Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
And that unsettled him. Because if the statement wasn’t true, what then was her role in his life?
Before he could respond, or even evaluate his reaction to her declaration, she moved on as if she was afraid of what his response might be to her words.
“I watched Granger’s interview… with that financial guy? Liam Marsh?”
Cade sighed, happy he’d finished his meal, because nothing could steal his appetite faster than discussions about Abernathy.
He dragged a paper napkin across his lips, and sucked at his teeth, before taking another sip of water.
“And?” he finally prompted, when it seemed like she wasn’t sure what to say next.
“And I want to respond. I won’t sit idly by while he says such monstrous things about you, when he’s the real monster.”
“Respond how?”
“I want us to do an interview. Set things straight. And I want to take him to court, for abusing his role as my guardian and as executor of my mother’s estate. I want to make him pay for that malfeasance. As well as for the lies he told about you and continues to tell about me.” Her tone was frigid, her sweet face set with determination and when her eyes came up to meet his for the first time since he’d sat down with his food, he could see the fire sparking in those smoky gray depths. “He’s been allowed to run roughshod over me for years. I’ve allowed it. But I’m done having him use me to line his pockets and prop himself up as a good man. I want the world to see that mercenary bastard as the thief and liar that he is.”
Chapter
Twenty
Cade’s face was unreadable as he watched Fern. She’d run out of steam after her furious little speech and she wondered what was going on behind that impenetrable facade he hid behind.
“Are you sure, Fern?” he asked, his voice had dropped a couple of decibels, rumbling like distant thunder. “Because that’s a bell you can’t unring.”
“Do you think I’d have a case?”
“From what you’ve told me? What I’ve witnessed? Yes. I would have suggested this course of action myself, only you seemed bound and determined to get out, move on, and leave it all behind as fast as possible.”
“That’s what I wanted, yes. But what he said about you?” Fern remembered the outrage and burning hatred she’d experienced upon hearing Granger’s vile, unfair insinuations about Cade. “I won’t stand for it.”
“I’m a big boy, I can handle it.”
“I don’t want you to. I don’t want you to have to defend your reputation against the likes of him. I want to rip his mask off and expose him as the disgusting little parasitic worm that he is.”
“The Hawthorne PR machine already has a few interviews lined up. So that’s been taken care of. As for the rest… I can recommend a few good attorneys you can speak to.”
She felt a pang of panicked dismay at his words.
“Oh, I thought you’d be able to help with that? I suppose it was silly, you’re busy. And I’ve already been so much trouble, I under—”
“Stop that.” The quiet command effectively halted her stuttering words immediately. “Firstly, it’s not my area of expertise. Secondly, representing you in this matter would be a conflict of interest. You need someone with no affiliation to me or my family or company. Someone to represent you alone and who will ensure that your estate is protected from both Abernathy and me.”
“But you wouldn’t…”
“Of course, I wouldn’t. That’s not the point, you still need to protect yourself against the possibility. It’s the sensible, responsible thing to do. Signing that prenup was a step in the right direction. You should’ve had an attorney look over it first though, or at the very least have given it more than a cursory glance.”
“Still sore about that, are you?”
He glared at her.
“It was irresponsible.” It was adorable how he didn’t recognize that his absolute outrage at her carelessness when it came to the prenup, only made her trust him more. “When you find an attorney, you can have them look over the prenup again and I’d be happy to agree to any amendments they might recommend.”
“Okay.”
He eyed her suspiciously, as if dubious about her easy acquiescence.
“I mean it, Fern,” he said.
“So do I,” she replied brightly. He looked befuddled and she wished she didn’t find his confusion so cute.
“Right,” he muttered, still eyeing her with a great deal of skepticism and wariness. “On Monday I’ll have my assistant send you a list of attorneys. We’ll take it from there.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded.
“Well.” She dropped her feet to the floor, preparing to get up. “I think I’ll leave you to your evening and—”
“Why?”
The curt question flummoxed her and she stared at him in complete confusion.
“Uhm… I assumed you wanted your privacy.”
“As I said before, Fern, you live here too. You don’t have to ghost out of a room every time I enter it. It’s fucking unsettling. I’m not some kind of monster who’ll rage out at the mere sight of you.”