Page 1 of Hearts of Wealth

Catherine

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IT HAD BEEN A WEEK since Regina had whisked Paisley away, leaving me feeling helpless and guilty. I felt like it was my fault. I’d shown up at the gala and quite frankly, stole Timothy away from Regina. Regina was a jealous bitch, and she was making Timothy and Paisley pay for what she thought was a slight against her. Regina had cheated on Timothy, married another man, and now she wanted Timothy back. It was ridiculous that she thought she could just waltz back into Timothy’s life and snap her fingers.

Screw her.

Timothy deserved better. I was better for him. I knew that. The last week had been good. I’d enjoyed spending time with Timothy, but I knew he was sad. He felt like he screwed up with Paisley. The poor girl was collateral damage. Regina was an evil bitch. I didn’t know what I could do to help Timothy or Paisley. For now, I was just doing my best to be there for Timothy. It wasn’t easy. Timothy was a lot like a cactus. Very prickly. But I was still crazy about him, and I couldn’t just walk away from him.

I’d tried. I had tried to walk away from him several times. Every time I walked away, I was pulled right back. He was a force I couldn’t resist. The man was nothing I’d thought I would ever want. He was wealthy, arrogant, and slightly obnoxious.

But underneath all of that, he was a really good guy. He just didn’t show it well. But I got to see it. I was confident I was one of the very few people on this planet that knew the real Timothy. Our relationship had been rocky, but that was because he struggled to be honest with his feelings. I’d gotten my feelings hurt, and we didn’t have any real conversation about what either of us was feeling.

Until the gala. That night was our chance to strip away all the barriers we’d each put up. Timothy had finally come clean with his feelings for me. I knew he wasn’t a diehard romantic, which was fine. I’m not either. I didn’t need him to be vulnerable all the time. He gave me a glimpse inside, and that was all I needed to know. He cared.

I drove through the gate to Gloriana Manor. I still found myself amazed that I was a welcome guest at the lavish home after such a rough beginning. Falling over the garden wall turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. Timothy was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Stepping inside, I scanned the grand foyer, searching for Timothy. I walked into the kitchen to see if he was in there. When I didn’t find him in the usual areas, I headed upstairs. As expected, I found him in his office, engrossed in a phone call. His expression was strained yet compassionate as he spoke, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was talking to Paisley.

The whole situation had him on edge. I knew he felt helpless when it came to his stepdaughter. Or was it his ex-stepdaughter? I knew he considered her his daughter. It wasn’t step or ex or anything else. In his eyes, she was his.

“Hey,” I said softly as I entered, trying not to interrupt. Timothy glanced up, offering me a tight but warm smile before returning his attention to the call. I was about to walk out of the office and give him privacy when he waved his hand and then held up a finger indicating for me to wait.

He cut the call short, scribbled something onto a notepad, and finally turned to me with a heavy sigh. “Sorry about that,” he said, his voice sounding equally heavy. His eyes met mine for a moment before they drifted away again, scanning the documents scattered on his desk. The weight of the world seemed to be pressing down on him.

I walked over to him and took his face between my hands, forcing him to look at me. Those gorgeous blue eyes of his were filled with stress and worry. “Timothy,” I whispered, “it’s going to be okay.”

He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch. His hands came up to rest on my hips, pulling me closer. The heat between us was palpable.

“I just feel so powerless,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes opened, and he looked at me like he was hoping I could make it true.

“You are not powerless,” I said firmly. “You have done everything you can for Paisley. Regina is the one who’s being unreasonable, not you.”

“It doesn’t make it any better,” he sighed.

“How’s Paisley holding up?” I asked, unable to keep the concern out of my voice. Timothy ran a hand through his hair wearily, his shoulders slumping as he sank back into his chair.

“Not good,” he admitted, his tone heavy with worry. “Regina has her holed up in her new villa in Italy. She’s insisting on sending Paisley back to boarding school. I’ve tried everything. I can’t even talk to her.”

My heart sank at the news, guilt gnawing at me from within. Regina had essentially kidnapped her daughter. Paisley was so set on living with Timothy. The day after the gala, Paisley had ended up missing. It didn’t take long to figure she wasn’t missing at all. Regina had swooped in and taken her after promising Timothy she could stay. The evil woman actually made a deal and then went back on her word. Even though legally she had every right to take Paisley back to Europe, the way it was done felt like a betrayal to all of us who cared about her.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I never should’ve trusted her.” Timothy’s gaze was full of regret.

“We couldn’t have known,” I said gently, reaching out to squeeze his hand in reassurance.

“I have to find a way to bring her back, Catherine. I promised her. She will run. She will file for emancipation. I love that kid, but she’s fifteen and has no business being on her own. She might think she’s old enough to handle life, but she’s really been pretty sheltered.”

“Maybe Regina will meet another guy and decide she doesn’t want a kid getting in the way,” I said.

“I have to do something,” he declared. “I can’t just sit back and let this happen.”

I nodded in understanding. “We’ll figure it out together,” I told him. “We’ll do whatever it takes to bring her home.”

“The whole buying an island and hiding her away is sounding better by the day,” he muttered.

I laughed. “I’m not sure she’s going to think that’s better than boarding school.”