Silence stretched between us. When I finally looked up, Griffin’s face had gone blank.
“He what?”
“He didn’t pay me. It wasn’t about money. It was about...” I couldn’t finish.
Rage claimed his features in the blink of an eye. “You’re telling me you worked for me for months. Twenty-four seven childcare, traveling around the world, and your father never paid you a single pound?”
“I knew what I was signing up for.”
My degree and eventual freedom.
“Did you?” He moved closer, vibrating with barely contained anger. “Or did he back you into a corner like he does with everyone?”
I couldn’t answer, but he didn’t need me to.
Griffin paced to the window, shoulders tight. “Right. I’m paying you. Backpay for every week you worked for me.”
“You don’t have to?—”
“I absolutely do.” His eyes blazed. “You earned that money. You kept my daughter alive, kept me sane, rearranged your entire life. That has value.”
“I did it for Hazel.”
“And I’m grateful.” He crossed back to me. “Which is why I’m paying you what you’re owed. Standard nanny rate for live-in care, plus hazard pay for dealing with me.”
My lips twitched. “Why hazard pay?”
“I’m a nightmare. Everyone says so.”
“You’re not that bad.”
He smiled. “You’re biased.”
“Maybe.”
He pulled me close, forehead resting against mine. “So here’s the deal. I pay you what you’re owed. You use that money however you want.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he pressed a finger to my lips.
“Before you argue, think about it. I have the money. You did the work. Julian screwed you over, and I owe you for keeping Hazel alive when I was too much of a disaster to manage on my own.”
I swallowed my automatic refusal. He had a point. Several points, actually. He could afford it. I had done months of unpaid labor. And I’d lost my degree funding because I’d chosen to support him instead of staying under Julian’s thumb.
“Okay,” I said finally. “You can pay me.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Really? No argument?”
“You made a compelling case.” I smiled. “Though you could’ve told me this before I spent a week looking at windowless prison cells.”
Julian’s version of support came with strings. Invisible until you tried to move. Griffin just... built me scaffolding and asked if I needed more.
He laughed. “Fair point. So Monaco?”
“Monaco.” I took a breath. “With you. And Hazel.”
“And universities nearby for your doctorate.”
“You really researched that?”
