AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He texted me back immediately.
Like you’re friends with Brentwood?
I blinked at my phone in shock. Was Mark implying that he knew that Roarke and I had slept together? What was going on? I didn’t know what to say to that so I threw my phone off the bed, exasperated. I plopped back down on my bed, covering my eyes with my forearm.
All I had wanted to do was make partner, and my life had to go and get complicated. Now I have both Roarke and Mark to worry about, for completely different reasons.
How did everything get so messed up?
ROARKE
I was absolutelyfurious when I found out that Magda was Richard’s daughter. Words couldn’t describe it. She wasn’t some up-and-comer trying to make partner. She hadn’t come from rags to riches. Richard had always been well off, and while I knew he had a daughter, I had no idea it was Magda. I had been stewing on this for a while now and every time I thought about it, it felt like the betrayal hurt just as hard as it had when Magda had uttered the words.
I had confronted Magda but I’d not talked openly to Richard about it yet. He had to know I knew, of course, but these festering feelings inside me were just growing by the day. I had to get this out of my chest. The Magda situation wasn’t helping my mood and I was still furious that he didn’t tell me. He was my best friend, damnit.
I walked into his office without knocking. Maybe I had been in too much shock, feeling exhausted from all my emotions, to talk to him before when he came into my office, but now all my anger was rising back up in me, and I needed to confront him.
“Come on in,” he said sarcastically, and I stared at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me that Magda Riley is your daughter?”
Richard sighed. “Shut the door and lower your voice.”
I did as he said, turning back around with my back pressed against the closed door.
“You said something about ‘my baby girl’ before, but it didn’t even register then.” He sighed. “How did you find out?”
“She told me.”
Richard blinked, clearly surprised. “She did? That doesn’t sound like my Magda.”
I rolled my neck on my shoulders, feeling tense from being so upset all morning. “YourMagda wants partner. Don’t you see a conflict of interest there?”
“No,” he said simply. “I need you to vote for her, too. It has to be unanimous. That’s our rule. Besides, you said you were going to recommend her.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” I said.
Richard waved his hand at me. “Once the case is over, you’ll change it back.”
I gritted my teeth. “So, you lied to me all these years about who your daughter was—”
Richard snorted. “I wouldn’t call it a lie. I was the best man at two of your weddings, Roarke, and it didn’t occur to you to ever ask about my daughter?”
I guessed he was right. That didn't make me a bad friend, though, did it? Maybe I got too wrapped up in my work.
“It doesn’t matter,” I muttered, because it didn’t. I was just so angry I couldn’t think, but I shouldn’t be taking it out on Richard. This wasn’t about him, not really. He’d been a good friend and business partner, and here I was, violating his little girl six ways from Sunday.
Not that Richard knew that. As far as I was concerned, he would never know it. That wasn’t the type of thing you could come back from.
“Damn right it doesn’t matter. Magda is an ace lawyer, and you’ll see that in time.”
The thing of it was, Richard was right. I’d grown to see that Magda was a good lawyer, finding all the spots we could work on, how we could slide in and win a case unnoticed. I would never have chosen to go over the prenup with a fine-tooth comb. She made up for what I was lacking, and we were good partners, in bed and at work.
Too bad she was my best friend’s daughter.
At least I didn’t have to worry about her dating Mark Windham, the arrogant ass. I knew that he wasn’t right for her, regardless of my jealousy.
I went back to my office after milling around the building, not wanting to see Magda. I was being a child, and I knew that I had to suck up all my anger, betrayal, and emotion if I wanted to win this case. And Roarke Brentwood never lost a case.
