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“Oh, no, I’m—”
“Joining me in a drink, yes, I know.”
I roll my eyes. “Raph, it’s like two in the afternoon.”
“Yes, which means noon was two whole hours ago. Catch up, Dahlia.”
I laugh as I shake my head and help myself to an oyster, slurping it down. “Well, I had a day off, so…here I am.”
“How’s Adele?”
I make a face and roll my eyes. “The same.”
“So, stabbing pillows while outwardly putting on a brave face?”
“Yeah.” I shrug. “It’s okay. She’s tough: she’ll survive your dad.”
Raph grunts and takes a large sip of his martini just as mine arrives.
My brow furrows. “Have you…you know…”
“Seen him?” Raph’s mouth twists as he shakes his head. “No. As far as I know, he’s holed up in his vineyard outside Lyon. But I don’t know for sure. We’re not really talking right now. Not since he basically did a one-eighty on your mom.”
And me.
I never really saw myself letting an older man through my defenses, especially another one that was going to play father-figure. But Gerard wassoamazing to me and Mom, and so kind, and so loving.
And he still ended up being, well…this.
Raph sighs. “He’s such a bastard.”
I snort, lifting my drink. “No disagreement here.”
“Well, being that we’re on the same team when it comes my dick of a father, I should let you know I’ve been doing some sleuthing, legally speaking.”
“Oh?”
Raph nods, his brow furrowing. “Well, as much as I can.” His mouth twists. “You know I’d love to help more, it’s just…”
“No, I know, and I totally get it. You don’t have to apologize for anything, Raph.”
My stepbrother is a lawyer at a well-known firm here in New York, and a good one, too. But while I’d love his legal help with all of this, his hands are tied. For one, because Gerard does some business with the legal firm that Raph works for, which is a conflict of interest. But for two, him being Gerard’s son makes it ethically gray for him to officially help my mom and I
Raph sighs. “Well, in any case, I’ve been alarmed by the sale of some of these contested companies of your mother’s. At first, I figured it was you or your mom working with shell companies—”
“Except we don’t have the sort of cash it would take to do that. Also, that would be fraud, right?”
Raph snorts. “Only if you get caught. If he’s going to play this dirty, I see no reason why you and Adele shouldn’t too. But, you’re right. I figured—no offense—that you didn’t have the cash to start buying up companies just to stop my father from taking them in the divorce, not with everything tied up with his legal motions.”
“You’re right. And no offense taken.”
“So, I did some digging.” He frowns. “Dahlia, I’m not going to lie: I’m concerned about some of these sales. A few of the CEOs had…issues, let’s call them. Issues that I was aware of because I’m a snoop like that. But I’m worried that maybe others knew of them as well and used that knowledge to get them to sell for rock bottom prices.”
I nod, looking down into my drink.
“And the more I’ve dug,” he goes on, “the more I’m beginning to suspect that six of the bought companies were ultimately purchased by one individual, using different shell companies to cover their tracks.”
My face twists as my eyes lift miserably to Raph’s.
