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Most were aware of how the relationship between my father and I had deteriorated even more than it already had since he married Christine a little over two years ago. I didn’t hide my disdain for the woman who slithered into his life like a damn snake and took control of everything from where he lived to what he spent his money on.
Anyone close to me who knew the history I had with my parents wondered why I even bothered to continue to fight for a man who had spent my whole life reminding me that despite everything I had achieved, I was still his biggest disappointment.
But I guess there would always be that inner child who needed acceptance.
And I think he knew it.
“Look…” Dad started again, his shoulders sagging. “Eight million dollars is what I need. That’s the bottom-line amount that will clear the debts but also allow us to pay for other things.”
I leaned back in my seat, folding my arms across my chest. “Whatotherthings?”
“A holiday home in Newport,” Christine announced, a lot louder than she needed to, before turning to look at her daughter, who sat quietly at the end of the table. “We need a place we can all go to destress sometimes. If we had it already, Jade could be there, making the most of the beautiful beach, healing after yesterday’s disaster.”
I raised my eyebrows at Jade. “Healing? You’re the one who needs healing? Maybe you couldhealby taking more responsibility for your damn actions.”
Her body jerked, and she curled in on herself, wrapping her arms around her waist as if she was fighting a visceral reaction to my words. “Whose side are you on anyway?” Jade demanded, her shoulders drooping as she leaned back into the seat. We’d faced off before, our arguments often far more toxic than this, but she seemed to be shrinking away this time, and I wasn’t sure why.
“She’s right,” Christine interrupted again, the woman looking for any excuse to hear her own voice. “She’s your sister. You should be supporting her.”
My laughter boomed, everyone inside the bar once again glancing over at us, some trying to discreetly point their cell phones at us, no doubt looking for the next scoop to sell to the magazines. Usually, I wouldn’t give a damn, but I was also aware that Christine especially thrived in the spotlight, and I wasn’t about to give her that shit for free.
“I have a sister,” I said, lowering my voice to a growl. “Jade is not her.”
My parents separated during my junior year in high school.
My mom and my older sister, Violet, moved to Seattle shortly after, and I was left with Dad. Mom insisted I was the reminder she couldn’t handle seeing every single day.
At least they could run.
I was the one who had to look in the mirror every fucking morning.
“Oh yeah,” Jade taunted, her head falling to the side. “When’s the last time that so-called sister called you? When’s the last time she wanted anything to do with you? Oh, that’s right, she doesn’t.”
Rage burned like a fire, scorching my skin.
I glanced at my father, wondering if he would say something.
Tell her she was wrong.
Which she was.
That she was out of line.
Which she was.
But instead, he sunk further into his seat while the two women at the table sat taller. He wasn’t in control here. I think I’d known that for a long time, but in this moment, it was so damn clear. And I wasn’t about to let them think that they could simply come in here with their hands out and their noses in the air and get what they wanted.
Slowly, I rose to my feet, my chair scraping loudly as I pushed it back. “We’re done.” The heat from my anger instantly melted Christine’s smug smirk off her face.
She started to shake her head. “What does… wait…” she stammered, her eyes flickering from me to my father. “So are you going to pay the eight—”
“No.” I stepped to the side, shoving my chair in and jolting the entire table.
If this contract wasn’t signed, then my grandfather’s company would go into liquidation, and everything he had worked so hard to create would be lost to us forever. Christine wasn’t wrong—I could afford to pay eight million. AL Logistics revenue would earn me that money back in ten to fifteen years, and that was only if we didn’t expand the company like my business advisors had said was extremely possible after an in-depth exploration into its finances.
But was I willing to allow these people to not just financially but also emotionally blackmail me so they could get more than what they deserved?
The answer washell fucking no.
