Page 4 of The Sound of Secrets

“I’m the same as everyone else. I deserve the things I work for and the things I’m willing to fight for. Nothing more or less than that.”

“What if someone comes along who wants to give you more than that?” She’d been unwilling to bend in the slightest when I tried to give her all the shiny baubles that naturally came with being married to a member of the elite. “Why not take it?”

“Because then I feel indebted. I never want to owe anyone more than I can afford to give back. It’s better that way.” Her tone made it seem as if that was a lesson she’d learned the hard way. I didn’t know much about her previous marriages. Only enough to understand that she was hesitant to do the song and dance all over again with me, even though our situation was more like playing dress up than the real thing.

I moved my fingers to rub my temples. The headache was no longer threatening, it was a full-fledged beast beating at the back of my eyeballs and making my ears ring. I wondered if doing the right thing was constantly this painful.

“What you bring to the table in exchange is more valuable than material things. Others owe you for your loyalty, perseverance, and willingness to see the best in even the worst type of person.” Like me. “You’re worth your weight in gold, Harvey. Don’t doubt it.”

She laughed again. I pried my eyes open to look at her. When our gazes clashed, hers was bright and teasing. “If that’s the case, then you’re the only one who can afford me, Chester.”

It was my turn to smile. However, I knew it was strained and full of self-deprecation. “Not for long.”

Her head shot up, and a shocked expression crossed her pretty features. She was gone long enough; she had no idea what I’d been up to since I woke and found her missing. Part of me was thrilled Alistair hadn’t filled her in yet. It made my actions appear less conniving and calculated. As if the moves I made had nothing to do with her, when the reality was, I decided to walk away from a dynasty because of her.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You can afford to buy an entire country. You can fund a private army. The one thing you aren’t lacking is money.”

I snorted. “I’m giving it all away.” Which was much harder than it sounded. Handling billions in an appropriate and responsible way was easier said than done. So was abdicating my position as CEO of the Halliday conglomerate. Regardless of how many donations I made, or how far I tried to distance myself from my legacy, I was always going to be a Halliday. “You want an even playing field. There’s only one way to achieve that.”

Channing was stunned. Her legs fell down to the floor of the plane, and she leaned forward so far forwardshe nearly fell out of the leather seat. “That’s impossible. How can you give all your money away? What about Winnie?”

I shrugged and leaned my head back. “Winnie will always be taken care of. I’m relinquishing my finances, not hers. She had her own inheritance, and now that Archie is back in the picture, there’s also his portion of the family fortune. She will never want for anything.” And neither would Channing if she stayed by my side. I could take care of her with or without Halliday Inc. at my back. It was a bold promise to make, and I would only do it after I knew she was done running away from me.

“Even without all that money, you’ll never be a commoner, Win. You’ll always be as close to the ruling class as a man without a crown and throne can get.”

I was done talking about it. The wheels were already in motion. She refused to climb the castle walls and join me. Which meant I had to swim across the moat to join her on the outside. No kingdom wanted a defective leader, anyway. I didn’t have it in me to fight for fortune and infamy any longer. I also wasn’t in any shape to explain all of that to her at the moment.

Now that she was back in my orbit and I could see her, hear her, and feel her presence, none of the obstacles in front of us felt insurmountable. So I would wait for her forgiveness while looking for my own.

Channing

“Are you really going to take over Halliday Inc.?” I popped one of the fancy candies on Alistair’s desk into my mouth and watched him watch me with thinly veiled amusement.

My current employer looked so much like a young Win, I often found it disconcerting. Fortunately, their personalities were opposite, and Alistair was still young and fresh enough that his pretty gray eyes hadn’t hardened into steel the way his older brother’s had.

The dark-haired man flipped a Montblanc between his fingers like it was a regular Bic pen. Alistair was doing well with his design company, and his inheritance from the Halliday estate was nothing to sneeze at. But he wasn’t a man who came from extreme wealth and extraordinary means like his half-siblings. One of the main reasons I went to work for him, aside from driving Colette Halliday mad, was because I appreciated how Alistair saw value in things that weren’t necessarily national treasures or worth a small fortune. It unnervedme that in the short time I’d been gone on his behalf; he seemed to have forgotten his pen was worth more than several of his staff members’ monthly rent

I didn’t want him to turn into a Halliday. Nothing good came from that lofty name.

Seeing my gaze on the expensive item, he set it down on his desk and lifted his palms in a gesture of surrender.

“My expertise isn’t in real estate development. I told Win I have to work under someone he trusts to learn the ropes before even considering a spot on the board of directors. I know he wants to step down and put someone who can stand up to the old guard in his place, but I’m not sure I’m a good fit.” He chuckled. “I’m not a Halliday.”

“Thank God.” I whispered the words, but they sounded loud in the quiet office.

Alistair grinned at me as the pile of candy wrappers in front of me continued to grow. I was anxious and needed something to keep my hands and mouth busy. I felt like I was walking a tightrope from the minute Win’s private jet landed back in the city. We never continued our conversation, and almost as soon as he dropped me and Winnie off at the newly renovated brownstone he bought near Winnie’s school, he turned around and left for another business trip.

There hadn’t been an opportune time to discuss our fake marriage or what would be a very real divorce.

“That’s why he left after he brought you back from Italy. He’s been in talks with one of the company’s most successful branch managers. He’s negotiating to bring her back in order to mentor me. She’s lived abroad forthe last five or six years and has been unwilling to leave her current position. Win’s determined to make her an offer she can’t refuse. A face-to-face meeting was his last resort. It’s a great opportunity, but I would have told him yes regardless. I still owe him for saving my sister’s life back when he was supposed to let my family rot and suffer.”

I grumbled under my breath, “He’s in no shape to be traveling. He was in a lot of pain on the return flight from Italy.” There was no hiding the concern in my voice.

“He’s done a lot of things he shouldn’t have done since the fire. He left the hospital before it was advised. He resumed work with barely healed bullet holes in his side and shoulder. He skips physical therapy because he’s too busy.” Alistair sat back in his chair and shook his head. “Funnily enough, he makes sure Winnie sees her new therapist twice a week, and he’s been unrelenting with Archie about his rehabilitation.” His gaze landed on me and a wry grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Then there’s you. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a grown man pine for another person the way Win longed for you. If I didn’t think you were a terrible match, I might’ve felt sorry for him. After everything he went through, who knew that it would be a broken heart that did the most damage.”

I squirmed in my seat at his revelation. It wasn’t like I didn’t know that my leaving would affect him. But I told myself he had to have a heart for me to break, and I wasn’t convinced any full-blooded Halliday was born with one.

“I still can’t believe he’s giving away everything.” It was like being in a life-and-death fight made Win a whole new man.

---