AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“There’s nowhere you need to be but here, recovering. Then talking to the press. They’re not going to leave until you do,” Jasper said. “Plus, you’re the obnoxiously responsible one. You’ll kill me later if I don’t make you do this now.”
“Obnoxiously responsible,” I said, considering. What if that wasn’t who I wanted to be anymore?
“Snobbishly, obnoxiously so,” Sebastian chimed in.
I rose from my seat. Jasper popped up at the same time.
Sebastian stepped in front of the closed door like he intended to physically force me to remain here. Between the pair of them, perhaps they could.
“If you tackle me and I hit my head again, the damage might be irreversible this time,” I said.
“You’re not leaving,” Sebastian said.
Jasper flashed a smug smile.
So that’s how this was going to be.
Jasper’s expression softened. “Look, you missed the required biweekly meeting. We have the lawyers on it, even if you don’t want to deal with any of the rest of this, you need to be here to help us work this out for you.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“The biweekly meeting of brothers, here at the estate?” His look implored me to remember.
“Right,” I said, pretending I knew what he was talking about.
His features twisted with concern, clearly not buying my response.
“If you don’t come to the visit, you lose your share of Carrington Incorporated,” Jasper said.
That did sound familiar—forced visits with my half-brothers, mandated to continue in perpetuity. This problem felt distant and unimportant, like it belonged to someone else.
“The lawyers will need you to sign papers,” Sebastian said. “You know how lawyers are. There’s always more papers.”
“More copies of my statement? They already know what happened,” I said. “I’m tired of talking about it.”
A small knock came from the other side of the door.
Josephine, the house manager, peeked her round face through the crack. “She’s here.”
Who was theshethat Josephine was referring to? Could it be Morgan?
A small bubble of hope dared to form in my chest.
Sebastian fully opened the doors. Neither he nor Jasper tried to stop me as I stepped through them.
I headed straight for the exit. As I turned the corner, I saw a woman standing in the grand foyer.
A halo of silver and black ringlets surrounded a face lined with memories. Her flowing dress hung loose on her strong but small frame. She was the person who had supported me my entire life—my mother.
She was the first piece of my past that I was glad to see, the first positive from a life that seemed better forgotten.
She smiled at me and opened her arms. “Oscar, I’ve been so worried.”
I scooped her into a hug. “Hi, Mom.”
I could feel eyes watching us. I released her and gestured to the doorway.
Loud enough for my brothers to hear, I said, “Let’s go for a walk through the gardens. It’ll be good to get some air.And some privacy.”
