Falling For My Playboy Boss
Chapter 90

Collin's POV

As soon as I got off the plane, I felt the weight come back on me. I felt great while I was with Cora, even when I was beating that a*****e down to the ground, I still felt fine. But back here, knowing I have to go deal with Maddie, I want to turn around and get straight back on the plane and leave. Just go hide from Maddie until this is all over, but she won't allow it. I see the 37 notifications of texts sent by Maddie and I really am not up to facing her. She is livid right now, but I just don't want to deal with her yet. I instead texted Nicolas and Dalton and saw if they were free for lunch, as we gained 6 hours, coming back to New York.

I head to the restaurant and grab our table as I just need their advice. I have known them both for a long time and I value their input. I trust them, and that is a very shortlist. I went ahead and ordered a drink because we were going to be here a while and I was going to eat too, and then started thinking about my situation. I knew it was going to be hard on Cora, me having to pretend to be with Maddie, but I thought that since I didn't sleep with her or kiss her voluntarily, she would be fine. But hearing how upset she was on the jet when we were leaving, how she told me how she felt every time she saw us in the paper or a magazine. I realize now, that even if she doesn't get them, anytime she goes into any type of store she will be seeing the images of me and Maddie together and it has gone on long enough. I need to figure out what to do to force Maddie's hand to where she attacks me, and we can put a stop to this. I just need to figure out how to do it without mentioning Cora, or the babies. I don't want her to try to go after them. I got us into this, it is on me to get us out of it.

I see Nicolas and Dalton heading my way and I am glad to see them. I need to do something special for them as soon as I get done with this Maddie problem. They have had my back from the first day we met in grade school and still are to this day. I am not even mad about them knowing that Cora was Shea. I was a tool to her back then and treated her badly. I can figure out why she didn't want me to know, and they supported her when I was too stupid to know what I had in her at first.

I stood up and greeted them and motioned to our waitress, as she said she would come back when they got there. She came and got their drink orders and left us again.

"Where did you go on Friday? We showed up and no one was there." Dalton asked me.

"Cora had been in Paris for the last 2 weeks training some of the employees at another company and we came back today. I flew out yesterday to try to get to spend a little time with her, away from Maddie", I told them.

"I am sure you were ready to get her home. Is it the same company that you went to last September for the awards banquet?" Nicolas asked me.

"Yes, it was. That was why I had a problem with it. The guy that was interested in her last year, came to get her to train. He had called me the day we left to get her phone number from me, so I had to tell him that we were together. I guess he saw that I was taken by someone else in the gossip columns and decided to try again. He wasn't even phased by her being pregnant. He was all in; to date her, get engaged to her and raise my children with Cora", I told them and glared at Dalton when he laughed. "Collin, you know as well as I do that Cora is beautiful, regardless of her being pregnant. She is a truly nice person that cares about others, is really smart, and beautiful on top of that. You are lucky one of us didn't try to grab her before you got your hands on her, especially after seeing her all dolled up on the runway. I really did want to, but I knew she only had eyes for you, so I didn't bother trying", Dalton told me, and I narrowed my eyes at him because I never realized that he was that interested. I think back to seeing her on the stage the first time and I remember both of them watching her with interest. I remember them both hanging out laughing at her desk, and Dalton kissing her hand the Friday that they met her. Dalton is right, they were both interested in her. I am truly a lucky man that she wanted me, for me. She has never asked me for anything at all. All I have ever bought for her were the tickets for the riverboat tours and the pair of shoes that I had just bought for her on this last trip.

I realize that she is so completely different from all of the women that I used to date. They wanted me for my checkbook, not for me. I am sure they enjoyed the s*x too, but they didn't know me, they didn't care about me, or growing old with me. They always got much more out of the relationship than I did. I just had arm candy on my arm and in my bed, and it was enough back then, but it isn't anymore.

Our meals were served, and after we ate, I told them what had happened in Paris, and what I had overheard that a*****e say to Cora, and it made me angry all over again. He implied that she was a slut. She has only been with me. I hope Gabriel fires them both over it. They caused Cora physical harm and could have harmed our babies. I was still mad enough over it to go back and beat him all over again. Then I got down to business.

"I need to figure out a way to make Maddie angry with me, just me. I do not want to involve Cora in it at all. Maddie is unstable and volatile, and I will not risk Cora's life or the lives of my babies. She may not use her phone to call someone to do her dirty work. She literally doesn't have any money to hire anyone anyway and Mateo and Cora are about to sue her over what she said and did to them. I know Cora's friend Olivia is chomping at the bit to get at Maddie. I don't blame her at all either. Cora was pregnant and if she had fallen harder, Maddie could have indirectly killed my babies. She deserves the lawsuit though. She told a bunch of lies and she will have to pay for it. I will not financially help her when it goes to trial. I hope it doesn't go to trial though. I would rather it was tacked onto what we already have against her, and I pay damages to Mateo and Ella. I know that they are just doing it to help protect Cora. She couldn't even go home because of the lies that Maddie had told. The way she was tearing up my kitchen when she saw the press conference on television, I am really concerned about how Maddie would react if she ever lost it on Cora and I make a mental note to make sure Thomas is always with Cora, anytime she is out from now on. I will double his pay, but she and the babies have to be kept safe, but I need some ideas about what to do to make Maddie lose it on me, like mad enough to really hurt me", I said to them.

"I would say to break up with her, but she would blame that on Cora. If you went public with the blackmail scheme that she has against you, she would again blame Cora. Cora is going to be her main target in it, no matter what you do. Since Maddie got together with you, and Cora basically being there at the beginning too, Maddie blames her for your relationship ending, whether it's true or not. Maddie knows your interest in Cora, and her being Shea, and knowing you wanted her badly, she is really just waiting for a reason to attack Cora. I cannot see a path for you to take that allows Maddie to come after just you. It will always be Cora, as she sees Cora as the person who opened your eyes to the fact that Maddie is a worthless and vile human being. You didn't revert to your old ways of just sleeping with her as you would have done in the past. You didn't want to be with Maddie anymore and you have managed not to sleep with her for the last 6 months. I know that has to be a personal record for you too, Collin, so she is going to blame that on Cora too. She has been in your bed naked several times and you kicked her out. The only reason that she hasn't lost it completely is that you are complying with her wishes. You do what she asks and she still believes that you are going to marry her. She wears your ring, and it seems like you are willing to go along with it. If I could suggest anything it would be that you get Cora to see if Mateo will go along with making her the wedding dress that she wants. He won't actually be making it, but he can measure her after his wedding and honeymoon are over, and it will buy us a little more time. That said, when you are done playing along with her, and in front of witnesses, let her know that you have changed your mind. That you told Mateo to not make the dress, as you won't be marrying her, that would be the only thing that I could see her changing her fury from Cora, onto you" Nicolas tells me.

I look at him in surprise, he is a criminal mastermind, and he has figured it out. That is exactly what we need to do. I need to call dad and set up a meeting tomorrow where we all get in on the plan and see if Cora and Ava can get Mateo to come in on it as well. I could kiss Nicolas for thinking of this. I told them both that we needed to meet at my parent's house at noon tomorrow, so everyone can get on the same page. I texted dad that we needed to come tomorrow at noon as we had figured out how to get Maddie to react and come after me and not Cora.

I texted Thomas, Ava, and Cora in a group text to see if they could get Mateo to come to my parents' tomorrow for the meeting and I told them that Nicolas had figured out a way to get rid of Maddie. I told them to wait until tomorrow to hear about the plan. I wanted everyone to hear it at the same time and I believe that it is going to work, and for the first time since Maddie started this nightmare, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I am really excited to get it over with.