Page 56 of Titus

“No,” I said evenly. “I don’t.”

“Well, how badly do you need the woman, exactly?” Spencer asked.

“I wouldn’t offer her the money I was offering if I didn’t need her,” I said. “I don’t know why, but I swear to God, I know this woman could get me on the inside of that man’s business.”

“It makes zero fucking sense, actually,” Alex said with a sharp smile.

“I feel like it all started with a good idea,” Wyatt said. “Now it’s something I’m not too sure would even help. I say drop the whole idea. We do what Alex said. We hire men to go in and get the insider bullshit.”

“No,” I said, somehow pissed off that I couldn’t work to secure the woman. “I’m sticking to my original plan.”

“Fuck,” Colton said. “This isn’t just about Titus thinking of an idea that may or may not work—this is his new damn challenge.”

“I swear, hermano,” Wyatt told me, “if you mess up this project because she keeps slamming the door in your face, I’ll personally kick your ass.”

“The ego will fuck you every time,” Alex answered with a laugh.

“She said she’s working an event next weekend,” I said, ignoring the speculation, which, sadly, was pretty much all true. “What event is it that somehow was more important than her being on my yacht for three days?”

“Oh shit,” Spencer said. “We’re going to be at the Laurent Foundation Gala at the Getty Center. It’s for the pediatric neuro and trauma and recovery Evelyn’s been working on for Saint John’s.”

“Does that sound like an event she would work on?” Wyatt asked.

“Yep,” I said, looking at Spencer. “Who has the connection from Saint John’s for that event? I would like to attend and make a donation.”

“An eight hundred and twenty-five-thousand-dollar donation?” Spencer said, running his tongue along his teeth.

Wyatt chuckled. “I guarantee you’ll land that woman with a yes if you donate the funds you were going to use to hire her and put them in her name.”

“Shit,” Alex said. “That’s your redemption angle right there.”

I smiled. “Then that’s exactly what I’ll do.” I rose from the table. “Get me the contact information so I can attend,” I said to Spencer.

“Hell,” Alex said, chuckling, “I know Evelyn Laurent personally. I’ll text her now to ensure you get in. And now? I really think I’d love to be in attendance.”

“To see him get shot down again?” Wyatt laughed.

“All of the above, buddy,” Alex laughed. “Now, where can I get a good steak around this place?”

I left the men to enjoy their dinner and drinks, since the meeting we were here for was over. I was in no mood to socialize. I was in this bizarre state of mind, where obsession was boiling in my veins, not merely because I didn’t have Catalina Veléz close enough to get information from Jameston for me. Something in me shifted after our last text, and I did not like that this woman not only didn’t want to plan my events, but she didn’t even fucking want almost a million dollars to do it either.

And that only made me want to figure out what kind of woman could look me dead in the eye and walk away from everything I offered.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The late-afternoon sun spilled over the Getty Center’s white stone terraces like molten gold, reflecting on glass panels and sculpted edges as if the entire place had been designed for this exact hour. Below the center, Los Angeles stretched endlessly in a hazy, powerful, and untouchable way.

Everything was perfect. Thank God for that, because perfection was not an option at this evening’s event… it was expected. As usual, my team brought it better than anyone else could. Even though it all had my personal stamp of approval, I had to ensure that everything we did was flawless.

“Aria,” I said, not looking away from the west terrace, “the floral installation is leaning to the left. It’s coming off as too heavy.”

I heard her softly inhale into my earpiece, “I was going for asymmetrical romance⁠—”

“I’m not seeing that at all. It looks unbalanced.”

“I’m adjusting it right now.”

“Thank you,” I said with a smile.