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If I could read my mother, and I was very good at doing so, she was waging war in her head against my future husband. When she turned to leave. I mouthed sorry to him and hurried behind her, catching my mother just outside the entrance to our private dining room.
“What the hell was that? A prenup?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re naïve if you don’t make sure that man doesn’t fuck you over when it’s all said and done.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means, I committed my life catering to your father. Being what he needed me to be only to end up with nothing.”
“That’s not true, you have…”
“Nothing, Cress. Christian is executor over the family estate. Your father left everything to the three of you. I have a small trust set up which allows me a monthly allowance which islaughable. I was naïve enough to believe that your father truly loved me and valued everything I’ve done for him all these years. I suppose the jokes on me. I was wrong. You would be wise to not make the same mistakes I’ve made.That mancan make your life a living hell if he chooses to.”
“Is that what you’re saying our father has done?”
“I’m saying, forty-two years and what do I have to show for it? I’m left with a shell of a man who doesn’t even remember my name and not even the empire thatIhelped him earn.”
I cringed, rearing my head back. “You’ve spent your life doing absolutely nothing andeverythingyou want. You also have Christian, Jona, and I but I’m sure that means very little in the larger scope of things.”
“Who I’ll be depending on for the rest of my life, thanks to your father’s selfish ways. He left it all to the three of you. Every single penny. I havenothing.”
“Wow.” Was she really saying this out loud? I shouldn’t have been surprised but I was.
“If you wanted a guarantee of financial stability then you should’ve worked for your own. You chose the life you have. Daddy never prevented you from working or doing things that mattered. You chose to be a kept woman. That’s on you not him.”
I turned to walk away and she grabbed my arm. “You’re so naïve, Cress. You think you know how things work in this world, but you have no idea. You think you know men like the one you’re about to marry….” She laughed dryly. “You don’t. They take what they want and destroy what they want. It’s not all black and white, sweetheart. There are murky gray areas that you’ll soon learn are where you’ll end up for most of your life. I’m speaking from experience. So when you’re ready to accept the truth, I’ll be here. For now, keep living your fairytale.” She corrected her posture and plastered on a smile. The one she used when she needed to keep up appearances.
“I’d love to be there when you’re selecting a dress. If you feel I deserve an invitation, I’ll gladly accept. If not, just have yourhusband’speople reach out with the day and time and I’ll be there to watch you say I do.” She placed a hand on my cheek then she was gone.
When I stepped back into the room, Elias was watching. He was always fucking watching and that bothered me because it felt personal like he cared.
About me.
“Everything okay?”
“No, but I’ll be fine. My mother is mentally and physically draining.” I moved to the table and lifted my purse from an empty chair. “We should go.”
“I’m not in a hurry, Cress. Sit down, finish your food.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You said you had a prior obligation. I don’t want to hold you.”
“You’re not. Sit, please.”
“But you said…”
“I said that because I didn’t want this dinner to last any longer than you or I could tolerate. That was also my reason for selecting four courses instead of seven. I’m glad I trusted my instinct. Your mother is a lot.”
“She is what she is. Thank you by the way…”
His brows caved in and I added, “For the wedding thing. She wouldn’t have accepted no from me.”
He smiled. “She barely accepted no from me, but I meant what I said. Whatever your ideas are for the wedding I want you to have what you want.”
“And what about you, what do you want?”
“None of it really matters to me…”
“None of it?”
