AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nik took the check from her hand, and an ugly, accusing expression came to his face. He lifted the check to her eye level and slowly tore it up as if making a point. “You will never get a penny of the Andropolis fortune,” he said.
“Nik, you have to listen to me. She’s lying!”
“I want you to leave,” he said. His entire body shook with rage, and she knew he was barely able to control the violence wanting to burst free. Until now, she’d never been afraid of him. “Leave Vegas at once. I never want to see you again.”
Then he was gone.
His mother smiled in triumph. “Do what he says. Go home before he decides to make an example out of you.”
Chloe bolted upright in bed, her heart racing in terror. Relief flooded her system when she realized she was on the plane next to Mia. Her little girl was fast asleep with a sweet smile on her face. At least one of them was having pleasant dreams.
She had left the Andropolis estate that day as ordered, but she’d been determined to track Nik down. She’d been sure she could make him listen long enough to hear an explanation.
Wrong! Nik had an army of people working for him, and they wouldn’t let her get close enough to say a word. He had blocked her number on his phone and told security to keep her away from him. Eventually, she had gone back to her hometown.
It took her a while to realize she was pregnant. At first, she’d blamed the morning sickness on having her world turned upside-down. She had thought losing Nik made her sick to her stomach. When her stomach continued to churn and heave day after day, she went to see a doctor.
An unplanned pregnancy by a man who didn’t want to see her face again didn’t seem like happy news at first. Now she looked back on it in delight. Mia was the best thing to ever happen to her. She just wished Nik had been there for them. His mother had a lot to answer for.
Chapter Twenty-Two
An hour later, they were closing in on Vegas. Chloe’s heart lodged in her throat, and her stomach refused to calm down. It brought back memories. When they dated, he had taken her to Paris for dinner. She walked from the back of the plane to the front with her hands clenched. It was time for them to have an important conversation.
Nik finished his call and put his cell aside. Stretching his arms along the cushion tops of the custom-made couch, he gestured to the replica on the other side of the plane facing him. He wanted her to sit there.
She did.
“How is Mia doing on her first flight?” he asked.
“She is sound asleep.” Chloe tucked her legs halfway beneath her. “I dozed off for a while, but I want to talk to you about this visit with your mother. I really think we should see her without Mia. You can tell her that she has a... granddaughter. Feel her out on the subject. If she isn’t happy to hear the news, I won’t let you introduce them.”
Nik nodded. “You don’t have to try to sell me on that. I totally agree.”
Stunned, she blinked. “You do?”
“Why are you so surprised? I told you I won’t let anyone hurt Mia... or her mom, for that matter.”
Chloe’s insides warmed. Her defensive wall almost completely collapsed. Then she remembered the facts. Nik hadn’t believed her six years ago and shut her down before she could explain. Letting someone that didn’t believe in her back into her life was risky. How could she trust him to trust her in the future?
He cleared his throat. “You mentioned something about my mother treating you badly when I wasn’t around? I’d like details. Please.”
“Estelle pointed out how different we were and told me I wouldn’t fit into your world. She told me you were seeing an ex that you almost married. She reassured me that she was only telling me this stuff to save me from heartache. When none of that worked, she got mean.”
“How mean?”
Chloe sighed. “It’s in the past. Maybe we shouldn’t—”
“I want to know,” Nik said in a firm voice. “You should have told me back when it was happening. If you had, maybe we would have had our wedding. Perhaps we would have been able to raise Mia together from day one.”
There was a slight accusation in his tone, as if he wanted to blame her instead of his mother.
Chloe frowned. “You want to know? Fine. I’ll tell you. Your mother repeatedly told me I wouldn’t get my hands on the Andropolis money, accused me of cheating with every man she saw, and she chipped away at my self-esteem every time she got the chance.”
“How? I need to hear specifics.”
“According to her, I lack breeding, social graces, and good taste. She told me I could never keep a man like you interested. There were innuendos and then straight-up insults. Once, she asked if I preferred being a high-class call girl or an ordinary street hooker.”
Nik cursed beneath his breath. She could tell he wanted to start yelling, but his gaze drifted to the back of the plane where Mia was sleeping. He wouldn’t want to risk waking her by raising his voice.
