Page 52 of Stuck with Mr. Grump

“Where’s Mother?” I ask, ignoring the question.

He knows it’s an affirmation without me having to say it. His brown eyes grow softer.

“In your room, waiting for you,” he replies tightly.

I nod, rising to my feet immediately. There’s no time for formalities when the fate of my future hangs in the balance. I thought my parents would talk to me about the truth together but it seems my mother, who is at the core of it all, has been chosen to be the spokesperson. I prefer it like that. Elana Harrington won’t sugarcoat shit.

“Ster,” my dad calls right before I walk through the threshold. “Whatever she says doesn’t matter, alright? This has no effect on our relationship.”

A muscle tightens in my jaw. But it does. Whatever she has to say changes everything.

After making sure Sean’s ready for bed and tucking him in, I head over to my bedroom. The door is wide open and I get a glimpse of my mother sitting with her legs crossed on the edge of my bed. After inhaling softly, I walk in, unknotting my tie and sliding it off as I do.

She arches one delicate dark eyebrow as I enter.

“Mother,” I greet, inclining my head respectfully. “You look nice.”

She stands and I step forward to give her two air kisses on the cheek. It’s what’s expected whenever you’re in the presence of the great Elana Harrington. She thrives on compliments. And despite the fact that she’s basically demanding them, they’re never empty.

“Thank you, Sterling,” she says stiffly. “The trip to Mykonos did me well.”

My parents couldn’t be more different. My mom’s a typical rich heiress with her manicured nails, expensive vacations, and Birkin bags. She thrives in the spotlight, while my dad has tried all his life to shy away from it. It’s a wonder they’ve lasted this long. But after over thirty years of marriage, it’s pretty clear that they’re a match made in heaven or hell. Dad tempers my mom’s character and she helps him to get more out of life. It works well and I’d say it’s true love, if the recent rumors didn’t spark doubts and the possibility of a betrayal.

“Would you like to speak in my office?” I ask, gesturing to the door with my hand.

She walks to the door without another word. I take off my jacket and undo a few buttons on my shirt before following herin. She’s taken a seat in my chair behind the desk, leaving me to take the one opposite. I inwardly roll my eyes.

She and my grandfather get along well because they have similar ideologies. Everything’s a power play and everyone’s a bug that can be crushed beneath their shoe. My mother hasn’t smiled at me once since I entered the room. I’m not sure she’s actually ever offered me a warm smile before. Elana’s always been cold, distant. She’s made it quite obvious that she never wanted to have kids.

Spencer and I were raised by nannies in place of our mother. All Elana really found joy in was traveling the world, throwing expensive parties. Anything that didn’t have to do with her two children. She’s the least motherly person I know. I made my peace with that a long time ago, although I can’t say the same for my brother. Spencer’s a mama’s boy for a mama that’s never really there. In his defense, though, she’s always treated him a little better than she did me.

“I assume you have questions with regard to the recent news?” she starts.

Her hands are clasped together atop the table, her brown eyes meeting mine straight on. She makes a formidable picture seated at the head, olive skin smooth and glowing. We look a lot like her, Spencer and I. My dad always used to joke about how sad he was that we both inherited all of our mother’s traits.

“The news you tried so hard to avoid until you couldn’t?” I retort.

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t get smart with me, Sterling.”

My eyes narrow. “I want an explanation, Mother. The truth.”

The room is silent for a couple of seconds until she finally begins.

“You’ve always been very smart, Sterling,” she says on a sigh. “Too smart, at times. By the age of five, I could tell you were already noticing how dissimilar you were from your fatherand your older brother. When you were ten, Spencer collapsed because of a peanut allergy, the same allergy your father has. It made you sad when you realized you didn’t have it. There were always little things you noticed that made you question if you were really Steven’s son. Deep down, a part of you has always known you weren’t.”

My heart feels like it’s been serrated by her words. I never realized I was a person capable of being in denial until now. A part of me wanted all of this to be a lie, just a dumb rumor. But now that the truth’s looking me in the eye, there’s nowhere to run anymore.

“Who’s my father?”

CHAPTER 15

Emilia

I’m getting ready to settle into bed for the night when I get a call. I frown, wondering who could be calling me so late. My first guess is Dad or Priya, but I just saw them earlier when I went over for dinner. Anika’s asleep in her room. Maybe it’s Carson? I doubt anyone apart from my family would be calling me in the middle of the night.

When I grab my phone, though, Carson’s name isn’t the one flashing across the screen. My frown deepens when I see that it’s Sterling, instead. I inwardly groan. I briefly consider not answering, but the guilt related to that action would eat at me until I couldn’t take it anymore. I’d wonder if it was an emergency.

Technically, it has to be one. Sterling and I are complicated, but I doubt he’d be calling me so late unless something was wrong. I answer the call right before the ringing stops, feeling my heart rate spike when it connects.

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