“My oh-so perfect brother who once told me marriage was a sham found the right woman and she’s just a pawn. How beautifully appropriate. I’m curious. Does she know no matter how the contract was worded, she’ll lose in the end, taking her father’s company down with her?” When I said nothing, he snorted. “I guess not. I’m sure you added that special little clause since Michael is such a conniving son of a bitch. Right?”
Something else he was right about. There was a codicil that came within the body of every contract very few attorneys or clients had caught, allowing us to vacate a contract without penalties, or being forced to make any restitution or payments if we desired to terminate for any reason. I could easily get what I wanted then end the contract. Other than the original money she’d received, she’d never get another dime.
“You’re such a fucking hypocrite, brother. You act all high and mighty, yet you wallow in the mud just like Daddy always did.” He was enjoying himself, throwing out the words as if preplanned.
“So why the sudden interest in being a part of the firm when you’ve done nothing but badmouth it? Why did you decide to make the announcement, to hopefully embarrass me or to insinuate our marriage is a sham?” I pressed while attempting to keep my anger in check.
“Well, it is a sham. Isn’t it? What did you offer her, two million?” He laughed a few seconds later. “Much more than that. I guess everyone has a price.”
I’d never been so angry. “Just answer the questions.”
“Why?” he asked as his gaze fell slowly to the floor and my polished Gucci shoes. “You really don’t get it. Do you?”
“Just tell me. I don’t have time for this bullshit.”
“Sure, you have damage control to play. Right? Are you afraid you’ll be outed?”
“Talk to me. Your last chance, Carson.”
“Or what? You’ll disown me as a brother? Who gives a shit. You did that a long time ago. Maybe I was trying to get Vanessa to see that you’re nothing but a scumbag before it was too late. I looked her up. She’s got a decent reputation in town. She seems like a very good person. Maybe I had a heart for a change. As far as Dad’s company, I realized I was tossing away a lot of money to be made. As you’ve told me so many times before, I need a lot of money to keep us this fabulous lifestyle.” Laughing bitterly, he threw out his arms.
I no longer recognized my brother. “You are…”
“What? Disgusting? Isn’t that what you were going to say? Go ahead. I’m used to it.”
The flash of pain in his eyes pulled at something deep inside. Yet I didn’t have the emotional capacity to try to change our relationship. We’d been broken for a very long time. “Take my advice. Work on yourself and let me handle my life and my relationship my way.”
“You don’t have a relationship, Chris. You don’t have the capability of having one with anyone and haven’t since Caroline.”
I was in his face in a split second, raising my arm like I was going to smash my fist into his face. This time, he didn’t back down, standing up straight and staring me directly in the eyes.
“Don’t you dare mention her name to me again. Not once. I told you already.”
“Yeah, you told me, brother. Guess what? You don’t have the right to do that. You can do whatever you want with the company. Fire me. Arrest me if I come to the premises, but you can’t keep me from caring about or talking about her.”
I slowly lowered my arm. What the fuck was I doing? I spun around, heading to the door.
“If you really do care about Vanessa, and something tells me you do, then set her free before it’s too late,” he said with darkness in his tone.
Too late.
At this point, I already knew that he was right, but that didn’t change anything.
Our relationship was unrepairable.
CHAPTER 25
Vanessa
“So what are you going to do?” Amelia asked as she stood just inside my office door.
The question of the hour.
The day.
The week.
The year.
