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“Yes.”
“I have to say I’m surprised to see you without Jax.”
“Why?”
“Well, you’re engaged, aren’t you?”
Shit. “Yes. And?”
“And he’s making you go out by yourself?” She glanced down and delicately inspected her perfectly painted nails. “He never left my side when he was with me, so protective…”
“And now he’s with me, so how did that work out?” I snapped. I didn’t have time for this. My nerves were frazzled, my skin burned, and my world was teetering on an abyss with Felix near. All I wanted to do was get out of the resort and not have to face anyone else.
Marina lifted her gaze and eyed me sharply. “Quite. Well, I suppose anything after me is a downgrade so I can hardly blame him if his romantic tactics slip.”
The cable car arrived and the doors slid open as anger and fear swelled in my chest.
“Fuck you, Marina,” I snapped and her face went wide. “Who the fuck do you think you are anyway, always looking down on people?”
“I’m Marina Hemmingway,” she replied tartly. “Heiress to Hemmingway Jewels?”
“Oh.” I paused. I was more than aware of Hemmingway Jewels. They had advertisements every five feet here and back home. They were always on the news for dressing celebrities and royalty. “Well, I don’t care. You’re looking down on me and making all these little digs as if you’re not the sad woman who couldn’t hold onto a wonderful guy like Jax.”
“That’s because I know my worth,” Marina replied sharply.
“No, you don’t. You’re a royal bitch who treats people like things and is going to end up sad and lonely because the only thing you value is going to fade with time, meanwhile Jax and I and Bonnie will be happy and living the best life. You’re rotten to the core and when people find out what you’re really like, you’ll be left with shadows on the side of the road,” I snapped loudly, drawing attention. All the tension and fear from Felix poured out of me into those words.
It was momentarily exhilarating to get some of the tension off my chest, and as Marina gaped at me, I hurried into the cable car and threw myself onto the seat. Her stunned face stayed with me all the way up the mountain as my heart pounded and my gut twisted.
Felix was here and I had just insultedMarina, Heiress to Hemmingway Jewels.
Christmas Eve was going to be wild.
22
THEO
“And then Mrs. Smith said that I was—I was the best in the class!” Clapping his hands together, Kane wriggled in my lap and his delighted words had him grinning ear to ear.
“We’re really proud about that, aren’t we?” I said over his shoulder, keeping one arm around his waist.
“Yes!” Kane declared.
“You’re getting to be as smart as Tim.” After Summer’s reference to my adoption of Kane being like Batman and Robin, I’d done more research. Kane turned his head to look at me with wide, amazed eyes.
“Yes!” He bounced in my lap, then turned back to the laptop where his mother, Tiffany, was displayed on the screen as she listened to Kane’s stories. It was difficult to get her on video calls these days, and I monitored each one closely for Kane’s sake.
The courts had generously awarded me full custody of Kane, but I never desired to cut Tiffany out of his life. If the time was right and her health seemed well, these calls were the glimpses Kane was allowed when it came to his mother. Something that was bound to get harder as he got older and asked more questions.
“That’s… amazing,” Tiffany said lazily and her small smile slipped. Her eyes closed briefly, and immediately my suspicions were raised.
“Are you tired, Mom?” Kane asked innocently.
“Sure, baby,” Tiffany sighed gently. “Just tired. Tell me about Christmas, I’m sad you’re not here with me.”
I had to fight back a scoff. Tiffany had only spent one Christmas with Kane when he was seven months old. She’d left him in his crib and gone out partying because shedeserved a break. I’ll never forget the chill that stole over me that night when the police turned up at my door with Kane seeking me out because it was Christmas and finding a foster family at that time of night was impossible.
“Maybe you can come here?” Kane asked. “It won’t take long, Dad has very fast planes.”
