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“You’re trying to pay me off,” she said. “I’m not my parents.”
“Your parents know some sense. This thing between you and Drake, it’s not going to work out. I don’t even have to be here right now, offering you money and a chance at a life. I could be doing a hell of a lot of other things to occupy my time.”
“Then why aren’t you?” she asked. She was growing tired of people telling her what she should do with her life. This was her life and she’d do whatever the hell she wanted.
“Why aren’t I what?”
“Why are you wasting your time on me if I’m not important? What could I possibly do to you? You’ve proven your worth time and time again.” She sighed, staring down at the envelope.
“Because you and I both know Drake isn’t going to give up without a fight and I’m hoping you’ve got more sense than him.”
“He wants what he wants. You can’t be annoyed with him because of that.” She stared at his father and wondered what else she could say to make him see reason. Sitting back, she folded her arms, waiting.
“Drake’s life is planned out. We have a woman picked out for him already. You don’t belong in it but in order for you to accept that money, I need you, we need you, to break his heart.”
“What happens if he walks away?” she asked.
He stared at her without saying a word.
“I know you’d set out to destroy your son, making it impossible for him to have a life of his own, but what will really happen?” She was growing tired of all the secrets and lies. It was boring keeping up with them. What happened to living like normal kids when things didn’t happen or confuse people? Why couldn’t they go back to that?
She rubbed at her temples before giving his father her undivided attention.
“You know the truth of his heritage. You know I’m not able to father children,” he said.
“How do you know that I know that?” she asked.
“I may not have fathered Drake but I have raised him. In a fashion. I’m guessing there is nothing that boy hasn’t done that he hasn’t told you. Anyway, if Drake walks away from the family, if he cuts himself out, then there is no longer an heir to pass the wealth onto. The will has stipulations, Prudence. In order for the next available heir to inherit, he must be part of the company in some way. They have to have a direct link.”
“But if Drake has no direct link, it doesn’t stop you and your wife living in comfort.” She didn’t see the big deal.
“I want you out of the picture.”
“Why? You’ve got everything you could ever need. I don’t see why you need anything from me.” She stared at his father—no, brother. “Unless … as your brother, Drake is entitled to half of the company already.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She saw how uncomfortable he was and knew instantly she had hit on something. “That’s it, isn’t it?”
“You would be wise to take my offer.” He got to his feet. “I suggest you think about what kind of a future you want. One where you’re the boss of it, or one where you’re having to take orders.”
Within a matter of seconds, he was gone and she stared at the envelope. Could it be possible that all this time Drake had assumed he was set to inherit when the real truth was he could already be entitled to half of the company, which was why his parents—or brother and mother—were trying to control him? Could it really be that simple?
She didn’t want to think about it as being so easy.
Could it be easy?
Licking her dry lips, she picked up the envelope and grabbed her cell phone. The only way to deal with this problem now was to call Drake and have him meet her, so they could both figure this out.”
“Hello, I was hoping you’d call.”
“Who are you with right now?” she asked.
“The guys.”
“I need to meet you at a private place. Do you know someplace?” She looked around the mall, hoping no one was paying her attention.
The last thing she wanted was to draw attention from a spy. This was all too much right now. She felt sick to her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself, but she felt excited, giddy, and so many other emotions she couldn’t even begin to describe.
Leaving the mall, she made her way out toward the cabs, hailing one down and giving him the directions to where Drake said to meet him. It was off the beaten track, and the driver wouldn’t go down the forest-lined driveway when they got to it.
Climbing out of the car, she paid the driver and after he advised her to give up, because the house up ahead could be haunted, he left. She walked up the long driveway. It really did look like it had come straight out of a Halloween movie.
