“That’s her,” she whispered, her body stiffening as she looked at someone over my shoulder.
“What’s that?” I asked, turning to look behind me, trying to spy whoever had scared Lou.
“The mean lady. The one who said you were pretending to like me,” she said. I had to force myself not to react.
“Show me again, Lulu. What color dress?” I asked, and followed her little finger to a very familiar, very infuriating blonde in a gaudy red evening dress. We were in the middle of a viper’s nest at that event, surrounded by venomous foes slithering around us. I felt my anger grow, searching for the asshole who traumatized a child—my child. It was time we burned it all down.
Chapter 25
Maxwell
Barely restrained fury radiated through my entire body.What is he doing here?A sour taste was in my mouth as I forced myself to stalk away from the trio, unwilling to cause a scene at such a public event. We had already earned ourselves more than one look from the gossiping vultures around us.
Sophie looked incredible, her curves sheathed in emerald green, making her eyes look huge and bright. Her long blonde hair was shining, thick curls draping over her shoulder and down her back. Even in a tuxedo, you could tell the man with her was out of place. His hulking form surrounded both Sophie and Eloise. The familiarity, the connection between the three, hurt more than anything else.
Swiping my forehead, I was surprised to see my hands shaking.Am I getting sick?I didn’t know how to feel. It felt like my thoughts were all jumbled, and I couldn’t think clearly. My head and body felt separate from one another, like I was floating above myself.
But even in that dream-like state, I was having a physical reaction to something—probably the sight of Sophie in that dress. I was tingling, flashing from hot to cold, and I was so aroused it was embarrassing. I hadn’t had sex in weeks, couldn’t think of touching anyone but Sophie.
Seeing her then, I felt my heart race, a primal beat telling my soul to claim my mate, my person. I didn’t miss the whispers as I walked back to my table.
“Who is that man with the Townsend heir? They’re just adorable together!”One of Mother’s closest friends muttered, the women surrounding her nodding in agreement.
“Did Sophie finally start dating? Damn, how did I miss my chance? You think they’re serious?” This was from my CFO—a man I had trained personally and worked with for nearly a decade.
“Talk about an upgrade.”That burned the most.What does anyone see in that oaf?
Each comment was said with such confidence, I had to wonder if it was true. I turned once again to try to catch another glimpse of my family. A flash of green caught my eye—Sophie making her way over to say hello to Pops. Meanwhile, a head above everyone else was her giant, carrying Eloise across the dance floor.
My daughter had her head resting on his shoulder, the two whispering to each other. The connection between them was undeniable. That was my little girl, clinging to another man like he was her lifeline. This was bigger than me and Sophie; I had to put an end to it before he turned everyone against me.
“Maxwell!” Mother’s hissed voice rang over me.
“What is going on? What is this I’m hearing about Sophie showing up with that man? Did she tell you he was coming?” I sighed, not wanting to deal with her.
“His family has a table. He’s related to Judge Lennox. I didn’t know he would be here.” Somehow, I felt like a schoolboy trying to defend myself, but it was a useless battle. I never could win against my mother’s outrageous rules and expectations. It didn’t help that Ididknow his mother was a judge, but I had forgotten. My focus solely on Sophie, the file I read on Linc so long ago was nothing but a faded memory. Useless information—or so I thought.
“This is unacceptable! Do you hear what people are saying? How this makes us look?” If they could have moved, I imagined her eyebrows would be up to her hairline by that point. Instead, Mother had the same face on—the one that hadn’t moved in decades. Her eyes were full of disapproval as she gazed around theroom, as if trying to kill her enemies by sight alone.
“What is it you want me to do here, Mother? Kick him out? Make a scene? How will that help us? You are the one who wants me with Nat, who has pushed for us to stay together. You have done everything to try to erase Sophie from our lives. When will it be enough?” I was tired of it. All the mind games and power plays.
If I had just been focusing on what was important this whole time, we wouldn’t be in this mess.Sophie was my priority. Getting her back as my wife was all I could focus on. To hell with what people had to say. I was tired of being at the whims of people who didn’t give two shits about me.
Not to mention, the last few conversations with my lawyer were eye-opening. The truth was that we didn’t have anything to hold over Sophie. The chances of anyone in my family besides Pops getting custody of Lou were incredibly low, according to the first, second, and third lawyers I spoke with.
Not only had I signed and agreed to the current custody agreement, but there were well-documented arguments prepared to prove me unfit if I pushed for more. Meanwhile, Sophie had a perfect record. There would be no reason to take Eloise away.
“What has gotten into you?” Mother hissed, stepping closer, as if that would somehow quiet our conversation. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you. You’ve been acting like this for weeks now. Is it jealousy? Because of that man Sophie is parading about?” Mother asked, her eyes squinting as she watched my face for any response. I clenched my jaw as I tried to keep my face void of emotion.
“Sophie is the mother of my only child. I have the right to know what she’s doing and who she’s spending time with. Especially if it includes my daughter,” I told her, the lie coming easily, just as she taught me.
“Bullshit,” she said, and I looked at her, startled. Mother was truly shaken—more than I had ever seen before—and all pretense was gone.
“You are my son, Maxwell, and I know you better than youknow yourself. You weren’t happy when you were with Sophie because you wanted Natalia. Now, you’re not happy with Nat because you think you want Sophie. Since you can’t seem to make up your mind, I’ve had to step in and take control of this ship.
“As my son, as the male heir to the Townsend family fortune, I expect more of you. It’s time for you to grow the fuck up. We have damage control to do. Our reputations are on the line, which means our livelihoods are as well. I’m not going to be around forever, and I am not going to lose everything I’ve worked my entire life for because of you.”
“Worked?” I snorted, raising an eyebrow at her. Mother had never lifted a finger a day in her life, so I was not sure what “work” she was referring to, unless it was spa and shopping trips.
