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She picks up the dish towel and lets it fall back to the counter almost immediately. “Oh, Tori. You think you’ve figured something out, don’t you?” Her voice is even and calm, but her body is stiff and her eyes are like ice. She’s done this before, and she’s damn good at it.
I cling to courage, and continue the confrontation. “I know who Brady’s father is. I know you used the affair his father had with your sister to further your career, despite what it would do to an innocent baby.”
She waves her hand dismissively, her bangle bracelets clanking together. “Oh, please, Brady never wanted for anything.”
I keep my eyes on her and walk to the island. She studies me as I stand directly across from her. I lean forward, glaring hatred at her. “He did, though. He wanted your love. No matter how much you pretended, Sheila, he’s never felt loved.”
Her fingernails roll across the counter continuously, and her eyes pull to the ceiling, like I’m boring her. It takes all the restraint I have not to leap across the counter and choke her. Finally her frigid stare returns to me. “Love was something I refused to offer Mona’s child. Brady is a grown man. He’ll get over it.”
She’s so callous. I can’t believe I ever held a shred of admiration for this woman. “God, you act like this is about him not getting some toy he wanted. He’s hurting and confused. Can’t you see that?”
Her head falls back, and she lets out an indulgent laugh. How can she find any of this humorous? “You’re so naïve, Victoria! Grow up! I hated my sister. I raised her child for one reason and one reason only. Brady served a purpose, and he was well provided for.”
My blood boils. This woman I’ve always loved and admired is pure evil, greedy, envious, and full of spite.
I slap my palms onto the counter and spit at her, “Brady was an innocent baby.”
She places her hand over her mouth in contemplation. There’s resentment behind her eyes. “He looks just like her, you know. Beautiful, that’s what our mother always called Mona. She never called me that, not once. Even after the slut got pregnant, Mona was her world, her only remaining piece of the man she loved. She never cared about my father or me.”
“And you never cared about Brady,” I remind her.
“You do, though, don’t you?” she scoffs. “You've fucked him, haven't you? Do you think he loves you? Brady loves women, Tori. He loves sex. He’s an addict. Do you think you can cure him? You were a challenge. Now that he’s had you, he’ll tire of you.”
My teeth dig into my tongue until I taste blood. I will not let her send me off course. She knows nothing about my relationship with Brady, and she’s wrong – he loves me. “You’re seriously delusional, Sheila. You should have exposed Walter the moment Mona told you. He was a womanizer and a bigot. He deserved to lose his company and his wife.”
“Brady told you that story? It was one of my best. He was so affected that he even spends time down there trying to help orphans. He’s so weak. Just like his mother.” She’s practically laughing. She truly doesn’t have a heart.
I take a couple of deep breaths to stay calm. If I don’t she’ll see my nerves as a sign of weakness and use it against me. “It helps him heal to help kids who aren’t wanted, like he wasn’t wanted. Don’t you see that?”
She rolls her eyes and turns away from me. I want to roll her head across the damn floor. “I don’t have time to worry about the needy children of the world, Tori. I’m a very busy woman.”
I shout through tightly clenched teeth now, “You a very sick woman, Sheila, and you’re going to have plenty of time on your hands very soon. Brady’s decided he wants to claim his birthright. He’s going to put you out on your ass.”
She whips her head around and gives me a murderous look. “If you think I’m going to let that happen, then you’re as stupid as that other little bitch who confronted me.”
Here we go. This is what I want to know. “Vanessa confronted you? Is that why you killed her?”
She shakes her head, and grins. “No, Brady did that.”
“You’re lying. He would never have hurt her. What happened to Vanessa was a tragic accident.”
“He didn’t know, of course. The steering in those bikes is known to stick.”
She doesn’t outright admit her involvement, but her smug grin tells me she’s responsible for the accident. “Why would you do that? Brady could have been killed, too.” Then it dawns on me. “But that was your plan, wasn’t it?”
“After Walter’s unfortunate heart attack, if something were to happen to Brady, the company would be left to me. I’m the one who deserves it. I put the blood, sweat, and tears into it. Brady is just some bastard kid. He doesn’t have the first clue how to run a company.”
She’s completely insane. “Did you kill Walter, too?”
She shakes her head while a disturbing smile tugs at the corners for her mouth. “His death was a lucky coincidence. Walter had gotten soft. After his wife died, he was lonely. He begged me to let him talk to Brady. He promised not to tell him about my involvement, just that he was his father and he had always loved him. He was about to come clean when his heart gave out. Tragic, don’t you think?”
“He loved Brady. God, what is wrong with you? How could you deny Brady his father? How could you be so happy Walter’s gone? He never got to know his son. You killed someone and destroyed people’s lives. How can you just go on with your life as though none of it matters?”
“It was very simple. When I first confronted Walter, he’d already changed his mind about my sister and Brady. He’d decided to leave his wife. He wanted to marry Mona and raise Brady. I couldn’t allow that. Numbers are fickle things, and I had access to some of the most prestigious portfolios Gibson Capital had to offer. When I shared all of the tampering going on in those files with Walter, he knew it was best to comply with my demands. His company would be ruined, and he wouldn’t be able to provide for Brady and Mona if that happened.”
“You’re crazy! You won’t get away with this!” I shout.
“You seem to be the last loose end, Tori. It’s time for you to have an accident. In fact, I think I’ll tell Brady that you came to me and asked me for money. That you’re a little gold-digging, home-wrecker like your mother. Do you know why your mother and I don’t talk anymore? Why we’re no longer friends? Did you ever meet the man she had an affair with?” I shake my head through each question. “I think Nate still loves her, you know.”
