Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
“So, are you going to tell me what happened?”
I sit down next to her, inhaling a slow breath. “There’s something I didn’t tell you.” Her face pales, and I fucking hate it.
“Please don’t tell me she’s really pregnant.”
“Pregnant? Who?”
“Alana. She told me she was pregnant with your child.”
That sleazy bitch. “Fuck no. I told you, I haven’t touched her since we were kids. She just wanted to rile you up.”
“Well, it kind of worked.”
I cup her cheek. “She’s a conniving, heartless bitch. She wants this merger because it puts her on a higher pedestal. If I have my way, I’m going to knock her off and enjoy watching her fall.”
Fay shrugs, adding a simple nod. “I’d make the popcorn to see that.”
I kiss her quickly but pull back. “I wasn’t fully honest about how the meeting with my father went the other day. We presented the information, and I made my case. Then he threw us his own wild card.”
“What?”
“He’s been putting my signature and name on company documents for years. Way before I was even on the payroll at MIC. My name is on the sale of every single bad land deal.”
“Wait, he can’t do that—”
“He did.”
“So what does that mean?”
“It means if I go to the police, there’s a good chance I go down with him. Craig is confident the court will throw it out since it’s not my signature on the documents. Plus, I was overseas for a lot of the deals. But as you pointed out, a handful have occurred since I’ve been CEO. It will be for the courts to decide.”
“Then don’t go to the police.” She sits up, holding my hands against her face. “You’ll find another way.”
“This is the only way.”
“Theo, no,” she pleads, tears welling in her eyes. “Please don’t do this.”
I press my lips to hers. “I have to.” I kiss away a fallen tear. I wish I could kiss away all the pain and sorrow she’s feeling.
“I love you,” I murmur against her lips. “I’m going to fight this. I won’t leave you willingly.”
“If you do this, you will. You said so yourself.” I climb onto the bed, forcing her to lay under me. I’m gentle with her, cautious of her wounds. “You don’t deserve this,” she says, and I capture her cries with my mouth.
“I have to do this,” I repeat, needing to hear the words and let them sink in so I don’t change my mind. I kiss her until the guilt and regret dissipate. “I won’t leave you.”
She pulls away from me, hurt in her eyes. “You can’t promise me that.” I know. And saying things like that only makes it harder for us both. “When?”
“In the morning.”
“Does your father know?”
“Yes.” If she only knew how I was barely surviving before her. The loneliness. What it’s felt like to be under his control.
Having power and wealth means nothing if it’s at the hands of your happiness. I may have gotten lost in all that for some time, but Fay has made me realize there’s more to life. And I deserve that more. “You should get some rest. I have some things to prepare for.”
Her eyelids are already drooping. She wants to fight it, but the meds are winning. “I’ll be right here when you wake up. I’m not going anywhere.” She nods and closes her eyes. Her lips part as if to say more, but she’s lost to sleep almost instantly. I close the blinds, shut the door, and go to my home office. Sitting down, I reach for my phone and make a call.
“Craig. Start the process.”
Chapter thirty-one
Fay
I stir in my sleep, groaning at how sore my body is.
“Morning.”
I open my groggy eyes to Theo standing over me. “Hey, what time is it?”
“About seven-thirty.”
“In the evening?”
“Morning.”
“Morning! Why did you let me sleep so long?” I sit up too fast and get dizzy.
“Easy there. Clearly, you needed your rest.”
“Not when you’re about to confess to something you had nothing to do with and possibly go to jail!” Frustrated, I struggle to swing my cast off the bed, wincing at the pain. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“I told you—”
“That’s not a reason. That’s time you took away from me. Did you already do it? Is this you saying goodbye?”
He takes a seat next to me. “This is just me saying good morning. I haven’t done anything yet. I’m waiting for Craig to get here. We’re going to the station together.”
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” A tear cascades down my cheek.
“Come here.” He scoops me in his arms and lays me on the bed. His mouth falls to my stomach, and he presses tender kisses up my belly.
“You’re not answering my question,” I say, my eyes closing to contain my tears.
“I don’t plan to either.” Two hands smooth up my sides, and he removes the oversized shirt he put on me at some point yesterday. His hand cups one of my breasts in his palm. “I love the way you fit perfectly in my hands.” He squeezes, wrapping his mouth around my nipple.