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“For fucks sake. I said you can’t stay here. I’ll find you a hotel somewhere but I don’t want you anywhere near me or Nate.”
Xander rarely ever raises his voice.
“How dare you speak to me this way? Is this how I raised you?!” a woman shouts back.
My footsteps fall to a stop at that.
“Please, don’t make me laugh. You didn’t raise me, mother. All you did was give birth to me.”
I stay quietly at the entrance to the living room, barely breathing. Xander doesn’t talk much about his mother. I know their relationship is strained, I also know she was absent for most of his life. But hearing the pain in his voice as he addresses her causes a painful crack in my chest.
“Enough with this victim complex you have. I am here for you, Alexander. To help you,” his mother says, her voice manipulative.
Each word feels like dripping honey mixed with poison.
“No, you’re here to help yourself. You’re here out of spite because you can’t bear the thought of me losing the company to Graham or hell even Mikayla. You have never cared about me.”
“Your judgment is warped, Alexander. I am not going to abandon you because you’re my son.”
“You’ve overstayed your welcome. Good bye, mother.”
I realize a second too late that I’m standing right by the entrance. My breath stops as Jessica Steele appears in view, pulling a red suitcase behind her.
Fuck.
She recognizes me. It’s clear in the way her lips curl in disgust at the sight of me. I make sure to meet her glare with one of my own. She laughs coldly.
“Of course you would be here,” she states. “Katerina, is it? It’s good that you’re here. I’ve wanting to meet you all this while.”
CHAPTER 26
Xander
Imove across the room lightning fast until I’m standing in front of Katerina.
My mother has been here for over an hour. At first I was content to let her drone on and on about how tiring her trip was. I even provided her with some refreshments. I was perfectly polite, until she mentioned staying in my home. Which is where I had to draw the line. I lost my cool when she started acting like she had a right to demand to stay here. Nate barely even knows her. He’s aware he has another grandmother, has seen pictures of her and might remember meeting her once or twice, but in his mind, the only grandmother he’s ever known is Isabella. And I intend on keeping it that way.
I feel Katerina’s arm on my shirt, her touch searing.
“Xander, it’s okay,” she tells me before moving to stand at my side. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Steele.”
My mother rolls her eyes. “Don’t say things you don’t mean, child. I definitely don’t think it is nice to meet you. In fact all I can think right now as I look at you is how much I dislike you for ruining my son’s life.”
Katerina flinches at that and my jaw clenches.
“That’s enough. Get out.”
Her gaze lands on me, brown eyes roaming my face, taking in the situation.
“You’re protecting her?” my mother asks on a laugh. “Are you really this dense, Alexander? You’re going to just forget all she did to you? I thought you were smart enough not to throw your life away all for a pretty face.”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
She doesn’t reply instead turning to face Katerina again.
“I understand people in your line of work tend to be cruel, but if you feel even a modicum of anything for your son and my son, you’ll get out of their lives for good.”
Katerina opens her mouth to speak, but I cut in.
