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Lydia closed the door behind her, engaging the lock, and for a moment Scarlett experienced déjà vu. “My brother has gone to the wine cell
ar to open a bottle of wine to drown his sorrows,” Lydia said stiffly. “It will be some time before he returns.”
“What do you expect me to do about it?”
Sighing impatiently, Lydia said, “I did not come to ask you to intercede with his drunken binge. He seldom indulges, and I see no harm in the occasional episode. I’ve come to tell you why he hates your father.”
Scarlett’s eyes widened, and she sat up completely, staring at Lydia as she stood over her. Pieces fell into place, and she said softly, “He doesn’t want you to tell me this, does he?”
“Of course not.”
“Then I don’t want to hear it,” Scarlett said, feeling as if her loyalty rested with Carter. He had his reasons, and she would respect his wishes.
“I’m going to tell you anyway. You have to know the truth.” Before Scarlett could interrupt her, she said, “Your father killed my husband and left Carter with the scars he bears today.”
“No,” Scarlett denied quickly. She’d inferred Lydia believed her father to be responsible for her husband’s death by her previous statements over the past few days, so her accusations came as no surprise. Scarlett dismissed them as the imaginings of a grief stricken widow. “I don’t believe you.”
Lydia’s face twisted. “Believe what you like,” she said with a shrug. “But I’m going to give you such a large dose of the truth that you will choke on it.
“Carter was a brilliant student, and he gravitated toward electronics in college. He has been hailed as a visionary in his field, though his presence is circumspect these days. Fresh out of university, he formed a partnership with his best friend, Justin, my husband. Together, they created Roche Electronics. They used Justin’s name for the company, I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”
“I fail to see how this is important,” Scarlett said, determined not to listen to any more of Lydia’s words. It wasn’t just her loyalty to Carter that drove her determination to shut out Lydia. A cold fear was stirring in her stomach, and she sensed an oncoming disaster.
Ignoring her, Lydia continued, “They invented a revolutionary memory chip that held three times the industry standards of ten years ago, but was less than half the size. Your father approached them about buying the chip, but Justin and Carter knew it would make them rich. They refused Terini’s persistent and dogged attempts to gain the memory chip.”
Lydia fell silent for a moment, drawing in a deep breath before continuing. “Terini got tired of waiting, and he sent a security team to the warehouse where Roche was headquartered at the time. The men beat Justin and Carter until they were unconscious, stole the chip, and set fire to the building. “
“Darren was returning with food, and he was able to pull Carter from the fire, but the building was engulfed with flames before he could even think about returning to the inferno to retrieve Justin. My husband burned to death on the direct orders of your father. His men were instructed to kill Carter and Justin and cover their deeds with arson.”
“You have no proof,” Scarlett insisted stridently. “Those men could have come from anywhere.”
“My brother is still old-fashioned in many ways,” Lydia said with peculiar satisfaction. “He spent two years tracking down a member of the team, working with the only lead he had. The face of the man whose mask he’d displaced in their fight.” She tossed the manila folder down on the bed. “In exchange for my brother’s silence, Louis Venetta confessed to his part in the crime and signed this statement. Carter has not pressed charges because he wants revenge himself. However, he is a fair man, and would not pursue Terini until he was positive that he was the one responsible.”
Numbly, Scarlett flipped open the file and read the two page statement from Venetta as Lydia maintained a hostile silence. “This man is a liar,” she said, but her tone lacked conviction.
“In addition to the statement, Carter had preliminary proof when Terini released the MX-187 chip, almost an exact replica of his prototype, less than six months after the fire and Justin’s death.” She gazed down at Scarlett.
“What more do you want?” she asked weakly.
“Now you can see why a future between you and Carter is impossible,” Lydia gloated. “His hatred of your family will always interfere. It is best to end things now, before you fall in love with him.”
“Too late,” Scarlett said bitterly. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I have no intention of breaking my relationship with Carter. I love him, and now I understand his rage at my father, thanks to you. I will support him no matter what he does to my father.” Lydia’s plan had backfired, Scarlett would make her see that. What a terrible sister she was.
“Brave words,” Lydia mocked. “But time will show how well they hold up,” she added, leaving the room.
She’d left the folder behind, and Scarlett impulsively hid it in her suitcase, wondering if she would need it in the future for some purpose. As she returned the case to the closet, Lydia’s words sank in, and sobs burst from her chest. The man who’d raised her was a murderer. How could she ever look at him the same way again?
A fierce wave of love washed over Scarlett, and she was grateful that Carter had tried to spare her this pain. Dashing the tears from her eyes, she belted the robe securely and hurried from her room, practically running down the hall to his bedroom. She pounded on the door, then impatiently again when he failed to answer immediately. His door finally swung open, and Scarlett threw herself in his arms. “I’ve made my decision. I’ll stand by you, no matter what action you take against my father. I love you.”
Carter sighed as his heart lifted. He pulled her against him and crushed her mouth under his in a fierce kiss. “You won’t change your mind?” he asked.
“Never,” Scarlett vowed.
“I won’t let you,” Carter whispered as he pulled her into his room.
18
Scarlett
