“I lied, Savanna. You won’t see a cent from me.” He removed papers from his suit jacket pocket and set them on the coffee table. “Sign, and I won’t have you arrested for child abuse.”
“Screw you,” she snapped, tossing the cigarette at the ashtray. The butt dropped onto the carpet in the same spot she’d burned dozens of times. “I’m not letting you take them without getting what’s mine.”
Pops bent down, put his finger on the dotted line, and said, “Sign, or I will have you arrested for murder.”
Murder?
My mother was capable of a lot of things, and unfortunately, murder was one of them. She had so much hatred in her heart.
Without a word, my mother signed away her rights. Then, my father did the same. We were almost of age, but for whatever reason, our grandfather considered being our legal guardian important.
As we exited the house, my dad observed us from the kitchen window, and my mother stood in the doorway. She lit another cigarette, gutting me with a nasty look.
“Where are we going?” I asked as we climbed into the black stretch limousine.
“Devil’s Creek,” Pops said as the car moved away from the house. “It’s on the coast of Connecticut, about a two-hour drive from New York City.”
“Wow,” I mouthed. “Can we see the Statue of Liberty?”
Pops nodded. “Sure, I’ll arrange a helicopter ride over the city.”
Aiden sat beside me, arms folded over his chest, glaring at our grandfather. “Tell us the truth. I don’t want you getting Alex’s hopes up for nothing.”
“I want us to be a family,” he said. “And for the two of you to take your places in our inner circle. Our family has a bit of a legacy. Certain expectations come with being a Wellington.”
Aiden snorted. “Figured as much. What are they?”
“We have a long plane ride,” Pops said, reaching for a glass bottle of brown liquid. “How about we discuss it on the way home?”
“Whatever,” Aiden shot back. “But if you’re lying to us, you won’t see us again.”
“Understood,” Pops said, respecting my brother’s decision, though I’d already seen firsthand that he was a man who always got what he wanted.
We arrived at the airport two hours later and parked in a hangar. When I saw the Wellington Pharmaceuticals logo on the side of the airplane, my jaw nearly hit the floor.
Oh my god.
He was that Wellington.
Of course, I knew the name.
Wellington Pharmaceuticals produced most of the shampoo, baby products, makeup, and drugs on the market. My mother refused to buy them, and I never understood why. All the girls at my school loved their hair and makeup products.
I looked at Pops and said, “Do you own the company?”
“I own many companies, yes, and Wellington Pharmaceuticals is one of them.” He cupped my cheek and grinned. “And now, my dear, you and Aiden are the heirs to my empire.”
For the first time in my life, I shed tears of joy.
CHAPTER 2
ALEX
On the plane ride to Connecticut, we ate like kings and queens. Aiden devoured two massive steaks, three potatoes, and four lobster tails. It was his first time eating rich people’s food, and he feared it would disappear.
My stomach hurt from being so malnourished. So, I took my time and chewed slowly, afraid I might vomit. The aircraft continued to shake at thirty thousand feet above the ground. I was also too on edge to enjoy my meal.
“Tell us the truth,” Aiden said after he burped, rubbing a hand over his full belly. “Why did you adopt us? And don’t lie, old man, because I’ll know.”
