Gaines didn't say a word.
He stared at her for three more seconds, his jaw locked tight. Then, he turned on his heel and walked out of the guest room, his strides long and rigid.
He looked like a man fleeing a burning building.
Jaclyn watched his broad back disappear into the hallway. She took a deep breath, ignoring the throbbing pain in her ankle, and limped after him.
She stepped out of the hallway and into the massive, open-concept living room. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the glittering Manhattan skyline.
Right in the center of the room sat a pile of splintered black wood and tangled wire.
It was a Fazioli grand piano. A rare, discontinued model.
Jaclyn's breath hitched in her throat.
It was his wedding gift to her. He had spent months tracking it down in Europe. And she had taken a titanium golf club to it the night before she tried to run away.
Gaines was standing next to the ruined instrument. His back was to her. He reached out, his long fingers lightly brushing against a snapped piano wire.
The slump of his shoulders betrayed a profound, hidden exhaustion.
Jaclyn's chest tightened. She forced her bare feet to move across the cold marble floor, closing the distance between them.
Gaines heard her approaching.
He instantly straightened his spine. The vulnerability vanished. When he turned to face her, the ruthless billionaire mask was firmly back in place.
He pointed a long finger at the destroyed piano.
"If smashing things helps you process your anger," Gaines sneered, his voice dripping with ice, "I can have ten more delivered by tomorrow."
It was a test. He was trying to provoke her back into her normal, hateful state.
Jaclyn didn't take the bait.
She walked right up to him, stopping less than two feet away. She tilted her head up and looked directly into his dark, guarded eyes.
She didn't flinch. She didn't look away.
Gaines shifted his weight. He reached up and violently jerked at his silk tie, loosening it. The proximity was making him claustrophobic.
"What game are you playing, Jaclyn?" he demanded, his voice rising in volume. "Did the Lester family hire a new PR team? Is this the new strategy to get me to sign the divorce papers?"
At the mention of the Lester family, a flash of pure, arctic hatred sparked in Jaclyn's eyes.
She quickly blinked it away.
She shook her head slowly. "I broke something beautiful," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was acting like a lunatic."
Gaines's eyes widened slightly. He looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language. He had no defense mechanism for a compliant Jaclyn.
"It's just wood and wire," Gaines snapped, his voice harsh. "The Acevedo group can absorb the loss."
He was trying to bury his feelings under money.
Jaclyn raised her right hand.
She reached out, her fingers trembling slightly. She lightly pinched the edge of his suit jacket lapel.
The moment her fingers made contact with the fabric, every muscle in Gaines's body turned to stone. He stopped breathing. He wanted to step back, but his feet refused to move.
"Did you go to Italy to find it yourself?" Jaclyn asked. Her voice cracked. A single tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek.
Gaines's eyes locked onto that tear. His jaw tightened so hard his teeth ground together. He didn't confirm or deny it.
The tear dropped off her chin. It landed directly on the dark wool of his suit jacket, leaving a small, dark stain.
"I'm sorry," Jaclyn whispered again. "I am so, so sorry."
The sound of her crying snapped something inside him. The violent clash of his anger and his overwhelming need to protect her erupted.
Gaines's hand shot up. He grabbed her wrist-the one holding his lapel.
His grip was bruising. Jaclyn winced, but she didn't try to pull away. She let him hold her.
He leaned down, his face inches from hers. She could feel the heat radiating off his skin.
"Do not use tears to manipulate me," Gaines hissed through his teeth. "It won't work."
Instead of shrinking back, Jaclyn pushed up onto her tiptoes.
She closed the final few inches between them.
"I'm not acting," she breathed against his jaw.
Then, she let go of his lapel and wrapped both of her arms entirely around his waist.
