Page 213 of Modern Romance January 2025 1-4

Really, the company had saved him more than he’d saved it. It was one thing he could control and where his energy could be safely expended. He put in time and focus and the rewards were tangible. Numbers were black and white. He’d become addicted to their constant improvement. He couldn’t fix his mother. Couldn’t fix his aunt. Or his cousin. The only guarantee he could give all of them wasfinancialsecurity. And so he had.

‘Ramon—’

‘My work guaranteed that she could stay here and hopefully gave her some peace of mind that her family company was safe.’ He closed his eyes. ‘She could be here and do what she wanted. But she lived a harder life than she had to. She wouldn’t let me make any improvements. Wouldn’t tell me anything she really needed.’

She’d shut him out so completely that she hadn’t even told him she was in physical pain. It had devastated him when he’d finally found out—far too late.

‘It must have been awful to have her so isolated, knowing she was hurting from the loss of your father and finding out that horrible truth,’ Elodie said quietly.

The empathy in her eyes was too much. He jerked free of her touch and swung back to face the sea.

‘I’ve had workers in periodically to keep the place tidy but haven’t been back since. Jose Ramon has drawn up plans to build a hotel here and turn it into a party island. DJs, endless thumping. I guess Cristina wanted to help him secure it.’ He sighed. ‘But my mother put the ecosystem here ahead of everything, including her own life, and I can’t let it be destroyed.’

‘Have you talked to Jose Ramon about that?’

‘He’s not interested in talking to me. All his life he’s been told that I’m the big bad bully who gets everything he wants.’

‘Told that by your aunt?’ Elodie guessed. ‘Why is she so angry with you?’

Ramon couldn’t utter that hideous complication aloud. He bowed his head, clenching his fists as bitterness overwhelmed him.

‘Come on, let’s get out of here.’ Elodie suddenly rose to her feet. ‘You shouldn’t have to stay in a situation that makes you unhappy. You requested the helicopter, right?’

‘Yeah.’ He stood but he was confused. ‘So we’ll go—’

‘Home.’

Home. With her. Right. His breathing stalled.

‘I mean...’ Her gaze dropped from his. ‘Ashleigh’s there.’

Of course. She wanted to see her sister. He frowned, remembering how muted Ashleigh had been, how silent Elodie herself had fallen for those first moments in Cornwall when he’d had the smallest glimpse into her background.

‘Ramon?’ She reached up and smoothed his frown. ‘It will be okay. You’re smart, you’ll come up with a creative solution to resolve this with your family.’

Yeah, well, he hadn’t yet. Not in all these years. ‘Your faith in my problem-solving skills is misplaced.’

‘You forget I watched you figure out my hardest escape room clues in less than half an hour.’ She smiled at him a little sadly. ‘But I think this place holds nothing but bad memories for you. I know you want to protect her work, but it hurts you to be here now. So let’s go.’

His mouth gummed. He couldn’t actually move. He felt like he’d been cracked open and if he moved a muscle, he’d fall apart completely. Because she was right. So right. What washappening? She was listening. She was seeing. She was caring. And he wasdrowningin it to the point where he couldn’t seem to function at all.

She cupped his face. ‘It’s not weak. It’s not running away. It’s not avoidance.’

‘No?’ he whispered, devastated. ‘I’ve been avoiding this place foryears. I should have pushed for the terms of the trust to be changed. Look at what’s happened because I didn’t.’

‘Nothing all that bad has happened,’ she answered calmly. ‘We stopped that stupid engagement. It’s okay.’ She spoke so softly. ‘It hasn’t been the right time for you to deal with this place. Maybe it’ll never be easy. Maybe you’ll need help with it. That’s okay too. But your earlier instinct to leave was right. You don’t need to suffer more by staying here.’

She sharply inhaled and suddenly spoke low and fast and fierce. ‘What your father did wasn’t your fault.Hebetrayed your mother and he put you in an impossible position forcing you to choose loyalties and keep his secrets from her. You just wanted toprotecther and in the end you couldn’t. But that wasn’t your fault either. She chose to cut herself off—this place is how she did that. And honestly, she abandoned you too. So no wonder you hate it here,’ she whispered harshly. ‘You leaving now is self-care.’

The rush of gratitude was so real and so unfamiliar that he couldn’t speak.

‘Come on.’ She took his hand again and tugged. Hard. He just followed.

Ten minutes later they waited at the helipad.

‘Self-care, huh?’ He mulled. ‘That’s what you did when you left Cornwall?’

‘I guess.’

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