Page 93 of Seduced By a Billionaire

Angrily Kyle said, “You destroyed two lives, one of which was your own flesh and blood and the other the mother of your child! How could you? How do you sleep at night?”

“Frankly, at the time, I didn’t believe her. She was a flirt and a seductress. I had a weak moment and gave in to temptation. One time, one mistake.”

“You’re telling me that she seduced you? You expect me to believe that a seventeen-year-old threw herself at her rich boss?”

“It’s what happened, you can believe it or not. I know what you think of my parenting skills and I don’t blame you for that, but you were on easy street compared to how I was raised. I may have been distant, but I never laid a hand on you kids. You have no idea what your grandfather would have done had I disgraced the family name by getting a maid pregnant. Your mother and I were engaged to be married.”

“I don’t give a fuck! Nothing excuses your cowardice.”

“Until you’ve walked a mile in someone’s shoes…as the saying goes.”

“I have walked in your fucking shoes and I hated myself! I had become everything I detested about you. I buried myself in my work, using the excuse that I was providing, and yet my child still loved me, forgave me, ran to greet me every chance he got…” Kyle choked up. “The way I loved you. I used to pray that you’d throw a ball to me, praise me, hell… just acknowledge that I existed.”

“I wasn’t raised that way…I’m sorry son, I do love you, I’ve always been proud of you. I didn’t want you to grow up with a big head. I didn’t want the privilege of money to create little monsters.”

“Every child needs love to thrive. I needed a father, not a shareholder.”

Sadness clouded his father’s features, “I’m sorry Kyle. I couldn’t give you what I’d never been taught. I hope you’ll forgive me one day.”

“What about Marcus?”

“What about him?”

“When did you finally believe that his mother had been telling the truth?”

“When I met with him. I took one look at him and there was no denying that he was a Bennett.”

“Then why didn’t you pay him the money he deserved?”

“Give in to blackmail? Never! What I did do was decide to set up a ten-million-dollar trust account in his name. He hadn’t been notified yet… it was still in process.”

James Bennett buried his face in the palms of his hands. Kyle had never seen his dad look anything other than powerful and his chest felt tight seeing him so vulnerable. He walked over and draped his arm across his shoulders.

“I forgive you Dad, now you’ll have to learn how to forgive yourself.”

“I’m sorry Kyle.”

“I love you dad. You’re my father.”

“I hope I can make it up to you kids. Family vacations, I want to know my grandkids. It took almost losing you, then Finn, to realize how walled off I was from my own family.”

“We’ll work on that. Listen dad, I have to go back to the station, why don’t you sleep here tonight and have breakfast with your grandson in the morning.”

“Testing me already. Yes, I’ll stay.”

“I’ll get Rich to prepare your room.”

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Get some sleep Dad, you look like hell.”

“After I call your mother. I have a lot of explaining to do. I hope she can forgive me.”

Kyle’s eyes were glossy as he said goodbye and left to find Rich before heading downtown to the precinct.

42

“Grandpa look what I taught Charlie to do,” Finn had been sitting on the floor with the puppy on his lap, but now he placed Charlie on the ground and kneeled in front of him.

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