The way her partner was acting was absolutely childish. Every time a pretty woman appeared he drooled all over her and did none of the work that they needed done. This Sydney woman was doing nothing but distracting him. When CC had recommended Maxwell get a publicist, she had assumed her father would be the one stepping into the role. The last thing she wanted was another beautiful woman stepping into his life.
Adjusting her blazer so she wasn't sitting on it, CC sighed as she tried to concentrate on the scripts she was reading to no avail. Maxwell was so infuriating. Part of her still pined for him. He was what she was supposed to want, what she was taught to want. As long as Maxwell was single, she could hold out some hope that she could fulfill the role she was supposed to.
Her mother had called her again a few days ago with yet another man that she wanted her daughter to speak to. Using Maxwell as a scapegoat, CC continued to push off her mother's demands that she marry. BB was threatening to cut her out of the will and completely disown her if she did not marry in the next few years or if she married and the man was not of "proper" social standing. CC had certainly worked hard and made a lot of her own money over the years, but the basis of her wealth began with her family's money. She wasn't sure what would happen to her if she lost all the money she had inherited. Would she still be able to live in her apartment? Would she be able to keep up her investments that she made with Maxwell? As ridiculous as she knew it sounded, CC feared how much of her lifestyle she would lose if her mother disinherited her. Growing up wealthy had made her so reliant on money and while she flaunted her wealth, she truly did hate it. No matter how hard she worked her family would always be there to remind her of where her money began.
A knock came at the door and Niles stepped in with a cup of coffee for her. CC reached out and took it, not even thanking him or giving a sly remark, she was so deep in her thoughts. "Miss Babcock?"
Slightly thrown off by hearing his voice, she looked up. "What?"
"Are you alright?"
She shook her head, brushing him off. "Yeah. Just don't need Maxwell throwing himself at another floozy while I sit here and do all his god damn work. The man needs to learn what a proper woman is."
"And I suppose you think that's you?"
Glaring at him, she smirked. "I know it's me, Butler Boy." God, she hated herself sometimes.
"Maybe money isn't always everything."
"This coming from the man who makes six bucks an hour."
"All I'm saying is that maybe you should get your head out of your ass thinking he's ever going to want you just because of your 'status'," Niles shot back, his voice deeper and more serious than usual. With that, he was gone as quickly as he had come in.
She felt like she'd just been kicked in the stomach. Of course, he was right. She knew he was right. God, she wasn't even sure if she had feelings for Maxwell anymore. Sure, when she was younger she had and she'd always kept up the persona. It just made sense. No matter how much they had in common socially, she knew it would never work out. She just didn't need to hear it from Niles- especially not Niles, the man who had always thrown her whole world upside down.
