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“Your guess is as good as mine.” Mase sounds as apologetic as Riese. “I’m sorry, Fee. Sorry for all of this.”
I raise my chin. “I’m not. Let’s do this.”
We follow Riese up the stairs, into the right wing, and down a hall. I make note of my surroundings in case this grandfather does have me running scared.
With every step I take, the possibility of that grows stronger. I drummed up my courage when I told Mase I’d come with him, but how much do I really have? Enough to take on the family of a man I barely know?
I honestly don’t know. And I’m beginning to suspect that Mase, as amazing as he’s been with me, will be a very different person standing before his grandfather.
My fingers tighten around his but there’s no reassuring squeeze.
Riese pauses at the end of the hall. “We ready?” Even her smile is shaky.
Fake it til you make it. My mother always said that. I wonder why I think of her now? “Let’s do this,” I tell Riese, and she knocks gently before pushing open the heavy door.
I exhale in a wobbly hiss as Riese gestures for me to enter. The room is exactly what I would imagine the home office of a billionaire looks like—dark wood and leather furniture and books. My heart lifts at the sight of the books.
Gordon Stirling sits behind the massive partner’s desk, and my first thought is that this is what Mase will look like when he’s old.
The thick hair is white, blue eyes creased and cool, fingers steepled together like he’s been waiting hours for us. The desk sits on a raised platform to make it even more intimidating.
Mase steps forward, around me, but doesn’t touch. He takes a deep breath. “Grandfather, this is Fiona Stark.”
“The woman you married. Yes.” The disapproval is evident in Gordon’s deep voice but luckily, he doesn’t put his thoughts into words because I’m not sure if I can bear having Mase chastised in front of me.
“My wife,” Mase corrects.
“It’s lovely to meet you, sir.” I stop myself from curtsying, even though it feels like a curtsy moment.
“I’m sure it is. How did this—” he raises a snowy white eyebrow— “—come to be?”
I take my own deep breath, and then another. Mase opens his mouth to respond, but I barrel in first. “Before we get into that, I want to assure you, Mr. Stirling, that I want nothing from your family. And I’m prepared to sign anything you put in front of me. I went into this marriage for Mase—not for what he does or where he’s from or who he’s related to. For him.”
“Fee…” Mase hisses. Beside him, Riese’s mouth drops open as she turns to stare at me.
Does no one talk to the man?
“Is that so?” Gordon says slowly.
“It is very much so,” I tell him pertly, quickly, so I don’t lose my nerve. “I understand you may have reservations about me, but let me assure you, in the most basic way possible—I don’t want your money. Any of it. I have my own money. I do very well for myself, and I don’t need yours. And you can’t scare me off,” I add. “I love him and I’m not going anywhere.”
The only sound in the room is a clock ticking. One, two, three… a whirring noise, and then it chimes the hour.
I swallow audibly.
Gordon Stirling chuckles.
Mase
“Youmaysaythatnow—” Grandfather begins, only to have Fiona pipe up again.
“I’ll say it again. And again. I don’t want your money. I don’t need it.”
“Are you prepared to sign a document relinquishing any right to Mase’s personal and family income?” His desk is empty, but I know there’s a piece of paper in the top drawer of Grandfather’s desk that says the very thing. And a shiny new pen to sign it with. It makes me sick to my stomach.
“Fiona, you don’t have to do that,” I say, finally finding my voice. I wish I had found it sooner, been able to hush her…
Maybe I don’t want to hush her. Maybe it sounds really good to have someone say that about me. That they wantme.
