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“Not really, no. My dad is… he’s a formidable man.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. I’ve never actually spent any time with him, but I’m more than aware that Judge Bancroft is an enigma around town.
“He’s in his office, come on.”
Abigail leads me through her lavish house. The sheer size of it puts the Eatons’ estate to shame. My eyes shoot everywhere as I follow her down the wide hallway.
She stops in front of a closed door, very briefly looks back at me, and lifts her hand to knock.
“Daddy?” she calls.
“Yes, sweetheart.”
She sucks in a steeling breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside. “Hi, Daddy. We wondered if we could have a chat?”
“We?” Placing his pen down, Judge Bancroft slowly looks up. His eyes find his daughter first and his eyes light up with fondness, before they roll over to me.
Surprise flickers through his features before a smile settles on his lips, clearly getting the wrong idea about me and his daughter being in the same room.
“Yes, of course. What would you both like to discuss?”
Taking a step forward and holding herself tall, Abigail takes control of the situation as if she’s been trained to do so. “We want you to forget about the deal you made with Mrs. Whitfield-Brown in regard to the two of us.”
Judge Bancroft’s brows shoot up in surprise, but he refrains from saying anything, instead allowing his daughter to continue with what she’s come to say.
“We appreciate that you had an agreement, that you’re only doing what you think is best… for me. But both Reese and I agree that we are completely incompatible, and he’s in love with someone else. Someone,” she quickly adds when his lips part, I guess to argue, “who is quickly becoming a good friend of mine. They belong together, Daddy. They love each other. And I’m so happy for them. I want it for them. I want it for myself too one day, but I know that Reese isn’t the man who’s going to give it to me. So please, we’d like you to reconsider allowing us to choose our own paths in life.”
She falls silent and I swear you could hear a pin drop as the atmosphere in the room turns so thick, I struggle to suck in my next breath.
By the time Judge Bancroft’s lips part again, I’m sure I’m about to pass out with anticipation. “Well then,” he leans back in his wingback chair, steepling his fingers, “it seems like you know exactly what you want out of your life, sweetheart. But…”
His expression drops. “I’m not sure it’s going to be that easy.”
29
OLIVIA
“Of all the guys in the world, it had to be Whitfield?” Oakley asks me as we sit in the den. I’m curled up on the soft leather sofa while he’s sat rigid in one of the wingback chairs.
“We didn’t plan it, Oak.”
“Yeah, I know,” he murmurs. “Doesn’t make it any easier to hear.”
“I love him. I’m in love with him.”
“Fuck, Liv. That shit is going to take some getting used to. After what he did—”
“I’m not asking you to forgive him, Oakley. Not yet, at least. I know it’ll take time, and I know there’ll be an adjustment period. But it’s him.”
He’s the one I want.
The one my heart and soul want.
“I hope you made him get on his fucking knees and grovel. Actually,” the blood drains from his face, “don’t answer that. I don’t ever want to think about— shit, I need a drink.”
“It’s barely lunchtime,” I chuckle.
“Yeah, well learning your sister and best friend are getting nasty between the sheets will do that to a guy.”
