“Yes, love, Alice, and don’t get excited or shout this from the roof tops but yes, I do love you, and unlike your parents, it’s an all-encompassing one. To be loved by me should terrify you. I am a monster in Armani with no regard for morality. One thing I can promise you is that I will never, and I mean never, betray your trust in me, to always put you first, before me, my family and money.”
“Simeon, I–”
Happy tears replace the bitter ones, and as his hand drops to my belly, he holds it there while smiling into my eyes.
“I’m pretty confident our future is shaping in there and I will never compromise what we are building. We are a team, a family, and will fight to remain that way, and you will need to be stronger than most.”
I nod, my heart fluttering like the caged bird I’ve always been, but I know in my heart I found my happy ever after with the unlikeliest of princes.
“You love me.”
I savor the words, and he rests his head against mine and whispers, “I will deny it if you ever tell anyone.”
I chuckle softly. “Then don’t tell anyone, but I love you too, baby. Somehow, I fell in love with you in the middle of mayhem, which is fitting because you are the prince of it.”
My lips touch his, and a warm sensation curls around my heart.
I may have lost one family, but in searching for it, I found another. Perhaps in time I can forgive my mom’s betrayal, understand it even. I may have clarity on why she remained silent when I’m a mom myself.
I shift closer to my husband and his hand curls around the back of my head, the other around my back, holding me securely,keeping me safe in a prison where love replaces the cold steel of iron bars and that love will keep me here.
CHAPTER 41
SIMEON
Ileave Alice to sleep. She is exhausted with emotion and, if anything, our visit has been an awakening. She may have lost something today, but I will never let her mourn it too hard. I will replace pain with happiness if it takes me my whole goddamned miserable life.
Jack sits across from me, two glasses of bourbon catching the sun’s rays from the sky we are cutting through like a steel blade.
“Jason Greyson.”
His tone is soft, conversational even.
“He is a good man. Works on the ranch and raises cattle, and his sons assist him. The eldest, Will, works there full time, Gus is at university studying business, and Scott has just finished high school.”
“A normal family. I wonder what it’s like?”
Jack nods. “Sarah became Annie and moved to Idaho, taking work in a roadside diner that provided accommodation. She met Jason, and they set up home together.”
I’m sad for Alice, but I can see the appeal because a woman like Sarah Goldsworthy was much like her daughter. Raised in luxury, and wanted for nothing, materially speaking, and yet never received the love every child should have as a standard.
I suppose I am one of the lucky ones despite my birthright because our mom loved us with a fierce passion that has never diminished. She taught us love gives strength, and I never fully understood that until now.
“Edward Goldsworthy.”
Jack’s tone prepares me for the full dossier on the creep’s life, and I raise my glass to my lips.
“He was set up by Vittorio Sorcusi as soon as he became a big player in the world of finance.”
I’ve heard this story many times before; hell, we’ve even scripted a few ourselves, so I know how the plot turns out.
“His proclivity is young girls, underage girls, and Vittorio exploited it.”
I shiver with revulsion, vowing Alice will never discover that side of him.
“Vittorio used it to his advantage and collected the evidence, using it to pile on the pressure to bring Edward under his control. What better person to launder money than the owner of a banking empire. Edward was backed into a dark corner and took his aggression out on his wife. His aggression also turned to his daughter, which convinced his wife to act. She made certain to leave and never backed down under the pressure, and carved a new life out for her and Sarah which didn’t include Edward. It was only when he told her Sarah was in danger married to Enrico that she had the intelligence to remove her inheritance to save her. She hoped without it Enrico would divorce her daughter, as she was of no further use to him. It never occurred to her that a small baby with a billion-dollar inheritance would be used. I’m guessing she hoped her daughter was as strong a woman as she was and would have fought for her child.”
“Then she received a visit from the Sorcusi mafia and suffered a stroke. I can only guess what caused that.”
