‘That’s all I ask.’ Sydney pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before settling back against the cushions. ‘Now, what do you say we demolish this tiramisu before we have to get down to business?’
‘I think that sounds perfect… Look, before we start,’ Lauren said, her voice tentative as she started to cut the cake, ‘I just wanted to say sorry.’
‘For what?’
‘Jake getting the job.’
Sydney waved her apology away. ‘Don’t be silly. It had nothing to do with you.’
‘So, you’re not angry with me?’ Lauren handed Sydney a slice of cake on a napkin.
‘Of course I’m not. It was Mother Dearest who decided to humiliate Oliver, not you.’
‘I still don’t know why she did it. I mean, Jake is nowhere near as qualified as Oliver in management.’
Sydney sighed. ‘Who knows?’
They moved to sit at the desk, both on opposite sides.
‘Is Ollie pissed off?’ Lauren asked, before taking a sip of her coffee.
‘Yeah, and it’s proven to be the tipping point for him. He wants out.’
‘As in . . . leaving the hotel?’
Sydney nodded.
‘Does that mean . . . that . . . you’ll go with him?’ Lauren wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
‘Looks that way.’
‘Isn’t that a bit dramatic?’ Lauren pushed her cake aside, her appetite gone.
‘I don’t think so. I’m sick to death of Mum treating us like an afterthought. Why on earth should we stay somewhere where we’re not wanted?’
‘I want you here, Syd.’ Lauren dreaded to think what the future looked like without her sister by her side.
As if reading her mind, Sydney said, ‘I’m not going to abandon you. I’ll always be there for you and Ben.’
It was at that moment Lauren realised something that had been staring her in the face her whole life. Not that she blamed them, but everyone in her life always did what was best for themselves.
Maybe it was time to prioritise her own happiness for once, to stop being the selfless martyr and start living life on her own terms. She picked up her phone and quickly typed in a message.
Can we meet tonight?
She hit send before she could second-guess herself. Whatever happened next, she knew one thing for certain – she was done being a passive participant in her own life. It was time to take control, to follow her heart instead of her head which so far had got her nowhere.
Chapter Fifteen
The man drove aimlessly, his mind consumed with thoughts of Fay, when his phone suddenly rang. He grabbed it from the passenger seat, glancing at the caller ID before answering.
‘Tell me you have good news,’ he growled into the phone.
‘Well, I’ve got news,’ the voice on the other end replied. ‘Not sure if it’s good or not.’
The man’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. ‘What do you mean? Did you talk to the manager?’
‘Yeah, I talked to him all right. He’s not gonna forget our little chat anytime soon, if you know what I mean.’
‘And? What did he say?’
There was a pause on the other end. ‘That’s the thing. He says he doesn’t know where Fay is. Claims he hasn’t seen her for ages.’
The man slammed his hand against the dashboard, cursing under his breath. ‘Are you sure he’s telling the truth?’
‘Pretty sure. I can be very persuasive when I need to be.’
The man took a deep breath, trying to rein in his frustration. ‘Okay, so the manager’s a dead end. What now?’
‘Well, that’s where it gets interesting. He said someone else showed up looking for Fay.’
The man frowned. ‘Who?’
‘Her sister.’
His blood ran cold. If Fay’s sister was looking for her, it was only a matter of time before she involved the police. And that was the last thing he needed.
‘Boss, if she starts poking around . . .’
