Page 164 of Sins of the Father

Steven’s body stiffens, and I tighten my hold on him. His body trembles, but his gaze doesn’t leave the screen.

Her face fills with red rage. “The son you left when he was only four? The one I raised so you could run off to California with your other family you never told me about?”

“Those are technicalities.” He arrogantly shrugs and takes another drink. “He has financial expertise I need to hide the pension money.”

Beth’s face drains. “What pension money?”

“The money Giovanni Rossi is shuffling into my accounts. They are getting too large. We need to create a different system.”

“My son isn’t a criminal. He will never work for you, and I want you to leave him alone.”

Maximillion slams his glass down, and Beth jumps. “He will work for me, or you’re going back to jail.”

More tears fall down Beth’s face. “You would let me rot there?”

He takes three steps toward her, yanks her hair back, and moves his face so it’s inches from hers.

Quinn gasps, throwing her hand over her mouth. Steven’s hands turn to fists.

“What part of the name Giovanni Rossi do you not understand? I put those accounts in your name. The ones you buy your designer clothes and expensive spa treatments with. Where do you think that comes from? Hmm? It’s not from my pittance of a governor’s salary.”

Beth’s lips shake. “I didn’t know. You never told me where it came from.”

“Now you know. And our son, the financial genius, he’s going to help me find a way to hide it.”

He releases her and pours another drink. She stands with her eyes closed, and her face scrunched.

“This is what’s going to happen, Beth. Steven will come work for me. He’ll be rewarded very generously. All the charges will be dropped against you. In fact, there won’t even be a record you were ever arrested.”

“How? The FBI is involved. I was in court today.”

“Darling, who do you think owns the FBI agents who arrested you? I do. Giovanni Rossi does. No one is going to ever know where you spent last night.”

“My children know,” she cries out.

He takes another long drink. “They’ll get over it. Tell them to keep their mouths shut. Although I’m sure it won’t be something they want to run around and spread.”

She wipes her face. “I don’t understand.”

“What?”

“How can you say you love me and do this?”

He points with his index finger on the hand that holds his cup. The cut crystal shines in the screen. “You’ve always been over-emotional. When you get a good night’s rest, you’ll see things more clearly.” He finishes his drink and walks back to her. He kisses her, but she doesn’t return it. “Are we going to play this game?”

“What game?”

“The one where you pretend to leave me, go away for a few days, then come back, and tell me how you can’t live without me?”

She closes her eyes, and her body trembles. As the tears flow out of hers, they flow out of mine. He’s so arrogant and hurtful. And I may not have known her long, but the realization he doesn’t love her is apparent.

And she knows it.

“Goodbye, Maximillion,” she quietly says, as if she hardly has the voice but is forcing herself to say it.

He sarcastically laughs. “I have a present for you. It’s in the bedroom. Let’s skip the drama.”

She takes off her earrings, necklace, bracelet, and watch. She puts them on his desk. Her hand is shaking, but she removes the three-carat ring on her left hand. “I don’t want anything from you ever again.” She turns to leave.

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