AllFreeNovel
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I booked a table at a Greek restaurant for 6:30 p.m. Is that okay?
It sounds wonderful.
Although an early night sounds good right now because I could fall asleep sitting upright. I scan through my emails for any late replies. We’re ready for tomorrow’s demolition of the old buildings and the commencement of new foundations.
“I’ll see you in the morning.” Ethan tucks his satchel under his arm.
“Yeah, I’m signing off now as well.” Everything else can wait for the morning. Dana clocked off an hour ago, and Dad’s been in Sydney and Melbourne for the past two weeks on business. He visited my brother, Will, in Melbourne, and seeing Will always cheers Dad up.
After logging off, I follow Ethan out of the office. A horn sounds while I’m locking the door. A black sports car cruises into the soon-to-be-demolished parking lot. I’m about to warn them not to park here overnight. We forewarned guests to park on the street until construction is complete. The expensive car stops beside me, and it’s not any car, it’s a Porsche. The tinted window slowly lowers.
“Samuel?”
“Jump in, beautiful.”
Rose squeals, and I peer in to see her excited face in the car’s rear. “Did you buy this?”
I close the door and note his attire. Navy pants and a white button-up shirt. “Cars are significantly more expensive in Australia.”
“Is this your idea of afamilycar?”
He steers to where Ethan has parked, quickly reversing the car. “No, this is my car.”
My window remains lowered, and I give Ethan a quick wave. His eyes round, and then he gives a curt nod before Samuel reverses quickly.
“The family car that’s yours arrives next month.”
I gasp. “Which is?”
“A Range Rover. If you want to show me this beautiful country, we’ll need a four-wheel drive.”
Material things have never appealed to him, so why is he spending a hell of a lot of money on things we don’t need?
“Is this a work car?”
He gives me a sideways glance and grins. “Do you like it?”
Cars are meh to me, and why I didn’t care about driving an old car. Yet, I take in the dark, sleek interior with touch-screen prompts. How can I not? “I do. Dad has always driven a BMW, and—”
“So does Ethan,” he finishes. He’s smiling smugly.
“Are you showing off?”
“Me?” he asks incredulously.
“It’s not your style to be flashy, and I don’t want you to change from who you are because you’re here.”
“Here, as in Adelaide?”
I don’t want to say ‘society’ because he told me many times about how he didn’t want to return, and it’s played on my mind ever since. “You know what I mean.”
He veers onto the street and my thoughts race to why he needs these expensive cars. Is he trying to impress me? “Is it rude of me to ask how much you have spent on cars today even though it’s your money and none of my business?”
“Our money,” he adds. He gives me another sideways glance. “It’sourmoney, Eden.” Taking my hand, he raises my fingers to his lips. “And we need to go shopping for a ring.”
I pull my hand away and stare out the window to gather the right words, then shake my head. “What the hell is going on? It’s like I’m talking to another man. And where the hell is all this money coming from?”
“I told you about the inheritance. It was on hold while I was in Ulara. A sizable sum of money is sitting in my bank that really needs to be spent so the government doesn’t take it. So please, don’t feel guilty. And I haven’t changed. I need to spend the money on whatever makes life comfortable for us. I’ve never told you before because I didn’t want it to define who I am. I’m still the same man, and I don’t need these material things in my life.” He places a hand on my leg in an attempt to soothe me. “I have the money, and it needs to be spent. That’s all. I’ll be investing in other areas. I’ll always take care of Rose and you.”
