Page 56 of Modern Romance Collection March 2025 (1-4)

He clearly asked this of the ether, not Athan himself. It surprised Athan though. Lynna had been adamant about telling the people she loved the truth about their marriage. But she’d kept italtogetherfrom Rhys?

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Rhys demanded, of him this time.

Athan couldn’t say he cared for a teenagerdemandingthings of him. “A great many things, Rhys. None of them any of your business.”

“Lynna ismybusiness, and what she does in her incessant need to make things right for me are my business. What did you promise her? How did you manipulate her? Why can’t you leave my family alone?”

Valid questions, all. And an interesting way of phrasing.Incessant need to make things right.Yes, that was Lynna to a T. Even when she didn’t want to, she seemed unable to let a wrong thing stand.

But the bigger question was why couldn’t Athan leave the Carews alone. And now he knew why, and it had everything to do with Lynna. And very little to do with theboycurrently accusing him.

“Sit. Have a drink.”

Rhys eyed the chair, then Athan. There was a clear internal war.

“We will discuss all your questions,” Athan said, moving around his desk and toward the decanter and glasses housed on the counter.

On a huffed-out exhale, Rhys slumped in the chair, suddenly looking much more his age. A little petulant, a lot confused, but plenty of anger and determination still snapping in his blue eyes.

Athan did not think the truth of the matter would stop that anger any, but maybe just like earlier today with Lynna, he wanted to see how far he could push things. Prove that this really was all a mess he could not clean up. So he wouldn’t be so damn determine to try.

He poured them both a drink, handed one of the glasses to Rhys. He took it, seemingly more out of rote manners than any want as he did not take a sip.

Athan did. To fortify himself. To get a head start.

“Your sister agreed to marry me in order to attempt to wrestle control of AC International away from my father. This included a loan payoff for her, a position for you at AC once your studies are complete and a public apology to your father, clearing his name.”

Rhys gaped at him, reminding Athan a bit of a fish.

“Loan. What loan?” the boy finally managed to demand.

Athan considered telling him, but then figured this was a step beyond his place. Though if he stepped out of his place, would Lynna return to yell at him?

That was too tempting, a desperate urge to have her back, and he could not give in to it. Perhaps he was beyond help and forgiveness, but he would not bepathetic.

“Maybe it is your sister you should be asking.”

“Of course it is! But she keeps all of this from me. Treats me like I’m still a baby. She needs to take care of everything herself. And I have tried to tell her, now that I’m older, I don’t need it. But she doesn’t listen.”

Athan heard what he didn’t think even Rhys realized he was doing. Confiding in Athan—though he be the enemy—unloading his burdens and frustrations. Not smart, really, but Athan appreciated it all the same as Rhys continued.

“Iam the man of the house, and she treats me like a…like a fragile pet. So much so that she marriedyou.” Disgust dripped from his enunciation. “Her sworn enemy. All to…take care of everything when she didn’t need to. Why does she do it?”

Rhys was older than the last time Athan had seen him, and he was definitely capable of taking care of some things, but still too young and immature in some ways to carry the whole weight of it.

And so, he was laying it at Athan’s feet, and for a moment Athan felt bowled over that anyone should come to him whether they meant to or not.

“Because she loves you, Rhys.”

Rhys’s gaze was sharp then. Some of that childish bluster tucked away as he straightened in the chair, looked right at Athan. “If she’d talked to me, she would have found that I have no desire to work for the company that killed my father.”

As barbs went, it landed no doubt as the boy had intended. “Companies can’t kill people, Rhys. Only people can. My father and I took care of that.”

Rhys scowled at him, but with a surprising eye roll. “I don’t blame you. Oronlyyou. I don’t even blame your bastard of a father or only him either. My father’s death was caused by an ego failure of every man involved, andIwill not repeat history.”

Athan found himself…oddly moved by that. It wasn’tforgiveness, but a dismissal of blame. Afailure, yes, but not a murder.

“So I want nothing to do with…” Rhys waved a dismissive hand up and down Athan “…whatever this was. You’ll release her.”

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