Page 125 of Bitter Confessions

He ignored her demand and gave her an insulting perusal.

“I don’t know what Ford ever saw in you. Everyone told him he was making a mistake, but he wouldn’t listen. You were the only thing Ford fought for, so my father relented, allowing him one thing that nearly destroyed us.”

His grip tightened so much she couldn’t suppress a flinch.

“You parade around as if you deserve to be here, when you’re only here because of who you screwed. I can’t believe you wore my grandmother’s ring while you were with him. You make me sick.”

“Tucker.”

Lyle appeared, clapping Tucker on the shoulder with more force than necessary. He was smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Take your hand off my sister before I break it.”

Tucker released her, but his nasty expression remained as he faced off with Lyle. “I thought if anyone would stand up to him, it would be you. He bought a controlling share of Hennessy & Co. right under your wife’s nose. It’s only a matter of time before he begins dismantling Maximus’s company. You’re just going to stand there and watch? You’re spineless.”

As Lyle went nose-to-nose with him, Jasmine grasped his arm. Lyle wasn’t prone to violence, but Tucker clearly had a death wish.

“I’m going to have mercy on you and explain something that a dipshit like yourself doesn’t seem to grasp,” Lyle said with barely leashed fury. “I don’t give a shit about Hennessy & Co. I never have. If my wife lost it, I’d pop a bottle of champagne. I don’t need anything from Maximus, and neither does she. I have more than enough to keep her living in luxury for the rest of her life.”

Tucker’s resentful expression altered. “You let Roth take over the company.”

“I hoped he’d burn it to the ground, so we’d be done with it once and for all, but that’s irrelevant.”

As Lyle crowded Tucker, she tightened her grip on his jacket, ready to haul on it if necessary. Tucker Baldwin wasn’t worth ruining their night, but Lyle’s voice was tightly controlled as he imparted a warning.

“You fucked up when you approached Jasmine, but you signed your death warrant when you touched her. I know you lost the Reiner deal and called in a massive favor to get an invitation tonight. Instead of using this opportunity to save your company, you’re demonstrating why everyone who has any ties to you should cut them immediately. Attacking an honored guest of the Trenthams and the wife of a man who has the resources to finish what Maximus started? Not smart, Tucker, but you never pretended to be. I suggest you try to make up for your lapse in judgment by spending the rest of the night kissing ass and hoping the gossip won’t kill what little business you had. Make the most of this evening. This is the last social event you’ll be invited to. I’ll make sure of that.”

Lyle didn’t wait for a response but cupped Jasmine’s elbow and led her away from a suddenly mute Tucker. She held her head high as they moved through the static crowd. Twice they were stopped by acquaintances who wanted to speak with Lyle, reminding her that he too was doing business. When she tried to slip away, Lyle stopped her.

“Where is he?” Lyle growled.

“Roth’s with Nathaniel Trentham.” She tugged on her arm. “I’m fine.”

“Your hand’s shaking.”

She looked down at the champagne rocking back and forth in the flute and dribbling over the sides. She set the glass on a server’s empty tray and tried to look serene while her insides roiled.

“Did he hurt you?” Lyle ran his hand over her arm, saw her wince, and turned to go back the way they’d come.

“Don’t!” She grabbed fistfuls of his jacket. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” He swung around to face her.

If she’d thought Tucker looked pissed, it was nothing compared to the look on Lyle’s face. If she hadn’t known he wouldn’t harm a hair on her head, she would have cowered.

“Nobody puts their fucking hands on you,” he said with quiet savagery. “You should have yelled the second he touched you. A friend of mine saw the whole thing from afar but couldn’t tell what was going on because you didn’t signal you needed help. Thankfully, he flagged me anyway.”

She ignored that and accused, “You acted like you didn’t know about Colette’s bad investments. You could have helped her, but you watched her struggle instead.”

A muscle flexed in his jaw as he glared at her. “Why would I help her save something she’s always put before me? Hennessy & Co. nearly cost us Polara. She insists on seeing that company as part of her identity, as Maximus intended, when it’s really just a shrine to himself that you’re all determined to uphold no matter the sacrifice.” When she looked away, he finished. “I’m glad Colette didn’t ask me for help, because I wouldn’t have been able to tell her no. It was the hardest thing I’ve done, watching her struggle, and acting like I didn’t know what was going on. But she needed to learn to come to me, and she finally did.”

She swallowed hard. “I didn’t know you felt like that about Dad.”

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “He was a savvy businessman, a decent father-in-law, but a shitty father. I hated the way he treated you all. Anything that comes from him is tainted.” He focused on something beyond her. “There’s Roth.”

He grasped her hand and wove through the crowd until they came upon Roth who was shaking hands with the men he’d left the dining room with. His eyes narrowed when he saw their rapid approach. Lyle didn’t release her until they were directly in front of him.

“Baldwin fucked up,” Lyle announced before turning on his heel and stalking off.

Grateful he hadn’t gone into detail, Jasmine stared straight ahead and waved at a woman who looked vaguely familiar and ignored the hulk standing at her side. “How did your meeting go?”

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