Chapter 2 - THE NAME HE NEVER GAVE ME
For three seconds, none of us moved.
Then Julian gave Mason a cold little smile.
“That’s an interesting thing to say at your own wedding.”
Mason’s eyes flicked toward me.
“What is he doing here?”
I actually laughed.
It came out sharper than I expected.
“You invited me, remember?”
“I’m not talking about you.”
“Obviously.”
Mason stepped closer.
“What did he tell you?”
Julian answered for me.
“Nothing.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Then you should be relieved.”
Vanessa appeared beside Mason.
She had recovered enough to smile, but it was the kind of smile people wear when there’s a knife against their back.
“Claire,” she said. “Can we talk privately?”
“No.”
Her smile twitched.
“This is my wedding.”
“And yet somehow I’m still allowed to say no.”
Mason’s jaw tightened.
Old reflexes kicked in.
For years, that look had been enough to make me shut up.
It used to mean: Don’t embarrass me.
Don’t question me.
Don’t make a scene.
I had spent half my marriage confusing his control with confidence.
Not anymore.
I looked at Julian.
“Your name is Reyes?”
“Legal name.”
“You told me Hart.”
“Stage name.”
Mason let out a humorless laugh.
“Stage name. That’s cute.”
Julian’s gaze moved to him.
“At least I only changed my last name.”
Vanessa went still.
I felt it.
Something passed between them.
Something ugly.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
Nobody answered.
I looked at Julian.
“Do you know Vanessa?”
His face changed.
Not much.
But enough.
“Yes.”
Vanessa cut in immediately.
“Years ago. Barely.”
Julian finally looked at her.
“Barely?”
“Don’t do this.”
“You dropped a glass because someone you ‘barely’ knew walked into the room?”
Mason stepped between them.
“That’s enough.”
Julian laughed once.
“No, Mason. You don’t get to decide when enough is enough anymore.”
Guests were pretending not to stare now.
Which meant they were absolutely staring.
Mason leaned toward Julian.
“If you came here to cause trouble—”
“I came here because Claire hired me.”
Silence.
Mason blinked.
Vanessa blinked.
I wanted the floor to swallow me.
Julian looked at me.
“Sorry.”
“You told them?”
“I figured we were past subtlety.”
Mason stared at me.
“You hired him?”
There it was.
That old disbelief.
Like I was too pathetic to even embarrass myself correctly.
I lifted my chin.
“Yes.”
“To pretend to be your boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
A few nearby guests suddenly became very interested in their drinks.
Mason gave a small, cruel smile.
“Wow.”
For one second, I was back in our kitchen eighteen months earlier, listening to him tell me I was emotional, jealous, insecure, difficult.
Then Julian stepped forward.
“She hired me because you specifically asked your ex-wife to attend your wedding alone.”
Mason’s smile vanished.
Julian continued.
“Which, considering what you planned to do after dinner, makes a lot more sense now.”
My skin went cold.
I turned to him.
“What did he plan to do after dinner?”
Mason’s head snapped toward Julian.
“Shut your mouth.”
That was all I needed to hear.
I looked at Mason.
“What did you plan to do?”
He said nothing.
Julian reached inside his jacket.
Mason grabbed his wrist.
Julian’s voice dropped.
“Take your hand off me.”
Vanessa whispered, “Mason.”
But Mason didn’t move.
His eyes were locked on Julian’s.
“You don’t know what you’re getting into.”
Julian stared right back.
“Actually, I do.”
May you like
Then he looked at me.
“And Claire needs to know why you wanted her here without a witness.”
