Page 65 of His Son's Ex

Her gaze flits around my office, searching for any sign of vulnerability, any clue about my personal life. I cross my arms over my chest, leaning against the edge of my desk. “I’m always busy. You have five minutes.”

Linda’s scarlet lips form a pout. “So brusque. You used to be more welcoming.”

“No, I really wasn’t.” I don’t bother hiding my impatience. “What do you want, Linda?”

She tosses her hair, stepping closer. “I need some money.” She sets her designer purse on the nearest chair and arches a brow. “I have expenses. Responsibilities.”

“Expenses?” A dark laugh spills from my throat. “Linda, your family already has enough money to live like royalty. If you can’t manage the budget they’ve put you on, that’s on you.”

She frowns. “Don’t patronize me. You know how much it costs to maintain my reputation in this city?—”

“You mean to keep up appearances?” I interrupt, annoyance in my voice. “Your words, not mine. Keeping up your reputation is not my problem. I provided child support to Luca throughout his entire life, but he’s grown and married now. Hell, I even gave him a damn job here to ensure his financial security. And you—” I shake my head. “You used every cent you could for spa treatments and cosmetic tweaks and still had the nerve to come back to me for more money.”

Linda lifts her chin, arms crossed in that imperious way she’s mastered over the years. “I’m entitled to my share, Dante. After everything that happened between us. You left me to raise Luca alone?—”

“Yourshare? I paid you above and beyond what was fair in child support.” I slam my palm against the desk. “And don’t youdaretry to rewrite history when it comes to Luca.” Old anger rises just beneath the surface. “I asked you to leave with me. To run away. I was willing to give up everything for you, but your greed wouldn’t allow you to abandon your father’s fortune.”

Her lips part as if she wants to say something, but I don’t let her.

“You made a decision, Linda. You chose money over us.”

She exhales sharply, her eyes flashing.“What did you expect me to do? Live in exile? Your father would’ve disowned you if you married me without his blessing. My father would’ve cut me off entirely for marrying a man associated with the mob.” Her voice rises, her composure slipping. “You think I was going to throw away my entire life for love?”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Is that what you told yourself back then? That love wasn’t worth the sacrifice?” I shake my head. “You didn’t just walk away from me, Linda. You took our son, and made damn sure Luca was raised as a Patterson. You went out of your way to guarantee I’d always be on the outside looking in.”

She flinches, a small flicker of emotion flashing before the mask snaps back into place. “Youwereon the outside. Because your father never liked me. He thought I was too opinionated, too independent.” A humorless smirk touches her lips. “And Isabella? She hated me on sight.”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm down as my fingers tighten into a fist. “You spent years keeping me at arm’s length, using Luca as a pawn whenever it suited you. And when the Patterson empire crumbled, leaving you with nothing, suddenly I was useful again.”

Her eyes narrow. “I needed help. We were broke back then! You had the means to support us.”

I scoff. “Supportyou, you mean. I made sure Luca never wanted for anything. But you—” I tilt my head, assessing her with the kind of scrutiny I once wasted on her long ago. “Tell me, Linda. What did you do with the money I gave you?”

Her nostrils flare, her posture stiffening. “I used it to maintain some dignity. To ensure Luca wasn’t treated like some cast-off. Do you have any idea how humiliating it was? To go from being a powerful Patterson to nothing? People whispering behind my back, waiting for me to fail again?”

A cold smirk tugs at my lips. “So that’s what this is really about. Not Luca. You.Your pride. Your vanity.” I let my gaze drag over her, taking in the carefully preserved facade—the flawless makeup, the couture dress, the way she clings to luxury as if it defines her. “Maybe if you valued real connections over your bank account, you wouldn’t be here begging for another handout.”

Her eyes blaze with fury, but I see the truth in them. I’ve stripped her down to the raw core of what she really is: a woman who once had everything and now has nothing. And she knows it’s her own fault.

She lifts her chin, defiant. “Luca deserved more.”

I level her with a look so cold it could shatter stone. “Luca had everything. A father who was ready to be there. A chance to be raised as a Bellacino, to haverealpower behind his name. But you made damn sure he stayed a Patterson until there was nothing left of the Pattersons toclingto.”

Her lip trembles, but she recovers, her voice sharp. “I made choices based on what was best for him.”

“No.” I push off my desk, circling her like a predator sizing up prey. “You made choices based on what was best foryou.” I pause, letting the weight of my words settle. “And look where it got you.”

She sucks in a breath but she has nothing left to say.

I step back, my voice calm and final. “You made your choices, Linda. Live with them.”

“I need money.”

“No.”

Her eyes blaze. “Dante, don’t be foolish. If you force my hand, I’ll?—”

“You’ll what?” I arch a brow, challenging her. “Run to your lawyers? Slander me in society circles? Attempt to blackmail me?”

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