“I became certain you and Xander had something precious your father would destroy. He would crush your happiness. I couldn’t standthe thought of him ruining whatever might happen with you and this boy. Because he would. I thought if I ended it quickly and silently, it wouldn’t hurt you so much. But when you began dating Tucker Hill, I knew I’d made a terrible mistake.” She glanced at the letters in my hand. “I almost threw them away, but I couldn’t absolve myself by pretending they never existed. And then Xander came back.”
I nodded, remembering seeing him on the Academy stairs in September. How my heart suddenly felt like it was beating again.
“He came back, and you came back to life,” Mom said. “Your light was so bright, Emery…” She took a shaky breath. “I failed to protect Grant—I’ll never forgive myself for that. Then Jack left, and I watched it happen as if I were outside myself. Now that man and his terrible son are coming, and I can’t let your father steal your light too.”
“Why is he like this?” I whispered. “What happened to him?”
“There was no love in his childhood home. Your grandfather taught Grayson that winning at any cost was the only way to stay safe. To be strong. Then Grant died, and any humanity your father had left died too. Because losing a child cuts into your soul, and he couldn’t face the grief or the mistakes he’d made along the way.” She took my hand. “I failed to protect my sons, but I won’t fail you, not anymore. These letters are to remind you of who you are, how loved you are, and why you must preserve your generous heart, Emery. It’s the best gift you can give the world.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know. I wish I could help you but I—”
“But you’re trapped too.”
She nodded. “It’s no more than I deserve.”
“Mom, no—”
“What is going on here?”
My father stood at the door, his hard eyes going between me and my mother. I looked down at the stack of letters and then held them to my heart. I inhaled deeply, as if I could absorb Xander’s words andfortify myself with them. I loved him with all my heart. Great, infinite waves that could never die.
I stood up and faced my father. “I’m leaving.”
He gave a start. “Nonsense. The Harringtons will be here any minute. Colton will want to—”
“I’m leaving,” I said, louder. “I’m sorry to wreck your plans, but I’m not staying in this house a minute more.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Dad stopped, finally understanding. “Leaving for what? That boy? Yourhusband?He’s not even here. He abandoned you. One little threat, that’s all it took for him to go running—”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m doing this for me.”
“Tonight? Alone and out in the cold? Because that’s exactly where you’ll be if you walk out this door. You’ll have nothing.”
“That’s not true,” I said. “I’ll have me.”
My dad stuttered, impotent with rage. He leveled a finger at my mother. “What did you tell her?”
“The truth,” my mother said. “I am living the life you want for her, and I will not condemn her to it.”
“Condemn,” my father spat. “Condemn her to decades of luxury, free of want and worry for the rest of her life?”
“I want more than that,” I said. “Iammore than that.”
“And where will you go? You’ll take nothing from this house.”
“I don’t need or want anything from you ever again.”
My father trembled with fury, but I could see the fear in his eyes too. Fear for the hundreds of millions he stood to lose, and not one thought spared for his children.
“All three of us, Daddy,” I said. “You’ve lost all three of us, and you still don’t get it.” I turned to my mother. “Come on, Mom. You can leave too.”
She shook her head. “Grant isn’t coming back.”
“But, Mom—”
“Go, Emery. It’s your time.”
