Page 128 of Open To Negotiation

“Why?”

“He needed something to force my hand and he realized that could be done through you,” Theo answered like it was so simple.

“So those are my family’s dark secrets?” I looked again at the folder.

“Well, he didn’t have to go much further than your father.” With that, he slid the folder across the table to me. I stopped it before it fell off the edge. “That isn’t going to be easy to read, Quinn.” I took a nervous breath and then opened the file.

As I flipped through the pages, my stomach dropped. I was not an expert but there were enough key words standing out for me to understand the important parts. The documentation started before I was even born, basic things about him. But then it got so much worse than I would’ve ever thought possible.

I stopped at a copied page.

“What… how…” I looked up at Theo, feeling lost with all the new information.

“He had a job, Quinn, the one you thought he lost. He’s had it this whole time.”

I looked down at the pay stub dated a month ago. With his name listed. He worked at an investment firm, much smaller than the one that Theo’s dad owned but he had a fucking job.

“I don’t understand…”

“You need to keep reading,” he said gently, which had me bracing for what was next.

I read through the rest of the papers. I had to do it five times to make sure I was understanding the information correctly.

“He’s been embezzling money?” I pushed the file away and put my hand on my stomach, I worried I was going to be sick.

“For over ten years, yes. The amount was very high.”

I didn’t even see him, my eyes had blurred, I wasn’t able to focus.

“What does this have to do with me?”

“The account he’s hiding the money in, it’s in your name.”

I clenched my eyes closed as the words hit me. “But I’ve been sending him money, he doesn’t have any. I’ve been paying off his debts.”

“He had you transfer him once in a while to keep a line of money flowing between you, the ones you paid in person were likely real since all of his money seems to be sitting in those offshore accounts.” The betrayal was forming as a bitter acid in my stomach.

“How long have you known?”

“Warren told me the night before our fight.” So he knew my dad was a criminal who was stealing money and then broke it off with me.

“Did my dad even call you?” My voice was low and shaky.

“No.”

I squeezed my eyes closed for a moment, trying to settle myself. “Then the accident happened and you came back?”

“He threatened to turn this on you if I didn’t walk away from any talks of a New York office and break things off with you.” I shook my head at him as he continued. “But then the accident happened and I came back. My father was not happy when he got word and made sure I knew he was watching. I didn’t have a choice.

“He was prepared to take some drastic steps that I wouldn’t allow and he knew that. You’re my weakness and he exploited that. Your father had been stealing money from a powerful family, it wouldn’t only have been the cops coming after you.”

“But I didn’t know about any of this. What could they’ve done to me?” My anger was simmering, growing every time he spoke.

“The account is in your name, Quinn, there is a chance they wouldn’t believe you or would have come after you if they couldn’t get him.”

“So you threw our relationship out like it was nothing! Because of some potential threat from your father.” If he was surprised that I started yelling, he didn’t show it. “You made a decision to end this without even talking to me.”

“It’s a risk I wouldn’t let you take.”