get to hung up on the sender. “Call me back to discuss how to move forward.”
Marcus pressed the end button and smiled.
He’d done it. He’d secured the funds they needed. They could proceed with getting the estate in shape to be the site for the women’s shelter.
This was a big deal, and it never would have happened if he’d ended the night at the restaurant.
Suddenly his phone started blowing up with social media notifications. Messages from usernames he didn’t recognize. He opened Instagram and found himself staring at a picture that made him grimace.
It was him, holding up a shot glass next to Jonathan in front of the bar at Skin. They were surrounded by booze and beautiful women. But the worst part was the picture next to it, the one of him and Kyra, kissing in front of the limo.
The caption read—Playboy Prince Rides Again. #princemarcus #playboyprince #goodbyegeorgiahellogorgeous.
Shit.
He moved over to his computer and popped the lid up. In his email were at least a dozen messages with links to news articles. Every one of them boasted pictures of him like the one he’d seen on Instagram and worse. In some of them he was visibly wasted. In all of them, there were women all over him.
Every article told the same story, claiming that he’d had enough of “playing nice” with Kyra and had dumped her to resume his bad boy ways.
This was a damn disaster. He’d expected the tabloids to splash his images all over the place—but it hadn’t occurred to him that they’d drag Kyra into it.
Ashamed that he was still feeling the after effects of alcohol, he snatched his phone from the desk and texted his driver to pick him up ASAP. He didn’t want to take a chance on driving, but he had to get to Kyra before she saw these articles and pictures.
The thought of her finding them first sobered him.
Not enough to drive.
But enough to make him fear how much he had to lose. Last night, making the decision to go out to the club, he’d thought to himself that it would be better for Kyra to see this side of him—to understand what she’d be risking by being with him, in case she wanted to walk away.
Now, truly faced with the prospect of her leaving, he knew he’d do anything to keep that from happening.
“Did you pack Pandy, Mama?”
Kyra handed her niece her stuffed panda. “Here you go, sweetie.” She looked at Maggie, who was bustling around the hotel room, making sure she had everything. “All set?” she asked.
“I think so,” Maggie said and met Kyra’s eyes.
Things had been a bit tense between the two of them since their argument the day before. Kyra hated having drama between her and Maggie and wanted to make things right.
“I want to say I’m sorry about coming down so hard on you yesterday,” she said. “It’s just—”
“No,” Maggie interrupted, holding a hand up to stop Kyra’s apology. “You were right. I should never have gone off to Barcelona and saddled you with Ava when you were busy with work. It was thoughtless of me.”
“You know I love having Ava around,” Kyra said. She didn’t want her sister to think that she ever felt saddled.
“I know, but I’m her mother—it was my responsibility to make sure she was taken care of, and I shouldn’t have just assumed you’d handle it, no matter how short my trip was supposed to be.”
Kyra shrugged then nodded.
“Look, Kyra,” Maggie began, “I made a mistake—I acknowledge it and I apologize for it. But that’s all it was. A mistake. It’s not the sum total of who I am. Not anymore. I’m not perfect, but you have to start giving me some credit for the strides I’ve made. I’m not the same little girl who needs you to rescue her all the time. Work is going well. I’m focusing on what matters, putting Ava and my job first. I need you to realize that and not always judge me like I’m still an irresponsible teenager.”
Kyra was a bit stunned. Maggie never stood up for herself in such a controlled and logical manner. When criticized or questioned, she always seemed to retreat or act like a victim. Acknowledging when she was at fault and apologizing really did make it seem like she’d matured. And maybe it had become too easy to see what Maggie was doing wrong and miss the stuff she was getting right. Maggie had been working at the same job