Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I slam my hand on the desk hard enough Kat jumps in her seat. My voice is low, bitterly cold and deadly calm. “I’m not going to repeat this ever again. I had nothing to do with my dad’s plot to hurt Sylvie. Had I known about it, I would have stopped it. As it stands, I turned him in to the police, thereby ensuring her safety. So, while a little fucking gratitude would be nice, I sure as hell don’t expect it from the likes of you. I would, however, appreciate you leaving the caustic remarks behind because all it does is make me want to boot your ass out of here so I can get back to more important things.”
Kat’s eyes burn with fury but she keeps that pretty mouth shut. After a moment of continued silence, which I accept as her affirmation she understands me, I say, “I will send over the expansion plans to you. I’ll even summarize the important points. You pass it on to your brother and let me know what he thinks. We can communicate by email. No sense in meeting. Will that work for you?”
“That will work fine,” she clips out. “But I have a request.”
I cock an eyebrow at her.
“Amend the trust agreement to remove the death clause.”
I internally wince at her labeling of the paragraph that gave my father the idea to murder his granddaughter. In its simplest form, it reads that if Sylvie dies before she turns twenty-one, her winery shares revert to Mardraggon Enterprises. I’m not opposed to abolishing that from the agreement at all, but I am wondering if I can use her request to get something in return. “And why would I do that?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do,” she snaps.
No doubt, it’s absolutely the right thing to do. But not without me getting what I desperately want. “Talk Ethan into letting me see Sylvie and I’ll gladly have it removed.”
“Remove it first, then I’ll talk to Ethan,” she retorts.
I shake my head. “I need some good faith from your brother.”
“And we would like to make sure Sylvie’s protected. I think you’re the one who should show good faith.”
“Why? Because in case you’ve failed to notice, I’ve yet to act contrary to Sylvie’s best interests.”
“Maybe so, but you’re a Mardraggon, and while you might not have had anything to do with your father’s plot, and while you might have been the one to stop it from happening again, you’re still a fucking Mardraggon and therefore cannot be trusted. You speak out of both sides of your mouth.”
“Aaah,” I say knowingly. “There it is. The real reason for your bluster here tonight.”
“Whatever,” she scoffs and leans over to pick up her purse. She rises from her chair and looks down at me. “We’re done for now. Send over the information about the expansion plans. Amend the agreement. Then I’ll talk to Ethan.”
I don’t agree to any of it, merely lock eyes with her. I’m going to do exactly what she asks for but she doesn’t need to know that just now. We engage in a staring war, neither one of us blinking. I feel pettily triumphant when she looks away to glance down at her purse, reaching inside for something.
Pulling out a folded piece of paper, she offers it to me. “Sylvie wrote you a note.”
I start to lunge for it but she pulls it back, out of my reach. “For once in your life, Gabe… do the right thing.”
Kat drops the paper onto my desk and I resist the urge to pick it up. Instead, I keep my eyes on her as she turns on her heel and strides out of my office like she just closed a multimillion-dollar deal.
Granted, she probably won that round, but as my eyes land on the note, I can’t be perturbed by it.
I unfold the paper and read the scrawling handwriting of my ten-year-old niece.
Dear Uncle Gabe,
I hope you are okay. I would like to see you but my dad says not yet. I am not mad at you and thank you for telling the police about Lionel. I hope to see you soon.
Love,
Sylvie
I blink against the sting in my eyes, reading over the simple words again. It’s the best thing I could have been given right now because my main worry is how Sylvie views me. As much as my parents and I tried to turn her against the Blackburns to keep her in the fold, my father’s actions have irrevocably turned her against my family. I didn’t know if I would be lumped in with that generalization and it appears—for now—that I am not.
Tomorrow, I’ll call my attorney and have him amend the trust agreement and then I’m going to push to see my niece.
I hear the front door open, then close. I’m left in the silence, Kat’s defiance and demands lingering. I shake my head, ruminating about the one woman who always knew how to get under my skin.