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I frowned. “What?”
“I thought you would have been here immediately,” Douglas replied. He didn’t glance up from the paper in his hands. “What delayed you?”
I blushed. “I…I had to go to the police station,” I said. “A detective interviewed me about Michael.”
“And I hope you didn’t say anything that would cause him embarrassment,” Douglas said sharply. “I hope you didn’t say anything that would cause all of us embarrassment.”
I looked at Gabrielle as a feeling of confusion spread through my limbs. Why was Douglas acting like this? Was it out of grief? He’d never treated me so coldly before in my life.
Douglas hadn’t always liked me, but after a few years, he’d come around. He didn’t like that I’d grown up middle class, and that I’d gone to state university for my undergrad degree. But about two years into our relationship, Michael had gotten sick. I’d dropped everything to care for him over the course of a weekend, and since then, Douglas had been much kinder to me.
Douglas had always been rich – the Bennetts were one of the wealthiest families in New York. But from what Michael had told me, Douglas had taken Magnate Shipping and transformed it into a truly modern company that was responsible for changing the industry into something more powerful than ever. Michael had respected his father more than anyone else on earth, and I’d had to agree that Douglas was a powerful man worthy of such respect. He’d thrown himself into his work – Michael and Douglas hadn’t had much of a relationship until Michael was grown and in his twenties. Michael’s mother, Brenna, had died when he’d been away at boarding school as a teen. I’d been shocked to learn that Douglas hadn’t even called Michael with the news for over a week, until after the funeral.
“He’s not cold,” Michael had said to me once. “He’s just a different kind of man. Things that matter to the rest of us don’t matter as much to him.”
I’d forgotten that comment, but now, standin
g in Douglas’s opulent kitchen, it came rushing back.
Gabrielle came forward and touched my arm. “Would you like some café au lait?” Her voice was lightly accented from growing up in Russia. “I just had the maid make some.”
“No, thank you,” I said, even though my mouth felt like sandpaper and tasted even worse. “I’m fine. Thank you for offering.”
“Sit down, Beth,” Douglas said sharply.
“Okay.” My heart was thudding anxiously as I made my way across the kitchen and climbed onto a stool facing Douglas. Up close, he looked even worse. His eyes were so red that he looked demonic, and there were lines in his cheeks and jaw that hadn’t been there last month. The last time I’d seen him was a few weeks ago – Michael and I had attended a charity event together, and Douglas had been in high spirits.
“I need you to understand something,” Douglas said calmly. “And I don’t want to hear any pushback.”
I nodded.
“I can’t continue to support you,” Douglas said. “You and Michael weren’t married at the time of his death, and since you were only his fiancée, that doesn’t entitle you to benefits from Magnate Shipping.”
My jaw dropped. “I never expected you to—“
“Please, let me continue,” Douglas said. “I want you to understand this now so there isn’t any confusion later. I don’t need you showing up six months later and demanding I foot the bill for your lifestyle.”
I stared at him in shock. “My lifestyle? What does that even mean?”
Douglas glared at me. “You thought it was perfectly fine to relax at home all day while my son worked long hours to support you. I’m telling you – that won’t continue, Beth. You’ll need to find your own means.”
“I only did that because he didn’t want me working!” I protested hotly. “This isn’t fair!”
“Perhaps Michael would still be alive if he wasn’t worn down to the bone,” Douglas said. He glared at me and I sensed real anger flowing from his soul. “But no, instead, you had to make sure that he worked constantly to care for you.”
Tears filled my eyes and I couldn’t keep them from spilling down my cheeks as I sniffled pathetically.
“This isn’t fair,” I cried loudly. “I didn’t do anything to deserve this!”
“That isn’t true,” Douglas said coldly.
“You can’t blame me for this,” I said softly. “I…I had nothing to do with it! The detective even told me that he knew that! They think it had something to do with the Amoruso crime family…you know, the same family that you have ties to!” I knew I was treading on dangerous ground, but now that I’d started, I couldn’t stop. The words were flowing like vomit, and I couldn’t make myself gobble them back up.
“I can blame whomever I like,” Douglas said coldly.
I slipped off the stool and aimed a shaking finger at the man who would have been my father-in-law.
“I didn’t kill Michael,” I hissed. “And I won’t rest until I find out who did, Douglas.”
