest of the afternoon passed painfully slowly. By the time I finally returned home, I had changed my outfit three times before settling on a black halter-neck evening dress that hugged my body perfectly. My honey-colored curls fell softly over my shoulders, and I paired the dress with the most beautiful gold jewelry I owned, hoping it would make me look more confident than I actually felt. The Gates family was one of the most powerful families in Chicago. They were billionaires and moved in a world completely different from mine, and although I had built a respectable career as a corporate lawyer, I couldn't pretend that I moved through their circles with ease. Tonight, however, I had to make a good impression. Especially if William was going to be there. The doorbell rang before I could check my reflection for the fifth time. My ride had arrived. I grabbed my handbag and went downstairs, where a luxury car was already waiting in front of my building. The driver opened the door for me, and I sat down in the back seat, trying unsuccessfully throughout the entire ride to calm the nervous feeling tightening in my stomach. When the car finally stopped in front of one of Chicago's most exclusive restaurants, I took a deep breath and got out. The Velvet Fork. The moment I entered the restaurant, my eyes found Wilson. He stood near the entrance in a perfectly tailored black suit, and the confident grin on his face widened as soon as he saw me. He waved away an employee who was about to approach him and came over to me himself. "So you've finally decided to stop ignoring me." "I accepted a dinner invitation, Wilson. Don't start planning our wedding yet." He laughed as if I had said something especially cute. Without a word, he held out his hand to me. I hesitated before placing mine in it. Wilson raised my hand to his lips and pressed a warm kiss to the back of it. "You look beautiful." "Thank you." I let him lead me to the private table at the back of the restaurant, although my nervousness grew with every step. Two pairs of eyes immediately turned to me. Evelyn and Harrison Gates. The people who had built the Gates empire into what it was today. "Mom, Dad," Wilson said, pulling out a chair for me. "This is Jennifer Morrison. The woman I told you about." "It's a pleasure to meet you both," I said politely as I sat down. For several uncomfortable seconds they simply looked at me. Then Evelyn smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Jennifer. I must admit, Wilson only told us about you this evening." Harrison leaned back slightly in his chair. His expression was calm but hard to read. "Is there a particular reason why our son suddenly invited a woman he barely knows to a dinner with his family?" I glanced at Wilson. Had he told them what had happened between us? Before I could answer, his hand found mine under the table. "Jennifer and I are together." My eyes widened. "What?" Evelyn's face immediately brightened. "Oh, that's wonderful." "No, actually Wilson and I aren't-" A deep voice suddenly interrupted me. "Who exactly is together with Wilson?" Every muscle in my body froze. My heart stopped. I knew that voice. After seven years, I still knew that voice. Slowly I turned to see who it was. And there he stood. William Gates. The man who had pulled me out of the Chicago River. The man I had searched for for seven years. His gray eyes met mine, and for one breathless moment the whole world around us seemed to disappear. After all these years, I was finally seeing him again.