Page 121 of Veil of Lies

Lily snorted. “Therapy is a waste of my money. The girl will be fine, stop mollycoddling her.”

Jennifer dragged her hand away from Brax, deflated like a balloon, and slumped into her chair. Counseling was off the table if Lily was holding the purse strings.

I bristled with anger on Brax’s behalf. His sisters were so young, only nine. Losing their father would likely have a long-lasting impact on them and therapy sessions were the best way to help them cope.

“Grandmother, please will you reconsider this, if the girls are struggling, they need therapy.” His voice was calm, overly polite, but Lily remained unmoved. She picked up a menu and huffed.

“I’m not discussing this at the table. Now your mother is here, we can order. Waiter!”

A waiter hovering nearby dashed over, his eyes bright with fervor. I guessed he was expecting a large tip. Well, that was never going to happen. People like Lily Walker were obscenely wealthy for a reason. She might sweat money, but I’d wager she rarely spent more than she had to.

“I’ll have the grilled salmon with a house salad, no dressing.”

“The same for me,” Jennifer said in a flat voice.

Brax ordered filet mignon and then Lily turned to me. “Stella, what would you like? The house salad is low-calorie.” She assessed my curvy body and sniffed. “I assume you’re keen to lose a few pounds.”

“I’ll have the ribeye please.” Fuck you, Lily.

“Stella?” Jennifer’s gaze snapped up and for the first time since she arrived, she looked at me. Actually looked at me.

I saw the moment when the realization of who I was hit her squarely in the chest. She gasped and Lily turned toward her before rolling her eyes.

“Stella is Brax’s girlfriend of the hour. I’m sure it won’t last long.”

“I didn’t realize she was that Stella!”

“What are you talking about, Jennifer?”

“This girl is Estella Cancello. Her father killed Anson, your son!” Jennifer’s voice rose with each word she spat in my direction.

A few of the people sitting nearby turned around, curious to know what was going on. Phones were unlocked and pointed discretely at us. It was an unremitting fucking disaster.

If I could have escaped from this hell, I would have. Except I couldn’t because Jennifer sat between me and the exit and unless I scrambled over the table, I was screwed.

“Keep your voice down, Jennifer, you’re causing a scene!” Lily hissed.

Brax sat back in his chair, his expression neutral, but he kept hold of my hand under the table. I appreciated his quiet support.

“I don’t give a fuck!” Jennifer was practically yelling at this point. Lily’s hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist.

“Sit down and shut up! Do not make this worse than it already is, or you will regret it.”

In an instant, the fight left Jennifer and she sank back into her chair. A glass of wine appeared in front of her, and she gulped it down. From the way she kept looking at me, I knew this wasn’t over, but people slowly lost interest in our table, conversations resumed, and Lily relaxed.

Nobody said a word as plates were placed in front of us. My ribeye with a mushroom crust looked delicious, but I’d lost my appetite. Still, I cut off small pieces and tried to swallow them without choking. Someone brought me another drink and I chugged it greedily, enjoying the burn of the alcohol as it slid down my throat.

Lily chattered away as if the evening hadn’t been torpedoed by me being doxxed, asking Brax questions about college and discussing the business.

I tuned out. I just wanted the evening to end so we could go back to the hotel and lie on my bed watching trash TV. Quinn and Harley were stopping in, both of them not eager to get drunk again after last night’s bender.

I was desperate to see them. Enjoy their company, their happy, carefree charm. It was the perfect antidote to this dreadful evening.

“No desserts, thank you,” Lily said when the waiter came to take our plates. Most of my ribeye remained and the waiter threw me a worried look as if I had personally offended the chef by not finishing my meal.

“Sorry, bad stomach,” I whispered as he leaned over to pick up my plate.

Brax hadn’t eaten much of his either, although he had done a better job than me. I was gratified to see that Lily had barely touched her salmon, although not surprised.

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