Konni rubbed a hand down his face and tipped his head back against the seat.
“Even when you’re not trying to test me, you do,” he said.
Not trusting any further conversation, I watched the city until we reached my car.
Konni didn’t open his eyes, allowing Harlow to get my door for me instead.
I wasn’t hurt; I was relieved that I’d escaped the fallout I’d feared.At least from Konni, anyway.
“It was nice to meet you, Miss Sophia,” Harlow said as he watched me unlock my car.“I hope I have the honor of driving you again in the future.”
I glanced at the tinted window hiding Konni from me.
“It was nice to meet you, too, Harlow,” I said instead of the “I hope not” that I wanted to say.
They left once I started my car, and I turned my thoughts from Konni to the meeting.It replayed in my mind as I drove home.Especially Hestian’s move at the end.
I was back to being annoyed by the time I walked through the door.
“What happened?”Mom asked, noticing my mood.
My gaze drifted to the new cast on her arm.
“You went to the hospital without me?”
“I have a broken arm, not a broken brain.I know how to order a ride.The swelling was down, and my arm’s healing fine.The cast will keep it more secure while it continues to heal.Now tell me what happened.”
“Dad hasn’t given up pushing Hestian at me, but I’m proud to tell you, I won this round.Not only did I tell Mr.Hestian to his face that I would never marry him—he was revolting by the way—I also walked away with some TAS Solutions shares.”
Mom’s expression, which had filled with outrage at the mention of Mr.Hestian, shifted to shock, then pride.
“How?”
“It was during the meeting with Konni, I mean Mr.Steele, yesterday when Dad called to accuse me of setting him up.He offered company shares in exchange for Steele Corp dropping charges.I agreed because I knew Dad didn’t do it.If he had, we both know he never would have offered up shares.
“And bringing Hestian tonight makes me wonder if it really is Hestian behind everything.The way he watched me…” I shuddered.“I just don’t get it, though.If Dad was trying to sell you to Hestian first, why switch to me?I still have wide open employment options, no mortgage, student debt, yes, but nothing compared to what you owe.You were on the verge of foreclosure.”
Mom didn’t take offense to what I was saying.
“If it started when you were fourteen, maybe Hestian thinks I’m outside of childbearing age?”she speculated, back to looking at the big picture analytically.
“We both know you’re not.”
“But men view a woman’s age differently—like we have an over-forty expiration date.”
A new thought hit me.
“Wait…If the whole point was to make us desperate enough to sign a prenup, why agree to shares?Why wouldn’t Hestian find a way to back Dad to avoid that?”
“That’s a good question.Did you talk to Mr.Steele about the meeting?”
“He knows I got the shares,” I said, already grabbing my phone.
Me:Mom and I were talking.If Hestian’s been bringing us to the point of desperation to marry him, why would he let Dad sign over TAS shares?
K:Why didn’t you tell me Hestian was at the meeting?
Me:Why?Does it mean something that he was there?Other than the fact my dad is shady AF and can’t be trusted…
