#Chapter 98: What’s Best

Edrick I was too taken aback by Kelly’s proposition to even speak. Was she the one who paid off the tabloid to keep the photo up, just so she could manipulate me into having a fake relationship with her? Or did someone else put her up to it… Like my father? “Well?” she said, batting her eyelashes in front of me. “What do you say?” “I…” I paused, blinking incredulously as my head reeled. “I need a drink.” Without another word, I turned on my heel and headed back toward the door to the banquet hall. “At least think about it!” Kelly called after me in a sing-song tone of voice. “I’ll be waiting to hear your decision!” I sighed as I stepped back into the banquet hall, letting the music and the noise of the guests wash over me. Why couldn’t I just enjoy the banquet? Why did it seem as though these sorts of things always had some sort of political connotations behind them? As I headed over to the bar, I tried to push my conversation with Kelly into the bac