Page 145 of The Bonus

Deb thinks I should have taken the twenty million, the Ferrara family would still hate me, of course, but no more than they already do, and at least then I wouldn’t have to worry about money. Even if I just put ten million in a trust fund for each child until they reached the age of twenty-one, it would still be beneficial.

I wouldn’t have to deal with any of them…but then the downside is that the kids would never know their father…and how can you put a price on that? And realistically, if he is in their lives, they would get a lot more than ten million each in his will, he’s worth billions.

I blow out a defeated breath and stare into space, he already said goodbye last weekend, I don’t understand why his mother has come all the way here when he already wiped his hands of them. Deb thinks he was the one who broke up with his fiancée and the old bat is furious about it and blaming me.

Is it my fault?

How could something be my fault when I don’t even know what’s going on? I turn my phone on and wait for it to light up.

16 missed calls - Gabriel

Ugh…

I turn it back off.

Stay the fuck away from me, asshole, I want nothing to do with you and your toxic family.

I refill my wineglass.

“Got an extra glass for me?” A deep voice startles me, and I glance up to see Gabriel standing in the darkness of the backyard, looking up at me.

“What are you doing here?” I snap.

“I came to see if you’re alright.” He slowly walks up the steps and takes a seat in the chair beside me.

“I’m fine.” I pull my blanket around me tighter as I try to protect myself from this monster. “Go back to New York, Gabriel.”

He stays silent as he looks out over the lake.

“I don’t want you here.”

He nods and leans his elbows on his knees, and we sit in silence for a while, the wind whistles through the trees and the breeze whips my hair around. I want to be anywhere but here alone with him.

“How much did she offer you?” he asks.

I glance over at him, surprised.

“That’s what she did…didn’t she? Offered to buy you out of my life.”

As I stare at him, a new realization washes over me, I know why he’s like he is, why he’s always in attack mode and on the defensive. His mother is pure evil, I can’t imagine being brought up in that environment.

“Twenty million,” I whisper.

Hurt flashes across his face before he hides it. “Did you accept it?”

“If you have to ask me that then you don’t know me at all.” I roll my eyes in disgust. “Honestly, I don’t need this crap, Gabriel. Please…just…go away,” I whisper.

I’m trying to stay calm and keep my over dramatization to a bare minimum, but I have to ask the question. “Why would she come here?” I ask.

“I broke off my engagement to Ariana.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Everything.”

I frown, confused. “I don’t understand.”

“Grace…” He pauses as if trying to get the wording right in his head. “Did you ever wonder why I came looking for you?” he asks softly.

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