Page 66 of Love Over Time

Even though we were both shadows in the dark, she spun around to face me, her hand over her chest. “I made the mistake of believing them when they said it was all an accident. I hadn’t seen James yet. I didn’t know what Francesca was capable of at the time.” The words flowed out of her fast. “I only made the recording because I was sure Francesca was putting something in my food. I kept having lapses in time, so I started recording bits of conversations to replay them later, make sure I wasn’t going crazy.”

Cold seeped through my body, even though the tunnels were humid and warm. “That’s why you got sick. You really expect me to believe that? Francesca drugged you?” I raised my voice. I didn’t care if they heard us.

Tessa nodded and stepped closer to me. “Please. Hear me out.”

“You broke Henry’s heart.” I gritted my teeth. “Every time you pushed him away—”

She gripped my arm. “Please. That day I wasn’t feeling sick, and it was a beautiful day outside. I thought a bit of sun would help me feel even better, so I grabbed my sewing bag, and for the first time in weeks, I left my room. When I came downstairs, Jonathan was covered in blood. I…I was already recording some thoughts on my phone. When I saw him, I left the recorder on and dumped the phone in the bag.”

“He killed James?” I put my arm around her. This was Henry’s mom. If there was a small chance she was innocent in all this, I wanted to believe it. For Henry.

“No.” She shook her head. “Francesca did. She smashed his head. Killed him instantly. When I found them, Jonathan was trying to move the body. They were going to bury him in the garden. Jonathan had no choice but to tell me the truth. James had decided to take us to Europe for a long while. He thought traveling again would help me recover. He also thought it was time for Jonathan and his wife to move out and get a house of their own. Jonathan spent most of his time gambling and not really doing much with his life.”

I snorted, crossing my arms over my chest. “Let me guess. When Francesca found out their cash cow was kicking them out, she went ballistic.”

“Exactly. She hadn’t planned to kill him.” Tessa hugged herself. I couldn’t imagine what it had been like all these years for her. “But after she killed him, they came up with a plan very quickly. I found out about it years later, though.”

“What happened to you?”

“When I turned my back on Francesca, she injected me with a strong sedative. The same one she used on me over and over, whenever I tried to escape or if they had visitors. Jonathan and Francesca, they wanted more than just the money. They wanted to take our place in Paradise Creek. They needed me to earn the town’s trust. As far as everyone knows, I’m very sick, and Francesca has been taking care of me.”

I gripped my hair, which was matted with sweat and dust. It was exactly as Henry had suspected. Jonathan had always envied James. James had been the one to follow in their father’s footsteps, the one who’d managed to double his inheritance instead of gambling it all away on shady investments and at the poker table. Jonathan and Francesca had kept Tessa alive because they needed someone to connect them to James and this town.

“Please know that I tried to help Lisa, but by the time I recovered, the police already had her in custody. The news was already showing all the gruesome details, and Lisa was the main suspect. By then, I knew exactly what I was dealing with. I had to play it smart.” She looked down at her hands, drawing circles on her palm. “For Henry. And even you. I hid James’s original will and replaced it with a duplicate. That’s the one Jonathan found in the safe. I called the bank and had Mr. Paredes come here in person to collect my jewelry and getaway money. He’d always been a loyal friend. I knew he would help me, but I also knew that if I got him involved, Francesca would somehow get rid of him. I didn’t want any more people suffering over this. So I simply gave him a box to take with him. He left me a key and left without even asking what the contents were.”

“Why did Jonathan send someone to hurt Henry?”

“No. He wouldn’t do that.”

“Well, someone did, Tessa.”

She shook her head. Even after all she’d seen him do, she still couldn’t believe how fucked up he was. “Guilt had been eating at him. He was the one who helped me escape after Henry showed up at the manor.”

“If he did, how are you still here?”

“I couldn’t leave, knowing you and Henry were in danger. I came back for the key, but it was gone.”

“I took it.” I shrugged.

She chuckled. “Yes, you did. I kept it there, always ready in case I had a chance to escape.” She rubbed her temple, shaking her head. “Francesca and her men caught up to me before I reached the gardens. And now here I am. Back where I started.”

“Francesca deserves to rot in jail for what she did to your family and mine.”

She held on to her arm even tighter. “You have no idea what she’s capable of. Even Jonathan is afraid of her.”

Yeah, I’d seen that fear register on his face the day of the gala, but I didn’t recognize it for what it was. The way his eyes had darted around the room looking for his wife, his nerves completely shattered. What did she have over him? How had she gotten him to do all the terrible things he’d done to Henry? It didn’t matter that Jonathan hadn’t been the one to strike his brother. He’d been there, and he hadn’t stopped it. He was as guilty as Francesca.

“Well, I’m not afraid of her. We’re going to get out of here, Tessa. You deserve to see your son again. And I know he’s been dying to get you back.”

She let out a nervous laugh, wiping her nose. “How is he? What is he like?”

“Well, he’s still Henry. Very stubborn and…”Incredibly hot.“And kind and generous. All the pain he’s suffered didn’t change him, not where it counts, anyway.”

“He still loves you, doesn’t he?” She stroked my hair. “I’m sorry Jonathan sent him away, but it was for the best. He was too young to go against Jonathan and Francesca. I begged Jonathan to keep him safe. He was at least able to give me that much.”

I turned away from her. It still hurt to think that Henry and I couldn’t have a life together. As much as I hated Jonathan for what he did to us, I knew Tessa had done the right thing. But had I made a mistake sending him away today? “Henry is not that kid anymore, Tessa. He can hold his own against these vultures.”

She glanced at me, letting out a quiet whimper. She brought up a shaky hand to cover her mouth. “My heart leaped out of my chest the day I saw him in the garden. He looked all grown up and handsome—so much like James. He didn’t blame me for what happened. He was concerned. I’ve lived terrified after that visit. Who knows what Francesca would’ve done if he’d tried to rescue me?”

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