His brow lifts when he sees me and a smile spreads across his face. “It’s good to see you again, Sam.”
My brow narrows. “Did you think it was funny getting me arrested when all you had to do was unblock your damn phone?”
“I hate that it came to that, but I was at my wit’s end. I saw some scared straight video and thought I’d give it a try.”
“Scared straight? You have to be fucking joking. Elliot told me you changed the locks and put my stuff in storage. If you hated it so much, you shouldn’t have driven it to this point.”
“Your lack of respect was untenable.”
“From my vantage point, it was earned.”
He looks down at the floor, shaking his head from side to side.
“What are we doing here?” I ask.
“Surprise!” He brings his arms up and to both sides, palms facing the ceiling. “It’s your new home.”
My brow crinkles. “What do you mean?”
“When you left, Dorrine brought it to my attention that you were…pregnant?—”
“Of course, she did.”
“Sam, you need to give the woman some credit. She wasn’t tattling on you. You’d disappeared, and I was genuinely worried.”
“And you believe that?”
“Dorrine has been nothing but kind to you.”
“Because she’s a fucking snake, Dad, and she’s out to?—”
“To take your inheritance from you,” he says with a roll of his eyes. “How many times have you said that over the years, and yet, my will remains the same?”
“Until recently.”
He looks down at the table, his jaw tensing.
“I finally fucked up, and look what it’s cost me.”
“It cost you nothing, Sam.”
“Just my business.”
“Don’t be a fool. I would never let anyone take your PR company away from you.”
“Dorrine told me she was giving it to Bianca.”
“Is that what she said?”
I try to remember her exact words, but they evade me. “Might as well have.”
“At the time, Dorrine knew you were pregnant and wanted to help alleviate your workload.”
“And you believe her?”
“Of course, I believe her. Bianca would never be allowed to work more than an entry-level position, because if she and Elliot were to divorce, we wouldn’t want her to be able to claim she contributed to the framework of any of our endeavors. As much as you believe Dorrine is out to get you, she would never compromise our business.”
What he’s saying makes perfect sense, and I feel foolish for letting my anger blind me.
