AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Very slowly she turned her head. “He’s not the brutal asshole you think he is.”
“I know.”
“Do you really? Do you know how much he’s suffered by being the firstborn son to a powerful man?”
“I honestly can’t imagine. But I do know what it’s like to be born to a man who wants nothing to do with you or the woman he supposedly loved.”
There was no look of pity on her face but one of camaraderie. “You love my brother, yes?”
Maybe this was the point I needed to ask myself that very question, as if by being away from him I could think more clearly. But as I realized his scent lingered on my skin, his lips painting mine earlier that morning, the answer was easier than I would have thought. “Yes.”
“Then you have a father, two brothers, and two sisters along with a second mother who will drive you utterly crazy for the rest of your life.”
As she smiled, she reached her hand across the table. “Two sisters, huh?”
Elena rolled her eyes. “Alexandra is a handful and always has been. God help the man who falls in love with her.”
I was able to laugh genuinely even if I was surrounded by four men standing guard as if at any moment a bomb would go off or worse. “I’m sorry about the winery. I had no idea. My father and I rarely spoke.”
“He was a lovely man, a hard worker. I honestly don’t understand why he betrayed me. There was no indication. Nothing. He worked extra hours and always came in early. I just don’t get it.”
“He had a gambling problem.”
As the waiter brought the champagne, I studied the small stores across the street. She’d chosen a part of Philly that was quaint, shops in vibrant colors lining several blocks. Given the extreme warmth, there were racks of merchandise on the sidewalks, crowds of people enjoying the beautiful day. In the distance I could see the water, the light breeze carrying the scent to our table.
“I didn’t know that about your father, but I find it very hard to believe.”
“That’s what Phoenix told me.”
“Maybe that’s what Theodore wanted everyone to believe.” She lifted her champagne glass, her eyes never leaving me.
“Instead of what? My mother is dead so that’s not part of the equation.”
“All I’m saying is that I honestly think I would have known. I’m not a stupid businesswoman, Whitney. I check people’s backgrounds thoroughly.”
I shook my head as I reached for the flute. “Maybe it started after you hired him.”
“What my brother doesn’t know because he doesn’t ask is that I do regular checks on my employees. I was trying to avoid an incident like what occurred.”
“So, he didn’t have an offshore account?”
Elena laughed, looking at me as if I was out of my mind. “No. I paid him well, but he spent little, keeping everything in a single savings account.”
“Wait a minute. I didn’t find any evidence that he had any money whatsoever to his name. I thought he’d squandered it all.”
“Have you ever considered the fact that maybe he was saving it for you?”
“God. Don’t make me feel any guiltier than I do because I never allowed myself to get to know him.”
She brushed her hand through her hair, studying me intently. “I’m sorry about his death. Whether or not you were close, he was still your father. I can’t imagine what I’ll do when Daddy dies. He’s been our rock. Maybe it’s not too late to get to know him even though he’s gone.”
I thought about his house, the fact I wanted to sell it. With my phone lost, I had no idea whether or not a buyer had been found. Maybe a small part of me didn’t want to sell it.
“Just to clear the record. If I knew where my father had sent the information to help you, I’d hand it over. It means nothing to me. How much money did he steal? I will pay you back. That much I can do.”
“That’s very sweet, but the money meant nothing. I didn’t work so hard to make the winery something special because I wanted to be rich. I have a trust fund worth millions. I wanted something I could call my own, not because my father handed it to me or the husband I’d be forced into marrying controlled a Fortune 100 company. Completely mine. I trusted few people but that list included your father. He gave me advice, listened to me when I was at the point of throwing the towel in. He was there to encourage me. In a lifetime of being forced to keep friends at arm’s length, I was able to consider him one of those people I could count on.”
That didn’t sound like my father at all. Then again, how would I know? “I wish I could offer some perfect reason why he betrayed your trust.”
