Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 164705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
The doorbell stood off to the side, but I ignored it, thrusting the doors open and striding right in. Curved stairways flanked either side of the marble entryway. Hushed voices drifted into the foyer from the drawing room. Glasses clinked. Laughter jingled. Whispers tangled together, obviously coming from more than just my mom and dad.
Briar’s gaze swung to me, the skin between her brows pinched together. “I didn’t know your parents had guests over.”
“News to me, too.” I slung my arm over her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll bail early if you aren’t having fun.”
Her lips pulled into a grimace, but she nodded anyway. I almost carried her back to the car, stopping myself just barely, knowing she’d do something drastic like withhold sex if I made her lose face in front of my parents.
Hand-in-hand, we waltzed over to the source of the laughter, stopping just shy of the open threshold to the drawing room. Two guests occupied the recliners next to my parents, nursing champagne flutes and Hors d’oeuvres.
Briar slapped a hand over her mouth, smothering a gasp.
The couple spun to look at us, their grins wide without a care in the world.
Jason and Philomena Auer.
Philomena stood up first. “Well, hello, daughter dearest.”
Chapter Seventy-Seven
Briar
They ambushed me.
Of course, they did. Respecting my boundaries would require acknowledging they existed, and that would require acknowledging I existed, which they only seemed to do when they wanted something from me.
If they wanted a rise from me, they wouldn’t get it. Briar Rose’s knees would buckle. Mine, however, locked right up. I tipped my chin up, staring down at Jason as he rose beside Philomena. While Felix and Agnes had aged with grace, time hadn’t been kind to my so-called parents.
Roads of wrinkles formed a weathered map on Jason’s face. His hair, once dark, streaked with silver. Philomena’s eyes, cold and calculated as ever, peered out from beneath drooping lids, assessing the proximity between me and Oliver.
“Darling.” Philomena recovered first, marching to me and flinging her arms over my shoulders. “It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other.” She reeked of desperation and Chanel No.5, a scent I once craved but could now barely stomach.
“Funny how that works.” I kept my arms at my sides, stepping back from her embrace, careful to keep my voice too low for Ollie’s parents to hear. “Who knew that abandoning a child would mean abandoning a child? Revolutionary, right?”
Philomena accepted my words in stride, returning to her seat with her fake designer purse clutched over her chest like a shield. “It’s so good to see you, Briar Rose.”
Jason patted my shoulder, as if I were an old golf friend. “Sweetheart, you look good.”
“Hmm. You’ve aged poorly.” I mock-frowned, no longer scared of his ruthless gazes and sharp tongue. “Not getting tangled in legal troubles and bankruptcy does wonders to the skin. You should really try it.”
“Sorry, honey.” Agnes von Bismarck rose with the grace of a seasoned royal and hugged me. “When the Auers called and said they wanted to surprise you with a mini engagement party, we simply couldn’t deny them.” She pulled back to tap the tip of my nose. “You get more and more beautiful each time I see you, my Love Bug.”
She used to call me that after she’d heard Oliver’s nickname for me. I would sit in her kitchen as she sorted through art catalogs, teaching me the history of each piece she considered collecting, and wonder if that was what it felt like to be loved by a mother. Like being wrapped in a quiet, unbreakable promise.
Oliver kissed her cheek, his fingers still laced with mine. “And what a surprise it is, Mother.”
It dawned on me that, since we’d arrived, he hadn’t once let go of me. Like an anchor, keeping me up on my feet. I didn’t need it, but I appreciated it all the same. It shocked me that I didn’t stutter. Didn’t cry, beg, or wallow. I’d grown up. I’d found worth in myself and accepted that my parents’ rejection meant nothing.
Felix trailed behind his wife, engulfing me in a bear hug that required Oliver to reluctantly let me go. “Briar Rose, it is a pleasure to finally meet you again.”
“Oh, it’s just Briar now.” Philomena tittered into her champagne flute. “She changed her name.”
The audacity this woman had to pretend to know things about me. To care. I’d laugh, but I didn’t want Felix and Agnes to think less of me.
I drew back from Felix, studying his face. Whereas his wife remained youthful, her hair yellow as the sun, Felix’s eye sockets had hollowed into two dark craters. His mouth locked into a permanent downturn, like he spent most of his time depressed.
The pieces clicked into place. This man – still grieving the loss of a son alive – no longer belonged in a boardroom. No wonder he’d stepped down as CEO sooner than planned. But with Oliver’s reputation, he couldn’t officially retire. Not before Ollie commanded the respect he deserved.