Page 146 of Worth Every Penny

“It’s very unfortunate all round,” Jack says. “Mum’s devastated. She thought Curtis was the one, but all along it was a set up. Martin was paying him; they were going to split the proceeds of everything they took from the house. Had a buyer lined up for the Stephen Condar piece and everything. I’m surprised we recovered it all in time.”

“About that… Mum said everything was returned today. And that Nico did it.”

“He did. He sorted everything.”

My throat constricts, and my chest compresses. I don’t want to think about what Nico had to do to ‘sort it.’ “What about Martin? What happens now?”

“He’s resigning from Argentum. He’d been blackmailing David Webster, among others. That’s how he had them swing the vote to renege on the spa deal. I don’t think we’ll be hearing from him.” Jack turns, leaning back against the railing. Behind him, the Thames looks dark and threatening.

“I can’t believe Nico fixed it all.” My heart is beating like mad, knowing there’s still a question I need to ask. “Why?”

Specks of rain begin to fall and thunder rumbles overhead.

“For you. I think he did it for you.”

Relief floods me; hearing it from Mum is one thing, but from Jack it means so much more. He knows Nico in a way Mum never will. “That’s what Mum said as well.”

“Occasionally she knows what she’s talking about.” His gaze drifts like he’s thinking about something else, then he re-focuses on me. “I’m okay with it, you know… If you want to date Nico.”

“I don’t.”

“Hmm.” He inspects my face, I assume for any sign of a lie. I don’t know what he finds there, but he concedes, “Fine.” His cheeks deflate as he blows out an exhale. “I’m going to take Mum away. Not for long. But I want to take her mind off things. Do you want to come with us?”

God, the idea of nursing mum through heartbreak sounds horrendous. “Sure. I could do that.”

Jack peers at me.

“What?”

“You look like I asked you to shovel shit.”

I press my lips together to contain a smile. “That obvious, huh?” He tilts his head in agreement but says nothing to reprimand my reluctance. "You’re too good to her," I add. "She doesn’t deserve you."

Jack grimaces. “I know she can be difficult, but she’s the only parent we have. People can be gone like that.” He snaps his fingers, and the spark of sadness in his eyes hits me in the heart.He's thinking about Dad. He collects himself and says, “Try not to let her get to you. What matters is what you think, and you can be proud of everything you've achieved. I know I am, and if Mum could see beyond the end of her own nose, she would be, too." He grins, teasing me as he says, "You're an incredible woman, Kate."

I wince at the reminder of Nico's words in this context, but Jack has the decency to ignore my embarrassment.

"Look, you don’t have to come," he continues. "But if you want to take some time off after everything that’s happened, say the word. I’ll book us all in. Somewhere plush.”

“Plush?”

Jack rolls his eyes. “Oh, come on. She got robbed and duped and heartbroken all at once. I’ll pay for the lot. Your own room and everything. Take her for a few massages and treatments or whatever she wants. Whateveryouwant.”

“Is this you looking out for the heartbroken women in the family, then?”

His eyebrow flies up. “Are you heartbroken?”

I swallow, unable to meet his eye. “Nothing a good massage won’t sort.”

He looks at me like he doesn’t believe me. “You know, Nico’s not a bad guy. Everything he did was for us. To save the company, to protect Dad, protect you. If I’d had the money back then, I’d have bailed Dad out, but I didn’t. I had to go cap in hand to Nico. And you know what? He didn’t even blink before he agreed to help. It cost a lot of money to repay all those debts.”

“Not a lot when you’re a billionaire.” Even as the words leave my mouth, I hate myself for speaking them, for being so ungrateful, sobitter. I don’t want to be that person, holding tight to a grudge that will only eat away at me.

Suddenly, I hear Nico’s voice in my mind.

I’m yours, Kate. Do you want me?

A cloying feeling stirs in my lungs, and my next breath doesn’t come easy. God, how I want to go back in time, to that moment when he was mine.

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