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“At first, I was going to remove you from the will, but you showed up and faced the problem head-on. You were honest with me. However, until I see that you’re behaving like a responsible adult, your funds are frozen. I’m sorry, Shae. It pains me to make that decision, but you’ve left me no choice.”
My shoulders slumped. “Do I have to move out?”
“No, but your spending limit will be reduced to necessities only, and that includes no more shopping sprees. If Julia wants to take you, that’s her decision. You’ll need clothes for the school year, but for now, your credit card account is restricted.” Disappointment registered across his handsome features.
“I understand.” I rose, his painstaking expression trampling my heart. “I’ll make this right. I promise.” I dragged my feet to the door, then turned around. “What about Cole? He killed a man last night. He’s hanging around awful people. Are we safe while he lives in the house?”
Daddy massaged the back of his neck. “Cole isn’t your concern, Shae. I’ve already dealt with the situation.”
“Thesituation? So, you didn’t cut him off financially?”
“There’s more to it, Shae. End of discussion.”
If I’d been two years old, I would have stomped my foot and thrown a bitch fit. WhenIhad done something wrong, I was punished. However, I just learned an important nugget of information. Cole could do whatever he wanted and not deal with any consequences.
I knew this situation was my own fault. I’d spilled my plan to Cole like I was a dog in heat. The second it had flown out of my mouth, I realized I’d fucked up. I’d meant to threaten him and gain some leverage about the video, but he’d turned the tables on me. I left the office with my tail between my legs—ashamed and embarrassed for being so stupid and thinking I could actually persuade Daddy to give Cole hell.
Suddenly feeling sick to my stomach, I wanted to hide in my room until dinner. Maybe I would crawl back into bed and binge on Netflix.
I moped across the house and up the stairs. Reaching the hallway, I stopped, my ears perking up at the sound of Cole’s deep voice. I glanced around, then tiptoed to his closed door and listened.
“Fuck. Are you kidding me?” Cole asked, clearly upset.
I could imagine him running his hand through his blonde hair, rumpling it enough to look sexy as hell.
“Are you sure? If so, we have a huge fucking problem.”
My forehead creased.
“Hang on a minute. I’ve got another call.”
I pressed my ear to the door, straining to hear him.
“Hey,” Cole purred, his sultry tone sending shivers coasting over my skin. “Yeah, I’ll be there.” He chuckled. “I won’t forget. Bye.”
Irritation swept over me. Who was he talking to? Was it a girl? It was well-known that Cole fucked a chick once, then tossed her to the side as soon as he got off. This conversation seemed different, though.
I backed away, tiptoeing to my room and closing the door behind me. Why would I care if Cole was seeing someone? Other than the fact that he had reduced my dating life to nothing. The second a guy learned that Cole was my brother, they practically ran in the other direction even at college. If they had enough balls to ask me out, Cole always managed to find out and cockblock me. I hadn’t ever been able to learn why, which bothered me. I honestly wondered if they were scared of Cole. They should be. Hell, I should be. But even after last night, I wasn’t terrified of Cole like a normal person should be.
Flopping in the middle of the bed, I stared at the white ceiling. I sent Zoe a quick text and provided her with the details of how things had gone down with Daddy. I asked her to let Dani, Sibyl, and Isabel know as well. I didn’t have the energy to chat with them.
Before I put my phone down, I switched on the do not disturb for the rest of the day. Still exhausted from yesterday’s events, my eyelids grew heavy. There wasn’t anything I could do to fix things with Daddy at the moment, so I might as well get some sleep before my entire life was turned upside down.
ChapterEight
Over the next four days, my mood took a sharp nosedive, and I hid in my room unless Daddy needed me. The sun had also given me a big fuck you and cloaked itself behind thick, grey clouds. Inviting Zoe over and lounging around the pool wasn’t an option without sunshine. I couldn’t shop to soothe my nerves, either.
My cell vibrated with a message, and I scooped it off my nightstand and peeked at the time. It wasn’t even ten in the morning. Tapping the screen, I opened Zoe’s text.
Get your booty out of bed. I’m coming to get you.
Quickly, I typed out a response.I haven’t showered or gotten dressed.
The tiny dots bounced as I waited for her to reply.
I’m not taking no for an answer, so get your cute ass in gear or look like a bag lady in public. Your choice.
A frustrated groan escaped me, and I dramatically flung the covers to the other side of the mattress. I rubbed my face, realizing my tangled hair would be a mess to deal with. One thing was for sure. I didnotwant to be seen looking like a fucking trainwreck. I’d successfully hidden from Cole as well, refusing to give him the satisfaction of having a front-row seat to my spiraling mood.
