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“Hey, Brad.” I take him from Celeste and kiss the top of his curly head, inhaling the scent of his baby shampoo. “How are you, buddy?” I tickle his tummy. “I missed you.”
He giggles. I almost burst into tears when he wraps his chubby arms around my neck.
In a couple of weeks, he’ll already be two years old. He’s growing by leaps and bounds. It goes too fast. I hate missing out on his milestones.
Doris appears on the threshold, her features drawn. “You called for me?”
“Please take Brad upstairs to play,” Celeste says, giving her a meaningful look.
“Come here, big man.” Doris takes him from me. “How about we read a story?” She shoots me a worried glance from over her shoulder as she carries him from the room.
“What’s going on?” Mom asks when they’re gone.
Taking another calming breath, I face my brother. “That’s what Ryan is going to tell me.”
My brother studies me with a stony expression.
“What happened?” Celeste asks, closing the door.
“Angelo happened,” I say, not looking away from Ryan. “I want to know how he got into my house.” I add in a bitter tone, “Or shall I sayhishouse?”
Ryan’s stoic demeanor doesn’t falter.
Mom sinks down on the nearest sofa. “Oh dear God.”
“Why didn’t I know that Angelo Russo was paying my bills?” I ask, praying that Angelo lied, that it was just another one of his mean tricks to torment me. A sick joke. “My food, my clothes? Mystudies?”
Ryan’s jaw bunches.
“Tell me, Ryan.” I ball my hands at my sides, the ring a painful reminder in my fist. “Tell me it’s not true.”
“It’s true,” Mom says, her shoulders slouching. For once, she doesn’t adopt a proud or angry air. She looks defeated, and it scares me more than anything.
“You knew?” I ask with parted lips.
My mom looks away, refusing to meet my eyes.
I turn to Celeste, betrayal slicing through me. “Did you know too?”
She bites her lip.
“Shit.” I utter a wry laugh. “It seems I’m the only ignorant fool in this room.”
“It’s not like that,” Ryan says.
Anger surfaces again, mixing with the ache that constricts my chest. “Then explain it to me.”
“Angelo Russo took over the business a long time ago,” he says in a placating tone. “Right after he stole Dad’s book.”
The revelation hits me so hard I feel it like a physical blow. “What?” My voice is breathless. “What does that mean?”
“He didn’t only demand shares,” Ryan says. “He took everything.”
I grip the chair back next to me for balance. “I–I don’t understand.”
“We’ve all just been earning an allowance from him since.” Ryan continues with a neutral expression. “In my case, I’m nothing but an employee working for a salary.”
My mouth is so dry I have to swallow before I can get another word out. “Why?”
