just for a bloody contract | Roman Godfrey au

ch. 20 • sticky situations

I woke up early the next morning. I didn't exactly sleep too well, between whatever my brain was doing and the hurt knee. I texted Letha to ask her if I could pick Shelley up. Letha texted back that I was welcome to. Good. I had something to do.

I took a shower, got changed, and got out of my room to find Roman walking right past my door. His hair was wet. He must've taken a shower too. What are the odds.

"Good morning," I said.

"Same to you," Roman said. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Uh yeah. Letha's."

"I can drive you," he said. Before I could say anything he said, "No arguing."

I nodded and went downstairs to have breakfast. Roman made eggs for himself. I just ate cereal.

"So, uh, Pryce was asking me about what you were doing," Roman casually mentioned making eggs.

I got alarmed. "Finishing up PA school?"

"No, he mentioned something about research?"

I choked on my water. After taming it, I asked, "Roman, were you going to the White Tower today?"

"Yeah, right after I drop you."

"So why don't we go there first? I'll text Letha and tell her we'll be there a little later than planned."

"Okay, what's going on between you two? Seriously, what's going on?" Roman looked at me with furrowed eyebrows. "Is there something I need to know about? I feel like I do. It's my company. This has everything to do with me."

"Roman, I promise it's all good. I just need to talk to Pryce about some things."

"What could you possibly talk to him about that I can't know? I shouldn't have told you about him demanding money. Shee-it."

Roman ran his fingers through his hair then left the kitchen frustrated, with his eggs cooked but untouched. He didn't eat anything last night either. How was he alive?

I felt bad for keeping Roman from the truth. But he would never let the little trade between Pryce and me happen. And he couldn't know. Pryce was edging along crossing the line, and I wasn't having it. I had to do something.

Roman came into the kitchen, dressed in a grey suit. Professional and handsome.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," I said. "You should eat."

"I'll eat something later. Don't worry. Just be careful with Pryce. He doesn't stop. And seems to worship Olivia for whatever god-forsaken reason," Roman warned.

On the way, I thought of everything I could tell Pryce. I wasn't ready to face him at all, but I had to do something.

"Is your knee better?" Roman asked.

"Mmhmm," I nodded. I hadn't actually tended to it. I didn't care. That wasn't my focus right now. Dealing with Pryce was.

"I have a meeting today. But I can have someone walk you down to the lab. Liana, be careful. Please. With my company but also with yourself. I don't understand why you can't just tell me. It's so fucking annoying when I'm just in the dark about it all," Roman closed his eyes for a second in anger then opened it and kept driving.

Roman left pretty much as soon as we got to the tower. I went down to see Pryce. It seemed like he was on his way to the meeting when I entered his cabin.

"Johann, we need to talk," I sternly said.

"Mrs. Godfrey, I have a meeting right now. This can wait."

"No. It can't. We need to talk right now," I demanded.

"Very well. What is it?" Pryce looked at me, with his head up high.

"What's with you trying to tell Roman about all of this? Why are you dragging him? Do you not understand what shutting your mouth means?" I tried to keep my voice low, but it was a challenge.

"All I said was you were doing some impressive things. A husband ought to know about his wife's accomplishments, despite the relationship being a sham," Pryce gave one of those fake smiles.

"You are going to keep everything on the low. Your bits, my bits. I can always change my mind about giving you the patent," I threatened.

"Is that so? Then I can go and ask your husband for more money and blackmail him with his little blood issue. I clean up his messes, but I keep the receipts, Mrs. Godfrey."

"Your receipts can always be used against you too, Pryce. I am keeping your whole lab a secret. I'm giving you patents to something I'm working hard on. You're getting more than you need. Just stop dragging Roman into whatever you're planning."

"You know, you care too much about a man you're parting with soon. I cannot believe Olivia agreed to this. She certainly has her ways, doesn't she?" Pryce wondered.

"Besides the point. And I said before, believe whatever you want to about my relationship with Roman. Also, what happened with Olivia a few weeks ago?" I asked. Curiosity got the best of me; I wanted to know.

"Ah, your dear husband did not inform you? I am dismayed," Pryce pretended to get concerned. "Honesty is essential in a relationship. Looks like you are both keeping matters from each other. Anyway, my lab is not a marriage counseling office. Rest assured, I will not tell anything to Roman. But I expect you to keep updating me on your work. We could not have you betraying my trust, can we?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to show that I was completely unfazed about anything Pryce had just said. "Yes. And you shouldn't even think of double-crossing me," I glared at him then excused myself out to go to Roman's office and just wait there until he was done.

You always get the worst case scenarios revolving around your mind when you have nothing else to do. So of course, I thought of what went on between Olivia and Roman and how Pryce knew. Or maybe Pryce didn't know anything and was just messing with me.

I was pacing back and forth lost in thought until I bumped into someone tall and looked up to see Roman, looking at me, unamused and slightly concerned.

He put his hands on my shoulders and looked at me straight in the eye. "What's wrong?"

"I don't even know anymore," I muttered.

"Huh?" Roman cocked his head to the side.

"I said I don't even know anymore. I don't know."

"Liana, seriously, what is going on with you and Pryce? It's driving me fucking nuts," Roman let go of my shoulders and headed towards his desk.

"All I can say is we have an agreement. We're trading," I sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You do realize he can double cross you at any time. He's going to. He doesn't have an ounce of integrity in his blood," Roman said as he typed something on his laptop.

"I went and sat in a chair in front of his desk. "Yeah, I know. But the stakes are too high. I don't think he'll do it."

"I'm just saying," Roman said as he raised his hands up. "Okay, let's go."

"Where?" I asked.

"Letha's. To pick up Shelley?" Roman reminded me.

"Ohh, right. Sorry," I said. "Yeah, let's go."

Roman gave up trying to talk to me during our car ride to Letha's. I felt so bad that I couldn't tell him anything, but there was nothing to do.