Page 82 of Love Beyond the Illusion
“It’s cute that you think you’re trying to help. Well, news fucking flash to you, Jack—whatever your last name is, I will always come first because I’m the only one who can love her. Whether it’s you that leaves or her—she’ll always come crawling back to her mother.” I hear the smugness in the tone of her voice.
What the fuck?I’m not prepared to have this sort of conversation with her. From what I know, I knew it would be slightly tense but not quite this contentious.
“With all due respect,Roxy, Piper and I are dating, and I intended to help you get off her back,” I grit out, wrangling in my growing irritation.
“I don’t know what you think you have with her, but Piper doesn’t have long-term relationships. She dates, then gets tired of whoever she’s with and leaves. Just like I taught her. As I said, trying to step in on her behalf is very chivalrous of you, but you’re making a fool of yourself.”
I clench my jaw. “For your fucking information, Piper is not just anyone, she is your daughter, and I’m not going to let you treat her the way you have been. Think about how that makes her feel when you,her mother, speak to her the way you do.”
“What makes you think that you’re more special than any other guy she’s been with?” She scoffs. “And what about how I feel? Her job is to support me and pay me back for everything I did for her when she was growing up.” She chuckles with a sharp, high-pitched sound that alerts every territorial nerve in my body.
“Let me educate you. If it’s money that you want? I have plenty of it now. I suggest you cut your shitty attitude, or you won’t be seeing a dime from her ever again.” An empty threat that I have no idea how I’ll follow through on since I have no influence on her. But now, I have only my gut instinct to go on.
“You have money?” Her voice has changed drastically, reflecting a more timid tone. Is that what this is about? Is that all she wants? Does she not care about her daughter?
I pace back and forth on the small strip of grass by the pool while my heart squeezes with this realization that Roxy only cares about herself—and money. An idea starts to form in my head. I’m not proud of it, but one that forms from a raw impulse to protect my wife.
Squaring my shoulders, I take a seat on the patio chair. “Okay, Roxy. Let’s have a conversation about money.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jack
Isitbackconfidentlyas Tom, our lawyer, slides a folded-up piece of paper across the table. My mother, not so smug as I am, has barricaded herself behind folded arms at her chest. We are approaching the situation differently, but we both hope they’ll accept the offer so we can put this behind us and move on.
“The amount shown reflects my client’s first and final offer to buy out your portion of the winery,” Tom states.
I dart my eyes over to Steve and Preston as their lawyer reaches out to grab the paper with an annoyed look. He quickly angles it in view for all three of them and opens it. Steve reacts first. His eyebrows raise, and then his head bounces between his son and the lawyer. That money-hungry bastard was not expecting us to present as aggressive of an offer as we have.
After a couple of brief exchanges between them, Steve turns to me. “Jack, Heidi, would you give us a moment?”
How his tone has suddenly changed since our last meeting.Yes, take the bait.
“Of course,” I say, placing my palms on the table and lifting from my chair.
My mother nods in their direction. We’re both followed out of the conference room by Tom.
As soon as we’re in the hallway and the door closes, Tom turns around and says, “They’re going to take it.”
My mother’s optimistic eyes brighten. “How do you know?”
“I’ve been doing this a long time.” He clasps the lower button on his blazer. “And what we’ve offered is more than sufficient.”
“He’s greedy and power-hungry. I’m sure he’ll take it,” I add.
A few minutes pass before their lawyer cracks the door and invites us back in. Preston’s head is down, avoiding eye contact, and Steve suddenly sits up straighter.I knew he’d succumb to all those zeros.
The three of us return to our seats.
Steve clears his throat. “Heidi, can you and Jack even afford this amount?”
He addresses my mother, but I answer instead. “I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I snap.
“Before this gets contentious once again, will your clients accept the offer?” Tom turns his focus across the table.
Still refusing to look in our direction, Preston gives a subtle nod, followed by Steve.
“Yes.”
