Idolized (Hollywood Stardust Book 3) (59 page)

“Ryder.” She gasped and pointed. “That’s him!”

“What?” He spun around.

“I’m done with this!” She shoved him aside and went running for the door.

Commotion broke out in the ballroom and he turned. “Please give us a moment.” He held his hand out. No doubt all over the tabloids tomorrow would be a story of their breakup. He had to fix this, and he ran out of the ballroom into a scene fit for one of his worst nightmares.

There stood Ben, Cora and, worst of all, Glen. He should have told her when he had the chance. Something told him he was in the for the worst flop of his career, or worse yet, a tragedy.

So much for his perfect timing.

* * * *

“STOP!” Heart racing and every muscle shaking, Cora caught up to the blond man. “Stop!”

The man stopped and held up his hands as if he were under arrest. “Cora.”

“You know my name!” She pointed at him. This was the man, the man she saw the day Ryder proposed to her. The man who had been stalking her and she wasn’t going to be the victim, she was going to deal with him head on. “I’m going to have you arrested.”

“Wait.” He took a step back.

“Ma’am, is something wrong?” An older man came to her side.

Refusing to let this criminal get away, she continued, “This man’s been following me. He sent me emails, he attacked me.” Throat dry, she grabbed on to the man’s arm and bent forward in an attempt to catch her breath.

“Cora!” Ryder yelled to her.

“Ryder!” She practically pushed the kind man over and rushed to her fiancé. “This is the man who I saw.” She pointed to the blond man. “We need to call the police.” With her whole body vibrating from her shaking she dropped her handbag.

“It’s okay, baby.” Ryder took her into his arms.

Why wasn’t he reacting? Beating the man up, calling someone? Why did the other man simply continue to stand there? Something was wrong. Something beyond finding her stalker.

“Boss, I’m sorry. I was just doing my job.” The blond shook his head.

Boss? She pushed Ryder back and stared in the space between the two men. “What job?”

“Cora.” Ryder whispered, but didn’t look her in the eye.

The way he said her name sounded like an apology. Her chest tightened and she stepped back. “Please tell me this has to do with your charity.”

“I’m Ben, I run Ryder’s Rescue.” The blond put a sick smile on his face.

“Is that why you’re here?” The backs of her eyes heated, but in no universe would she shed a tear not in front of these people.

The blond glanced over at Ryder, then back at her and shook his head.

“He’s a friend of mine. I hired him to watch you,” Ryder blurted.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” There was something more. Ryder might be a trained actor, but she was a professional through and through and when information was withheld, there was a damn good reason.

Ryder jutted his chin out. “I knew you’d say no.”

“That’s not true.” She crossed her arms. Her heart beat hard enough to wrack her whole body.

“I had to protect you.” Ryder’s quick glance at the other man who simply stood there told her there was so much more to the story and none of it good.

“From me, no doubt,” the other man finally spoke. “But I think what your fiancé is neglecting to tell you is that in this case he brought everything on himself,” he said, as if filling in the blanks. “Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Glen, Ryder’s business partner.” He held his hand out.

“Don’t touch her.” Ryder took her by the shoulders and pulled her back.

At the man’s cryptic words, she shrugged Ryder away and shook her head.

“I’m only introducing myself.” Glen’s smooth words were definitely laced with something sinister. “I had to meet the woman who finally stole your heart. Now with a wedding on the way, and lord knows what other delays, I had to protect my investment.”

“Glen, not now.” Ryder tried to step in front of her, but she stopped him.

“What investment?” She faced the man head on. Her instinct told her he would be the only one who would offer some semblance of the truth.

“Ryder’s movie, of course.” The man stared her right in the eye.

Her breath came in short gasps and she turned to Ryder. “Our movie?”

“I think you mean my movie.” The man’s voice reverberated behind her.

Ryder shut his eyes.

Once more, her business knowledge came into play and all the pieces lined up. “You backed his movie?”

“We more than backed it, we went into business together but unfortunately, Mr. Scott failed to deliver.”

The man explained even though there wasn’t any script needed to follow this plot line. Money. Always money. Even when she sold her business and said it was to make it grow, it wasn’t that, it was for the money. “And the reason you haven’t sued him?” Strange, how people asked questions, even though they knew the answers.

“In my line of work, we don’t use courts and red tape. We have methods that are much more effective. You’re a smart lady.” Glen crossed his arms.

Ryder touched her shoulder. “Cora, let’s go talk.”

“We don’t need to go anywhere.” She thrust his hand off her. “When I asked you two minutes ago if there was anything else, the fact we weren’t going to produce a movie together because you had sold yourself long ago never came to mind?” Somehow, she managed to keep herself together enough not to mention the words organized crime in public. Oh, she should have listened to her gut and not her heart.

“I wanted to do it with you.” His voice shook.

“No, you didn’t. You wanted me to bail you out. Make up for the money you spent, or lost, or used in some way. You didn’t want to make a movie with me. The fact I thrust myself into role of producer only complicated your life.” In hopes of finding an answer, she looked up to the ceiling. All that was there was a ceiling, a light fixture, probably a couple of cobwebs. No one ever did their job right.

“I complicated my own life.” Ryder stomped to Glen. “Why are you here? I told you time and again I would make your movie.
Hollywood Stardom
is about to wrap, everything would be fine.”

“And that is why you blatantly went against us and changed the title on the cabin?” Glen opened his suit jacket and pulled out a copy of the deed. “You knew what we wanted, and you betrayed us in every way.”

Cora’s breath caught. “The cabin.” She pressed her hand to her chest. Just when she thought she figured it out, the puzzle pieces took on even more jagged edges.

“Yes, his family’s cabin, the cabin you now own, and before your marriage I might add. How convenient.” Glen narrowed his eyes at Ryder. “We only didn’t burn it down because it’s an icon.”

“You bastard.” Ryder inched closer to him.

Tears filled her eyes. Damn tears. She fought all her life and managed to keep them at bay except under the worst of circumstances. Ryder’s engagement gift wasn’t a gift, it was a way to ensure he kept what was his. Everything he did was an act. Everything. She pulled the key off her neck, the thin gold chain snapping.

“Cora, let’s get out of here, and I’ll explain everything.” Ryder returned to her side.

“I don’t need an explanation. I know everything.” She shook her head and stared down at the key in her palm. What once represented her future, now painted a picture of her foolishness.

“No you don’t.” He took her by her shoulders and bent down. “I love you. I want to be with you forever.”

“Why did you make me forget our roles?” She stared into his face, that goddamned beautiful face. Did every woman succumb like this? “For the first time in my life, I feel truly stupid.”

“You’re the smartest person in the world.” He tightened his hold on her.

“No, I was smart when I wanted to keep you, and I was smart when I made our arrangement. I was dumb when I agreed to marry you.” At realizing what she said, the tears finally escaped and rolled down her cheeks.

“What are you saying?” His skin turned the most unearthly shade of white.

“You don’t really need me. Your producer role is filled.” She let go of the key and her heart. They both fell to the floor. “I told you day one if you did anything to hurt my chances of becoming the CEO of Ultracom, our deal was over. I think this qualifies.”

With the words out, she moved away, picked up her handbag and scanned the area. A crowd had gathered in the hall, including Albert. She always knew she shouldn’t go to these charity events. In less than evening, she lost her love and her position. Would Chargge be next? “Go to a hotel tonight, you still have my credit card.” She faced Glen. “Was it you? Did you follow me? You or your people?”

“I give you my word, it was not.” Glen gave her a slight bow.

With a nod, she glanced at Ryder one last time and head held high, walked down the hallway. As Ryder taught her, one never knew who was watching. Without a doubt, they would be trending tomorrow. No musical had a song for this moment.

* * * *

RYDER BENT DOWN and picked up the key to his cabin then looked down the hallway. On one side was the public, the other his love. She didn’t get to walk away. Not like this.

His straightened up, but before he got the chance to run, Glen stopped him.

“I’m assuming there’ll be no more distractions.” The man stared him down. “We have enough collateral to last until the end of your latest film.”

“Get away from me.” Ryder shoved the man aside and, not caring about appearances, took off with Ben in tow.

“Boss, what can I do?” Ben ran alongside him.

He shook his head, only increased his speed through the hotel lobby and out to the front with just enough time to catch Cora slipping into the car. “Cora!”

Without even a glance in his direction, she shut the door.

Unwilling to accept this, he dashed over to the car and hit the window, only getting a glimpse of her silhouette. “Cora!”

Instead of the window rolling down or any hopeful sign from her, the car sped away. He stood in the middle of the valet parking at the hotel and watched the lights vanish.

In truth, he wasn’t sure how long he stared, praying the car would return, and he would get in the car and everything would work itself out. It could have been a second, a minute, several hours.

A car drove up alongside him. “Boss?”

He didn’t move.

Ben got out of the car and went to his side. “Boss, there’s a crowd, let’s go.”

Somewhere between the ballroom and this spot in the cold night air, he lost his heart. Though he felt like he wasn’t moving, he let Ben get him in the vehicle and they left.

Ben took his cue and for quite a while, they simply drove around the city.

“I need you to take me home.” Ryder squinted at the streetlights turning them into nothing but white streaks. What on earth had he done?

“Boss,” Ben whispered.

“I said take me home!” With his outburst, Ryder hit the dash. “I need to go home to Cora. Once we talk, I can make it right. I’m going to get married.”

As they turned around, his phone vibrated indicated a text. It had to be Cora. She wasn’t the type to drive away like that. Maybe she returned to the hotel and found him gone. He fumbled as he retrieved the lifeline to love and found not a text from Cora, but Rodger.

Mr. Scott, inform me where you end up and I will have your clothes and other personal items delivered to you.

His breath caught and he typed back.
I want to go home. I have to talk to Cora
.

Cora has asked all correspondence go through me. The electronic locks have been changed. She asks that you do not create any sort of disturbance as there is already too much publicity. I am personally asking you not make this worse on her.

Seriously she was shutting him out? This was nothing they couldn’t overcome.
Rodger please I have to see her, I can make it better.

I am personally asking you not to make this worse on her. Just tell me what you need and I will bring it,
Rodger responded.

I need Cora.
Ryder hit send and tossed the phone aside. “I can’t go home right now.”

“Where to, boss?” Ben kept his voice low.

“I need some stuff.”

No need for directions, Ben turned the car around once again, and they headed to the only square of the world that would truly be one hundred percent his.

They parked and he moved in slow motion, hoping and praying that any second he would get a second text or call.

Ben walked ahead of him and turned on the light illuminating the small hallway. “Boss.”

As he made their way to his door, he stepped on something, nearly tripped and bent down, picking up the pen he took the first morning he spent at Cora’s. “What is this doing here?”

Pen in hand, he moved forward only inches and picked up a ticket stub from his first movie, then a patch from one of his sci-fi costumes.

He followed the sick trail of breadcrumbs, collecting a button and one of his 8 x 10’s before stopping at his piece of red carpet rolled neatly out for him.

The red carpet that led right into his storage facility.

His empty storage facility. “It’s all gone.” His body went numb. If he closed his eyes, he could still visualize each piece. How dumb was he anyway keeping those dumb pieces of the past? What was the point when he didn’t have a future?

“Ryder.” Ben rubbed his hand over his face. “What can I do?”

Was it only this morning he was making toast for Cora and sharing a shower with the woman he was going to marry after making love to her? It seemed like a really long time ago.

Except for the pen, he dropped the few artifacts he collected, and walked out. Every memory he had with Cora was laced with that underlying anxiety of having his deceptions and lies discovered at any moment. He stole from her, not money, but himself, their memories and their life. “I need to go.”

“Where?” Ben opened the door to the car for him.

He had nowhere to go. Here he was the superstar, the one of the bunch who made it, and he had nowhere, nothing, nobody. Cora told him to go to a hotel, but he couldn’t go anywhere without being spotted even in his best disguise. Any of his former quote unquote homes made him literally sick in the stomach. And no way would he have Cora’s name attached to more of a story than what would already appear in tomorrow’s media. With only one last place to go, he found his phone and the location, then tossed the device to his one friend.