Page 68 of Forever Endeavor

“She is certainly proud of her prize-winning roses.” Roydon quietly chuckled to himself. “I have personally seen to it that my mother’s online footprint is kept discreet and minimal. Now that I am in charge of this company, I am in the most advantageous position to guard her privacy and protect our family legacy. If she hadn’t gone against my explicit instruction and contacted Mr. Fielder directly, I doubt you would have traced her by traditional means.”

“It seems a shame that she has been such a titan of industry and a trailblazer for women, yet few people will ever know what she achieved,” Billie said.

“I assure you, the people who know are the only people who matter. She prefers it to be regarded as my father’s company and is content with the role she played in its success.”

Cal took a deep breath. “Thank you for sharing this information with us. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined Liona would have gone on to do such incredible things. I’m happy she has led such a fulfilling life.”

“Fulfilling and prosperous, you mean.”

Cal’s brows fell. “No, I mean I’m glad she found her purpose. A family. A career.”

“Mr. Hayes, while you may not know much about my mother, you must realize that she is a woman of great affluence, which means she’s quite wealthy.”

“I know whataffluencemeans,” Cal mumbled.

“And I know that you are a commercial fisherman of comparably modest means. You continue to work past retirement age because you didn’t qualify for your police pension. Your personal savings were drained paying for your late wife’s medical expenses years ago and you now live with your nephew at a residence that neither of you own.”

Anger and humiliation hitched in Billie’s throat. “B-but, how…?”

“With the right resources, one can access pertinent personal information in the same way it can be virtually hidden, if not erased altogether,” Roydon said. “I would have been a fool not to have Mr. Hayes investigated before your arrival.”

Indignant, Cal scrambled to his feet. “I’m no gold digger. I don’t want a cent from your family.”

Roydon also stood up. “I don’t mean to offend you, Mr. Hayes. But, as you can see by the troubling situation we now find ourselves in, my mother can no longer be trusted to make the sensible, sound decisions for which she was once reputed. It would be far too easy for the wrong person to prey on the vulnerabilities of a woman her age.”

“You do offend me, Mr. Li. You may think you know me, but you know nothing about who I am or what I stand for. I’m also offended on behalf of your mother. You obviously don’t give a woman of her fortitude nearly enough credit.”

“This scavenger hunt down memory lane surely brought a delightful sense of nostalgia, but I’m afraid acknowledging that you remember one another must suffice as its only reward.”

Tears pricked at Billie’s eyes. How could anyone be so cruel as to stand in the way of destiny? “Admit it. You never had any intention of letting us see Liona, did you?”

“When you suggested we meet, I felt the least I could do was explain the situation in person and offer my assurance that the woman you knew forty years ago is well and wishes you the same,” Roydon said. “However, I cannot permit you to see her.”

“Why not? What harm would a few short minutes of conversation do?”

“A conversation may seem innocuous, but it only takes one conversation to lead to a dinner date that turns into a relationship, which could become a marriage proposal or an elopement that suddenly escalates into my mother’s new husband unfairly staking a claim to a portion of her estate.”

Billie stared at Cal, silent and in shock. She could only imagine how enraged he felt as the blood thundered in her own ears. “This is preposterous.”

“I prefer to think of it as practical. My father would have demanded I protect my mother at any cost. And with your past mental health issues, Mr. Hayes—”

“That’s ancient history,” Cal snapped. “I would never do anything to harm her.”

“With all due respect, sir, you are not an appropriate suitor.”

Billie pointed an angry finger at Roydon. “You’re making one hell of a mistake because Calvin Hayes is decent, noble and caring. I assure you, in every way that matters, he is the kind of man a son could only pray his mother would be fortunate enough to know.”

“Again, I apologize that you’ve travelled this far, but this is where the journey must end.”

“That’s it? What about Fielder? He was going to bring Liona to Janus Lake for tomorrow’s interview.”

“Mr. Fielder understands in no uncertain terms that my mother will not be participating. I have seen to it that her identity will never be divulged by Mr. Fielder, and I must insist that you continue to protect her privacy by never revealing her name.”

“And what if we don’t?” Billie dared to ask.

Roydon smiled. “I can assure you, there is no benefit to defying this request.”

A broken man, Cal dropped the bouquet of forget-me-nots on the chair behind him. His sagging shoulders and sullen eyes unravelled what was left of Billie’s tattered heart. “All I ask is that you tell Liona that I came. She should not go another day without knowing how much she has meant to me.” Cal then turned to Billie. “Take me home, now. Please.”

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