Page 10 of Ungodly Rich

Harry’s eyes narrowed. “This isn’t a coincidence, is it? You being here. How long have you been looking for me?”

Lookingfor him? Julia knew that Harry wasn’t close with his family, but did they not even realize where he was?

Dylan chortled through a sip of champagne, then lowered the flute, eyebrows raised. “As usual, my dear cousin, you’ve been spending too much time withpeople.It makes you vastly overestimate your own importance.”

There was something funny about the way he’d saidpeople,but before Julia could parse it out, Dylan gave a careless shrug. “Us running into each other? It’s just a coincidence.”

Harry nodded, but his lips were still pressed together. Julia decided to fill the awkward silence.

“I’m sorry, Dylan, you said you work for your family?” She attempted a smile. “What do you do?”

“I’m here as an advance scout. We’re thinking of buying this place and adding it to the TWL portfolio,” Dylan announced.

Julia felt her mouth fall open in shock.

TWL was one of the world’s biggest conglomerates, founded by the elusive billionaire Bruce Ellene. Even if she hadn’t worked on their cruise line, Julia would have recognized TWL from its alcohol brands (Bordeaux wine, champagne, expensive bourbon), its luxury goods (half-a-million-dollar watches, diamonds, leather handbags), its boutique hotels.

“But your last name is Adams,” she said slowly, turning to Harry.

Dylan looked at his cousin in consternation. “Seriously? We all knew you’d run away, but no one imagined you were using afake name.”

“I didn’t want to be found,” Harry said stiffly.

“No one was looking for you that hard. Honestly, things have been easier without you. Though I have to say, I get it,” Dylan added, chuckling. “If I had a shot, I would absolutely sleep with—”

“Stop,”Harry cut in.

The tension between the two men was palpable. Julia could practically taste it in the space around them, like the acrid, bitter smell of an electrical fire.Sleep withwhom? Julia longed to exclaim. They were talking about an ex-girlfriend of Harry’s, right?

But that wasn’t as pressing as the massiveliehe’d been telling her for the past two years. Julia couldn’t stop thinking of those paychecks she’d once collected, stamped with the TWL logo in the corner.

“Harry. If your family runs TWL, then you are…”

“Filthy rich? The heir to a billion-dollar corporate empire, or at least one of the heirs? Yes, and yes.” Dylan drained his glass and set it down with a resounding thunk. “Harry is one of the few Ellenes who refuse to work at the family business.”

Julia stared at her boyfriend. His jaw was clenched, an angry vein pulsing in his temple. But what right didhehave to be angry, when he’d kept something like this from her? It was a pretty major secret to conceal from the person you loved.

Harry was an Ellene. He was one ofthem—the rich people she dealt with on VIP tours—or worse, like Preston.

Actually, Harry was richer than Preston, and he was certainly richer than the people she took on tours. His family didn’t go on cruises; they owned an entire fleet of cruise ships.

Julia said, her voice very quiet, “I used to work at TWL. On the cruise line.”

“Really? Which cruise?” Dylan asked, but Julia’s eyes were fixed on Harry. His face had twisted into a mask of contrition.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to—”

“You knew,” she interrupted. “You listened to endless stories about my time on that boat, and you never thought to mention that your familyownedit? That your father was my boss’s boss’s boss?”

“I think you’re missing a few bosses in the middle there,” Dylan said cheerfully. “Corporate bureaucracy and all.”

Harry and Julia both ignored him.

“I’m sorry, Jules! I should have told you who I really was. But when we met that night, I never imagined that it would go this far,” Harry said urgently.

Dylan reached across the bar for the champagne bottle and topped off all their glasses, then stood. “I should probably, um…Julia, it was a pleasure meeting you. Harry…” After an awkward pause, he started off, still clutching his full glass of champagne.

When his cousin’s steps had receded, Harry reached for Julia’s hand.