“My jewelry went missing over time. At first, I thought it was a new cleaner we had hired, so I fired her. But I found the necklace and earrings in Erin’s car as I sat, waiting for her to give me a lift into town one day.”
“She stole from you?”
“Oh, yes. She sputtered some silly excuse. I persisted in questioning her, commenting that it was ridiculous for the staff to hide jewels in someone else’s car.”
“Did Erin snap at you?”
“She accused me of snooping. All I did was glance at the back seat.”
“Did she apologize to you?”
“She gripped the driver’s wheel, blank and unapologetic.”
“That sounds like Erin,” I said, shaking my head.
“I told her to keep the jewels and stay away from my son.”
“Did you tell anyone else?” I asked.
Only John. He wanted Erin gone. He and Darius Quinn, Saira’s father, already planned an alliance for our companies’ expansion, sealed by marriage between our children.”
“So, he pressured Alistair to break up with Erin?”
Elizabeth nodded, compressing her lips tightly.
“What about Saira and her family?”
“Darius was a pillar of strength and a colossal success,” Elizabeth continued. “Yet, I was suspicious of the rumors about his involvement with illegal businesses. The mafia. His wife passed away when Saira and her younger brother, Nicholas, were children.”
“Saira must have been lonely,” I speculated.
“She had plenty of relatives, but you can never replace the love of a mother.”
“Still, it’s no excuse for what she’s done.”
“Of course not,” Elizabeth agreed. “Saira has known my son since they were children. She and Nick visited us plenty of times. Alistair preferred Nick’s company as they were closer in age.”
“He told me Saira was older.”
“Four years, to be exact,” she said. “As an adult, he dated different women, including Erin, whom he claimed to love. After the incident with my jewels, John persuaded him to leave her and take an interest in Saira.”
“From the frying pan into the fire.” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
Elizabeth did not smile. “When Alistair proposed to Saira, his affection flattered her. She had a penchant for young and energetic men.”
“Alistair never loved her back.” I sighed, rubbing the side of my forehead.
“He was close to Nick,” she said. “He grieved when Nick died in a boating accident in Europe.”
“Alistair said they never found Nick’s body,” I responded. “Do you believeSaira was responsible for the explosion on the boat?”
Elizabeth stared at me. I shook my head at the tangled mess of the Scott-Quinn saga. She broke the stillness by laying one hand over mine.
“Alistair loves Damian, and he loves you. Don’t let anything else matter.”
She rose, her elegance filling the room as she walked away, leaving me alone with the heavy truth of her words, and the reminder that loving Alistair meant inheriting every complication of his life.
Alistair
