Cocky Romance: Chapter 20

Hills called me crazy when he heard my plan to resign from Stinton Group. Then he called me a lovesick fool when I told him how I’d protect Dawn from my dad.

As he sat there calling me three different kinds of idiot, all I could do was laugh. Because what else could I do? Break down in tears? I’ve done that. Or something close to that. Those nights I spent with beer as company and the stars practically flaunting memories of Dawn in my face, I got as close to insanity as I ever had before. Now, it’s either laugh at the way love utterly destroyed me or cry a river about it.

And I’m not the kind of man who goes around bawling my face off.

“This changes nothing,” Dawn says to the stillness of my office.

My old office.

It’s no longer mine. She’s not mine either.

And I get that ridiculous feeling to laugh again.

The crazy mechanical bull that is Stinton Group never managed to buck me off, but now that I’m up against Dawn Banner, I get tossed out of the saddle in less than three seconds.

It’s crazy that such a little thing could crush me so totally.

How confident was I?

How arrogant that I thought I could always bend the world to my will?

I used to think that, once I had money, I had everything.

I used to think that, once I could keep my hands on Stinton Group, mom would be proud.

Screw that.

I know mom wouldn’t be happy about the way I treated Dawn.

She’d have batted me upside the head for lying to her.

Two things Vanya reminded me of when she called after the press conference. Turns out, she’d been milking Hills for information. My best friend is loyal to a fault, but he had no chance once Vanya started charming him.

“Are you insane, Stinton? How could you treat a woman—no, how could you treat a human being like that? It was Dawn’s choice to make. You shouldn’t have been anywhere near her. Sending lawyers? Trying to manipulate her? Are you insane? I don’t care how many years have passed. That was low-down dirty. Of course she’d be pissed off at you. And to make it worse, you acted like you cared about her daughter when, if you’d gotten your way, her kid wouldn’t even be here.”

Sobering words.

A kick in the teeth, actually.

I went too damn far sending those lawyers. Made the mess even worse by lying to Dawn about it when she asked me.

It’s like I’ve been pulling a rubber band tighter and tighter with every stupid move. It rightfully snapped back and stung me in the eye.

I don’t have a reason to cry out in pain.

All I can do is man up and take it.

“How did you know your dad was trying to corner me?” Dawn arches a trim brow. Sunshine dances over her dark skin and in the tight curls spiraling out of her bandana.

My fingers itch to touch her.

I tuck them into my pockets instead. “Hills called me. I almost caused a three-car pile-up getting over here.”

Her lips don’t twitch. Her eyes don’t soften with amusement.

She still sees a monster when she looks at me.

Still sees the man who lied to her.

It’s funny that I’m so helpless in the face of my obsession with her.

I’m so crazily in love with this woman that it’s rendered me completely speechless.

Whether that’s poetic justice or not isn’t my place to say.

Dawn tilts her chin. Folds her arms over her chest. “I have to know. You didn’t resign because of me, did you?”

“Yes, I did.”

Her throat bobs even as she tries to fight her surprise.

I step closer to her. It’s the wrong move. I’m instantly flooded with her beautiful scent—flowers over engine oil. If I could bottle it and carry it in my pocket for the rest of my life, I’d die happy.

“That was stupid of you. Giving up Stinton Group doesn’t change anything between us.”

It hurts. Damn. She’s blunt to a fault.

I knew that, but still…

“Stinton Group isn’t important to me. You are.” My eyes slide over her face. “This is the bare minimum, Dawn.” I gesture to where dad was standing. He was trying to bully Dawn into doing his bidding and, if Hills hadn’t let me know, he might have succeeded. “I don’t expect… I don’t even remotely think—that what I did today measures up to how I hurt you. I don’t expect a thing from you, but I do want to make something clear.” I hover over her because this is important. Because she was brutally honest with me which gives me the right to do the same. “Eight years ago, I was willing to sacrifice you and Beth for the company. Now that I’ve met you, I will sacrifice the company in a heartbeat for you.”

“You expect me to say thanks?” She’s doing that thing again, where she’s being loud to hide the fact that she’s not being honest.

My fingers beg to touch her cheeks, but I keep them at my sides. “I already told you. I don’t expect anything from you. I freed you from the contract because it’s the right thing to do. It can’t ever make up for the damage I caused, but I will not allow you to be held captive by Stinton Group. Not when all you wanted was to be free of us. You earned this. You can walk away without looking back, Dawn.”

It’s killing me.

I don’t want her to give me those broken eyes. I don’t want to see pain rising to the surface of her face.

“I trusted you.” She looks up at me. “I trusted you and you lied to me. I wish you could do or say something to fix what you broke, but you can’t, Max.”

“I know.”

“You shouldn’t have given up Stinton Group,” she croaks.

I can’t help it. I brush my finger against the tear that falls down her cheek. “I found something that I love more than the company.”

Her eyelashes flutter and she wets her mouth. My stomach tightens into knots when I see her tongue darting over those dual-toned lips. The fact that I had the honor of kissing them isn’t lost on me. The fact that I had the honor, the absolute pleasure of being in her company is something I will never forget.

Her mouth opens and then closes tightly.

She squeezes her eyes shut.

I can tell that her feelings for me haven’t gone away.

Mine sure as hell haven’t.

But I can also tell that she’s not going to give in to those feelings even if they’re pulling at her. She’s Dawn. She’s the impenetrable female mechanic with her head on her shoulders. She doesn’t make stupid, impulsive decisions. And she doesn’t wait for someone to betray her twice.

You get one shot with her.

And I blew mine.

Her brown eyes flick up and she stares at me. I can see her pain. See that I’ve totally destroyed her. The part of her that wants to run into my arms isn’t the side with power. And it’s killing her. It’s torturing her.

Because, even after everything, there’s still a connection between us that refuses to be ignored.

It’s devastating to see her like that. To see her struggling.

This woman ran into my iceberg of a heart like the Titanic, and I dragged both of us into the unforgiving waters. If one of us is going to survive this, it’s going to be her. It has to be her.

“I can’t do this.” She sniffs and turns her face away from me.

I know what she’s saying without even hearing the words.

She can’t because…

I’m still a Stinton.

I still sent those lawyers.

I still lied to her.

“I’m leaving now.” She straightens her shoulders and lifts her chin. “Goodbye, Max.”

It’s a gunshot to the chest.

And I realize that this is what death feels like. The sense of loss is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced.

“Goodbye, Dawn.” My tone sounds defeated even though I tried to hide it. I watch her walk away and feel my chest crack in two, from the bottom to the top.

Standing in the office that I no longer own, surrounded by the hollow silence that’s especially prevalent now that Dawn’s gone, I realize how little the empire I’ve built is worth. I’ve been a fool chasing things that never mattered and I opened my eyes too late to the things that did.

It’s over, Max.

I shake my head and march out of the office.

Hills steps in front of me, carrying a box filled with his things. He gives me a pointed stare. “What now?”

“Dad fired you?”

“I wasn’t going to wait around for that. He knows who called you today.” Hills snorts.

“Thank you.”

“Hey, I might not understand what you see in her, but if she’s under your protection, she’s under mine too.”

I slap his back.

He walks with me to the elevator.

My receptionist stands and follows me too.

I arch an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

“I’m not working for Trevor.” Her lips scrunch. “I’d rather take my chances with unemployment.”

My brows knit together. “I’ll put in a word with HR and move you from this department.”

“Will they listen to you?” Hills asks.

This office used to be my domain, and these people used to be my employees. Dad wants to give it all to Trevor, but simply handing over the company isn’t a matter of papers and signatures. It’s about relationships and people. I’ve made connections of my own. I can handle getting my receptionist moved out of my brother’s line of sight.

“Don’t bother, Mr. Stinton.” She shakes her head. “I’ll take a vacation until you come back.”

“There’s no coming back.”

“Are you serious?” Hills glances at me. “There’s no plan?”

“No plan. I meant what I said today. I’m officially done with Stinton Group.”

“What if Stinton Group isn’t officially done with you?”

I stiffen when I hear my brother’s voice.

Hills bristles.

My receptionist rolls her eyes, walks behind her desk and starts packing.

I face my brother, my chin up and my fists ready.

Trevor stops directly in front of me, his eyes on fire. “What the hell was that dog and pony show today, Max? What do you mean you’re resigning from Stinton Group?”

“Dad only saw me as a manager. We both know you’re the one he wants to pass this business to.”

“I don’t want it. How many times do I have to make that clear?” His voice reaches that whiny pitch it did when he was a kid. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to go. You do all the hard work and I get to do what I want. Why are you messing up a good thing?”

For the first time, I look at my brother and see the damage I was doing to him. In the name of Stinton Group, I never truly called him out on his self-destructive behavior or made him face up to his mistakes. I thought I sacrificed myself for Stinton Group, but I actually sacrificed my brother on the altar too.

Squeezing his shoulder, I nod. “You’ll figure it out.”

“I really won’t,” Trevor says desperately.

I loosen my tie and start to turn away. Then I remember something important and whirl back on him. “Don’t think that Dawn and Beth are free rein because I’ve taken my hands off Stinton Group. They are still under my protection.” I step closer to him and lower my voice to a threat. “If you go near them—”

“I won’t. I won’t.” He runs a frustrated hand through his hair. His eyes are wide and shaking. “Damn, Max. I can barely handle myself. How am I supposed to take care of a kid?”

Frowning, I turn back to the elevator. “Good luck, brother.”

“Max, wait!”

Hills picks up his box and follows me into the elevator. My receptionist runs in too, her left shoe slipping off like Cinderella.

“Here.” Hills swipes it up and offers it to her. She shoots him a grateful look.

Trevor’s frantic expression is the last thing I see before the doors close.

Hills taps his fingers against the box. “You think he’s gonna stay away from them? Beth is, legally, his daughter. There’s no reason he can’t demand his parental rights. No reason your dad won’t use those rights to manipulate everyone to the best of his abilities.” He frowns. “And it’s not like you have the power to stop him anymore.”

“That’s not true. Just because I’m out of Stinton Group doesn’t mean I left their secrets behind. I have the power to completely detonate the company with one interview.”

“Would you?”

“I’m willing to go down if it takes dad down too.” I pause and remember that Dawn said the same thing. Now I’m even sounding like her. “Dad knows that Trevor’s a ticking time bomb, and I can use it against him.” I rotate my shoulders. “He’ll leave Dawn alone if he doesn’t want a war.”

“Hm.” Hills grunts.

“You don’t think it’ll be that easy?”

“Your dad doesn’t like to lose. Now that he doesn’t have a leash on you, he won’t ever be able to put one on Trevor. You were the only one who could handle your brother. Now that he can’t control either of you, he’s like a cornered rat.”

“His teeth aren’t sharp enough to bite.”

“You’re being cocky about it, but I don’t think you have the right to be smug. Your dad loves legacy and bloodlines and Stinton Group way more than you do. It makes me nervous. What will a man like that do when he’s backed in a corner?”

I find out the answer three days later.

One glance at the daily headline while I’m brushing my teeth has expletives flying out of my mouth.

TREVOR STINTON BACK FROM THE DEAD WITH A SECRET LOVE CHILD

I tap on the article and, there in black and white, is Beth and a whole damn exposé about Trevor and Dawn’s short-lived but ‘passionate’—according to the article—relationship.

My toothbrush clatters to the sink.

I shoot like a rocket for the door, not bothering to change out of my T-shirt and pajama pants. Sticking my phone to my face, I call Hills immediately.

He answers on the first ring and I have to wait until his potty mouth drops all the four-letter bombs that he can muster without taking a breath before we can have a conversation.

“It’s another dirty, low-bred tabloid.” I hop into Black Beauty and press the button to start. My phone automatically pairs with the car’s speaker system. Since Jefferson’s an employee of Stinton Group, I no longer have a chauffeur. I’ve been acclimating to driving myself around everywhere now.

I have enough money to afford hiring two drivers if I wanted, but I’m glad to be behind the wheel again. I’ve found a new appreciation for Black Beauty and all things auto related. Besides, I haven’t left the house much in the past three days. I’ve been taking a vacation… which means I’ve been trying to work and then telling myself I should stop for thirty-six hours straight.

“I saw that. Has your dad’s fingerprints all over it.” Hills’s voice is thick with annoyance. “What the hell is he thinking throwing that article out there? The last I heard, the board was trying to keep Trevor out of the public eye. They don’t agree with the troublemaker of the family taking on anything.”

“I heard the same,” I arch an eyebrow, “but the board hasn’t said anything to me since I resigned.”

“Of course they wouldn’t. Those bozos would never admit that the kid they treated like crap for all of his life was actually making them globs of money.” He laughs. “You might be gone, but it’s clear that you’re still the best choice.”

“I’m not going back, Hills. I’m never going to be a pawn of my father’s again.”

“I’m letting you know that just because Stinton Sr. is trying to push Trevor down everyone’s throats, it doesn’t mean they’re swallowing.”

I cringe at his analogy. “Thanks for the visuals.”

“My point is nobody wants Trevor at the helm of Stinton Group. Including Trevor himself. The stocks crashed and burned the day you announced you were stepping down and it’s been a flaming pile of garbage since the article started catching heat. If you were planning on making a dramatic reintroduction—”

“Stinton Group has done too much damage.” I think of Dawn and her tearful eyes as she looked at me. “It’ll always be associated with bullying and corruption.”

“You’re doing this for Dawn?”

“Hills.” I yank on the wheel and slide into the next lane.

“Max, wake up. She’s not taking you back.”

“I know.”

“Then why bother?”

“Because I love her, man.” With a crushing, incapacitating love that drives me to my knees. “What else am I going to do?”

“Not be a total punk about this?” he yells. “If you can’t live without her, why are you trying to? Why aren’t you doing something. If you’re in this much misery by yourself, do you think it changes anything? No, it doesn’t. She’s just living her life and learning to live without you.”

“It’s what she wants.”

“No, it’s what she thinks she wants. Look, I saw you two together. I’ve never seen you laugh the way you did when you were with her. Never saw you smile that big. Not since your mom died. If you can’t move on, then don’t allow her to either. Send her flowers. Send her a freaking live-in housekeeper. Keep taking your car to her auto shop. Don’t stop bothering her until she gives in.”

“That’s exactly what I can’t do, Hills.” Does he think I wouldn’t want to? I still have that PowerPoint presentation and spreadsheet of all the things I wanted to do for Dawn. I’ve driven past her house over and over, thinking about knocking on her door and begging her to give me another chance.

I’ve rejected it every time.

Pressuring her to do something she doesn’t want to is what got me into this mess in the first place.

She already said she didn’t want me around.

She already said I can’t fix it.

“Look, I’m not going to argue about this anymore.” I pull the car into the lot of Hadyn’s company. King Media is a giant marketing and media conglomerate. If anyone can out these flames or point me in the direction of someone who can, it’ll be Hadyn.

“Fine,” Hills grumbles. “What can I do?”

“Find Trevor. Get him to make a statement and take responsibility for once in his life. If the spotlight wants a sacrifice, let it be him. I want him catching all the attention. Beth and Dawn’s privacy must be protected as best as we can.”

“Lawyers?”

“We need to find a firm. Stinton Group’s legal team isn’t ours to wield anymore.” I fling myself out of the car and charge through the giant foyer of Hadyn’s company.

People stop and give me weird looks.

I ignore them. So what? They’ve never seen a man in a T-shirt and flannel pajama pants?

Hills exhales. “Even if we try, it might not make a difference.”

“I told you. I’m not doing this to get her back. She’s in this mess because of Stinton Group. It’s my job to get her out of it.”

“Fine. I’ll get a location on your brother, but I can’t guarantee I can convince him to do anything.”

“Threaten him if you have to. I’ll work on suppressing the news about Beth. It’s best if this article doesn’t go viral.” I hang up, nod to the security on the top floor who all know my name, and stalk into Hadyn’s office.

He sets his phone in the cradle, his eyes dark and his lips firm. He’s not goofball Hadyn when he’s sitting behind that desk and I’ve never been more grateful for that.

“I know. I’ve already got a team working on hunting down the tabloids. Do you need a recommendation for a cutthroat lawyer? I use him to get out of all my defamation suits. He’s never lost a case.”

I grin at the man who’s more of a brother to me than Trevor. “What can I do?”

“Hands-on?”

“When it’s about Dawn and my niece?” I give him a pointed look. “I’ll do anything.”

The beautiful thing about a brother whose dirty deeds continuously fall prey to the gossip mills is that his behavior is no longer sensational.

Immature Heir Gets Woman Pregnant Eight Years Ago. Finds Out After Being Dead is a really great headline, and I even applaud the tabloid team who pitched it. Unfortunately, another crazy story about the privileged making stupid decisions is no match for the bomb that Vanya allows us to throw.

Mysterious Cookbook Guru Reveals Her Face

With the help of Hadyn and his team, we flood the internet with Vanya’s reveal, burying the buzz about Trevor under layers and layers of Vanya’s photoshoots, interviews, and media junkets. She’s a hot topic and it explodes way bigger than we expected, spreading over the nation and snowballing to the point that we can’t control it anymore.

It smashes Trevor’s article so resolutely that, by the time the lawyers shut the tabloid’s doors, there’s barely a squeak. The effort almost feels like over-kill. Almost.

I’m glad Vanya’s superstardom was enough to win this fight.

Although the negative comments piling up under her posts is worrying.

Hadyn curls his fingers into fists. “I’m going to sue them. I’m going to sue them all.” He tears at his tie.

“Don’t read the comments.” I fish the tablet away from him.

He pins bloodshot eyes on me. “What’s wrong with a plus-size model advocating for healthy eating? Are people insane? Do they have nothing better to do than complain about absolute crap?”

“Look, Vanya knew this would happen. She’s prepared for this or she wouldn’t have given us the okay to release the article.”

He hisses through gritted teeth. “Vanya acts like these words don’t hurt her, but it’s just a mask. She pretends to be impenetrable when, deep inside, she gets bruised every time. It’s infuriating.” He tears his fingers through his hair.

His words make me think of Dawn.

I lick my lips, lean over the desk.

My heart has a hollow ache. Even though we managed to keep the article mostly under wraps, I’m sure many people have seen it. People around her. People around Beth.

Are they okay?

Is Beth okay?

Is she asking questions Dawn finds hard to answer?

After I leave King Media, I drive by their apartment and stare up. I wish I had the right to go up there and comfort Beth. I wish I had the right to hold Dawn, tell her everything’s going to be okay and she doesn’t have to blame herself. Doesn’t have to be strong on her own.

But all I can do is stand on the outside like a lunatic and then drive away from the only family I’ve ever wanted.

That night, I dream that I’m taking Beth and Dawn on a picnic.

And when I wake up, I almost wish I could force myself back to sleep, grip the edges of that dream and drag it over me like a blanket.

My steps are aimless when I head into the kitchen.

I’m heavy and torn.

My phone is blowing up. Full of concerned friends who are more annoying than a cactus caught on my shirt.

There are texts from Vanya.

Three calls from Hadyn.

Five from Hills—the overbearing mother hen that he can be.

There’s a text from Darrel asking if I need to talk.

I check the time and blink. It’s still strange that I don’t have a hectic schedule and a hundred meetings to attend. Stinton Group has been my sole focus for so long that finding my footing without it is proving a bit difficult.

I know I just have to find that one thing that will spark a fire. And I have the money and opportunity to take my time.

I’m making my coffee when my phone rings.

I expect it to be another concerned call from my friends.

But it’s from an unknown number.

Strange.

I ignore it.

Until my phone pings.

UNKNOWN: Mr. Stinton. This is Elizabeth Banner. Can you please meet me at the ice cream shop near my school? I need to talk to you.

My eyes bug.

I check the time and then check the message again.

Isn’t she supposed to be in school?

Why is Elizabeth texting to ask me to meet?

My first thought is of Dawn.

As if she can read my mind, Elizabeth sends another message.

UNKNOWN: Come alone.

It sounds more like a kidnapping ransom than a text from a seven-year-old girl.

I call the number, but she doesn’t pick up.

A whirlwind of thoughts crash through my head as I hurry to get ready.

What if this is a trap?

What if dad is so ticked off after his plan was smashed to bits that he hired goons to beat me up?

Even so, it’s worth the risk. Just in case Elizabeth really needs my help.

I drive to the ice cream shop, my heart in my throat.

The bell above the doors jangle when I walk in. My eyes sweep the display case filled with sweet flavors, jumps over the mostly empty chairs, and finally lands on the table filled with three children.

I lean back in shock.

Elizabeth is sitting between Micheal and Bailey, Darrel’s sons. Bailey—I recognize because I saw him at the gym. Micheal is older. He’s got a severe expression and thick eyebrows hunkering over his eyes. He looks at Beth every few seconds as if to make sure she’s okay. Bailey is holding Beth’s hand tightly.

Both the boys look like solemn bodyguards with pale skin and alert eyes. Elizabeth sits between them, the queen of the pack. Her chin is raised and her gaze is locked on the parking lot.

I step forward and she notices. Beautiful hazel eyes flash on me and then fill with relief. She scrambles over Micheal, hops to the ground and comes flying at me.

My heart gets slapped out of my chest when she makes impact.

I hold her in my arms and I swear it’s like I’m holding my biological daughter. It doesn’t matter that she’s Trevor’s. Doesn’t matter that Dawn and I aren’t even talking right now. This little girl is too precious for me to let go.

Her tears soak my shirt. “Is it true? Is it true that he’s my dad?”

Micheal and Bailey clamor from the table. They stand near it, hesitant. Not sure if they should drag Beth away from me or let her continue.

I look up and give the boys a thin smile. They seem to relax a little, though Micheal is still watching me with distrustful eyes. He’s clearly the more reserved and calculating of the two brothers. I bet he was the one who tried to convince Beth against her plan and then went along with it anyway because he saw how much it meant to her.

Or maybe I’m projecting because I see a lot of myself in him.

Beth sniffs and pulls back. Tears streak her light brown face.

I wipe it for her, scrubbing my thumb gently over her cheeks. “Yes, he is your dad.” I watch her bottom lip tremble and my heart shatters. “Beth, I know this is all very confusing, but I want you to know that your mother loves you very much. And…” I choke up. “And so do I. Nothing is going to change that, alright? Ever.”

“I don’t know that man.” Her bottom lip trembles. “I saw his picture and he looks like a stranger. I don’t know him. I’ve never seen him before.”

“Hey.” I lift her chin. “It’s okay. Sometimes, relationships can be… complicated. But you know what’s not complicated?”

She sniffs. “What?”

“How much your mom loves you.” I give her a gentle look. “She’s probably really worried about you and how you’re taking the news. Have you talked to her?”

“I couldn’t.” Her eyebrows tighten. “Mom said my dad was dead. She lied to me.”

I wince. Beth’s thunderous expression is a mirror image of Dawn.

“I know you want to be mad at your mom, Beth.” I grip her arms and squeeze lightly. “It’s okay to feel what you feel. But I want you to think about this. Your mom brought you up all on her own. She worked like crazy so you could have a good life and she did it by herself. No one was there to help her. No one was there to pat her shoulders like I’m doing to you now. No one could tell her that everything was going to be okay.” I lean closer. “You can be angry with her for lying, but don’t forget that she’s the one who stayed with you and protected you even when it was really hard for her. She’s probably really upset too. And she’d be worried if she knew you weren’t in school.” I raise my voice at the end and point a stern look in Bailey and Micheal’s direction.

Bailey swings his gaze around and pretends to whistle.

Micheal doesn’t flinch and looks me right back in the eyes. The little punk.

“Everything’s going to be okay.” I pull her in for another hug. “I swear.”

She presses her little arms around me. “Thank you, Mr. Stinton.”

“Come on.” I hold her hand in mine. “Let me take you kids back to school.”

She nods, her expression lighter and her eyes drying up. “Um…” She bites down on her bottom lip. “Can we not tell my mom about this?”

“I don’t know.” I scrub my chin. I’ve gotten into trouble keeping secrets from Dawn before. I don’t want a repeat of it.

“Please.” Beth hits me with the puppy dog look.

Crap.

I always wondered why dads spoiled their little girls rotten.

I guess this is why.

“What’s important is keeping you safe,” I whisper. “Now let’s get you to school.”

“Thank you… Mr… um, should I call you uncle?”

“Right now, Beth, you can just call me Max.”

A slow, simmering fury builds in my veins after I drop the kids off at school and it clings to me when I point the car back home.

Beth’s tears are still drying on my neck. Her little world has just been torn apart and it will never be the same.

We might have scrubbed the momentum of her birth story off the internet, but it will always be there, like a snake coiled in waiting. It will always have the power to bite her, confuse her. Follow her through to college, to her first job, maybe even to marriage. A scandal that she will never be able to shake loose. A complex family secret cracked open for the world to see, to laugh at, to judge.

My gut churns and, halfway home, I yank the steering wheel and turn the car around.

When I kick down the door to dad’s office, he looks surprised. What? Did he really think he could touch Beth and I’d sit back and accept defeat? Or did he think that because I didn’t confront him immediately I would never do it?

I stalk over to his desk and slam both my fists against it. “I was willing to give up. I was willing to give everything to you. I even considered offering to train Trevor for you so he’d take better care of the company.”

His face gets pale.

His jaw drops.

Then a mask of indifference falls over his face and he laughs. “I don’t need you anymore, Max.”

“I don’t care what you need. You went after my heart. You went after my people. You took something precious from them, so now I’m going to take everything from you.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

I straighten and look down at the man I used to snivel and squirm for. The man whose ‘I’m proud of you’ or ‘I love you’ would have meant the world to me.

As I watch him, I realize why mom tried so desperately to get me away from Stinton Group when she found out what they were turning me into.

And I realize that I’m going to have to disappoint her one more time in order to protect what’s mine.

“I’m taking Stinton Group,” I say calmly. Coldly.

A flare of distress erupts in dad’s eyes. He tries his best to hide it, but it leaks out in his shaking voice when he croaks, “You can’t do that.”

My smile is cruel and I unleash it on him. Let him see the beast he created. Turning for the door, I call softly over my shoulder, “Watch me.”