Echoes of Unrequited Love (Xaviera and Hogan) novel Chapter 12

No clue how Hilary got her hands on my digits.

And it was crystal clear that her dinner invite wasn't just about the food – she had got ulterior motives.

What was she fishing for?

Could it be that Hogan hadn't spilled the beans about Cecilia to her yet?

Whatever it was, I was not keen on getting tangled up in the Zade family drama anymore.

So I said, "Sorry Mrs. Hilary, gotta grind at work tomorrow."

She probably didn't see that coming. There was a pause on the line before I heard Hilary start to gripe, "I heard from Hogan that Rainbow Capital's backing your project. I'll have to talk to him about not putting too much on your plate."

Talk about pulling the investor-mom card to pressure me.

I rubbed my temples and relented, "Mrs. Hilary, is tomorrow night okay?"

"Sure thing! I'll send you the address. Just remember to bring your boyfriend along, okay?"

Boyfriend? Since when?

Oh well, I would cross that bridge when I get to Hilary tomorrow.

Saturday evening rolled around, and I showed up at this fancy restaurant on the outskirts of town.

The place was all decked out in fancy decor, and even the waitstaff were dressed to the nines – clearly, this joint was a money pit.

Hilary's riding high these days.

Inside the private room, the well-kept woman looked at me in surprise, "Why solo? Where's your boyfriend?"

"He's busy."

Hilary's eyes narrowed with suspicion before she continued, "No worries, Hogan's still on his way. Let's order first."

My grip on the teacup tightened.

Hogan was coming tonight too?

Seeing me silent, Hilary shot me a probing look, "Xaviera, your company's working with Hogan, right? Know a girl named Cecilia?"