Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
A smirk formed on Shawn’s face, and I would have high-fived him for one-upping his awful father, but I kept my hands in my lap.
“Do you really need another broach?” Ted said, sounding bitter and spiteful.
Kathryn ignored her husband. “Shawn, can you help me to my room?”
Lizzy stood too, and air-kissed her mother before Shawn and Kathryn left. It was a few minutes before they exited the room. With all the dishes gone, I assumed once Shawn returned, we would leave.
“What is it that your parents do?” Ted asked.
Since I was the only one he didn’t know, he was speaking to me. I faced him with a smile on my face, as I was proud of my parents. “My mother is a CPA, but she now teaches at the community college. My dad is a retired officer with the Chicago PD.”
“I would have guessed blue-collar,” Ted commented.
I ignored him and pulled out my phone and found a picture of them, including my little sister, which I showed to the group.
Lizzy and Connor grinned as Ted frowned. “Where do you get your coloring from?”
It hit my bullshit meter and smashed it. “You know what? Not that it matters to me, but maybe it will to you. I share half my DNA with an entitled asshole like yourself. His name is Dwight Royal. You might have heard of the Royal Hotels. But just because that man gave his sperm to my creation doesn’t make him my father. The man who earned that name is the man in the picture I shared. He’s a hardworking man who gave his life in service of others and is a better man than you’ve shown yourself to be.”
I hadn’t meant to share the Royal name. I’d never told anyone who didn’t know who my biological father was. But Ted crawled all over my nerves and I had to wipe the smugness off his face.
Lizzy glared at her father. “Dad—” she began.
What we hadn’t noticed was that Shawn had come back until we heard what sounded like a growl, interrupting whatever Lizzy was about to say. “Apologize to her. Now,” Shawn commanded. Though his voice was controlled, there was a deadliness to it that chilled to the bone.
“What? I’m not allowed to inquire about my future daughter-in-law?” Ted said, feigning innocence.
“We both know what you were doing,” Shawn gritted out.
Lizzy stood to get between her brother, who had menacingly crept forward, and her father. “Dad, this is ridiculous. Tayla is lovely and if you continue to act this way, I won’t come around either.”
Ted straightened and looked at me. “I’m sorry if you took what I said incorrectly. I was just curious.”
Shawn moved, but Lizzy’s hand on his chest stopped him. It was Connor who spoke next.
“You don’t want to end up a lonely old man like my father, with no one who cares. Lizzy has agreed to take over your company with my help. But I won’t be on board assisting anyone with bigoted views.”
“And don’t leave it to me. I’ll sell it piece by piece,” Shawn warned, speaking of their family business.
Moving faster than anyone his age should, Ted got to his feet. “Over her?” he asked, his narrowed gaze aimed at his daughter.
“Yes,” everyone except Ted and me said in unison.
“Fine,” Ted snapped.
“If you aren’t better, Dad. I’ll tell Mom. We both know who’s really in control,” Lizzy said to her father before he stormed out of the room. She turned to me. “I’m sorry—again.”
“You can’t change an old fool in a day. My father is still trying to repair a relationship with my brother, whom he abandoned,” Connor added.
Shawn came over to stand by me. “We’re leaving.”
Lizzy pouted. “Will we see you again?” she asked her brother. Something unspoken was exchanged between them. Lizzy amended her offer by turning to me. “How about lunch tomorrow? You and me and I’ll bring Bailey. She’s dying to meet you.”
I blurted, “Sure,” before I put any real thought into why Shawn was bowing out of lunch.
“Girls’ thing,” Connor said to Shawn as if to absolve him.
“Oh,” Shawn began. “I bought something for my nephew. It’s a shirt with devil’s horns, and it says, My dad drew horns on me.”
“It’s super cute,” I added.
Lizzy and Connor laughed until Shawn said, “And I got this onesie that says, Not a Spare.”
Connor glanced at his wife. She said, “I planned to tell you.”
Shawn, with a look of remorse, said, “Oh, I didn’t know you didn’t know.”
Connor fingered the diamond collar around Lizzy’s neck. “I think you wanted to be bad.”
She said, “Maybe.” And I swore she said Sir, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Time to go,” Shawn announced and led us out of the apartment.
Surprisingly, the same driver that dropped us off was waiting. We didn’t talk about anything personal, as we would have been overheard.