Page 96 of Playing With Secrets
That makes me think of Jamison and Dorothy.
Have they been waiting around for each other all these years?
I shake off the thought. “Ava’s father is the ethics advisor on our board, Douglas Aldridge. He and Gerald Dupree are my father’s best friends. Gerald Dupree is the foreign relations advisor on our board. They all tie into the story, so write those names down.”
I wait for him to finish doing that. He glances up and nods, telling me to continue.
“Here’s where I fucked up, and my life has been hell because of it. In college, I went to Europe for the summer. Istayed with the Duprees during my time there. They're beyond wealthy and have a castle for a home, so their door is always open.”
“Sounds like a great place to vacation.”
“It would’ve been, but I messed up.”
“How so?”
I kick off the desk and stride to the window. “Helena Dupree was the ultimate goal for a guy like me.”
“Who is she?”
“She’s Gerald’s wife. She’s the forbidden fruit, a gorgeous older woman who’s married and more than tempting. I went after her by pretending I needed a French tutor. Long story short, she got pregnant with my kid.”
“You’re sure it was yours?”
“Yes. She had a paternity test done after he was born. It was all done secretively.”
“Give me the specifics.”
“I went to France after the baby was born and gave them my sample. They compared it to that, and the boy is mine. After that, I vowed never to father another child.” I swallow the awful taste of that memory.
“So, you have a kid out there?”
“Yes.”
“Who else knows?” Joe flips a page over in his notebook.
“As far as I know, Helena, Ava, my mother, and now Jamison. Why Ava told Jamison remains a mystery. Maybe she has a thing for him, but that doesn’t matter. They’re the only ones who know I’m Jack’s father.” My entire insides tighten by saying his name.
Joe finishes writing something and then glances at me. “If I’m following, Jack Dupree is your son. Helena passed him off as her husband’s, and somehow Ava found out. She’s been holding you for ransom since. Does that sound about right?”
“Partially, but Ava took it to another level. When I got the paternity test results, Ava overheard Helena and me on thephone. I had no idea Ava was behind me, listening to my conversation, but she heard it all.”
“Sneaky. I’ll add that to her profile. Continue.”
“She threatened to go to her dad, Douglas, Gerald Dupree, and my father unless I funded her lifestyle until she got married. Obviously, I’m still doing that because she’s still single.”
“Not a bad gig for Ava.”
“Right. But there was a problem with her threat. I was still in college and my dad paid for almost everything.” Acid rises into my throat because this is where it all blew up and burned me to the ground.
Joe’s brows draw down. “So, how did you pay for Ava? And why did she want you to? Doesn’t she come from wealth?”
“Her family has money, but not like the Efrons and the Duprees. She wanted that level of wealth.”
“Where do they think she gets the money from?”
“She tells her family she makes money modeling all over the world. Trips I pay for, but they all think she’s going to these places because she has a job there. To keep up the ruse, she attends events with me to get into the media.” I return to my desk and sit.
“Where did you get the money to fund her back then?”
