Page 79 of Never the Best

“I assumed you’re here to talk to me about your account because that’s all I intend to discuss with you. My personal life is none of your business.”

His nostrils flared with anger. He hadn’t expected me to push back—well, he’d call it being belligerent. But after ourlast conversation, he should have seen this coming. Then again, knowing my father, he probably convinced himself it was a one-time lapse and went right back to treating me the way he always had, assuming I’d do the same.

“I think we should keep the business side of our relationship as is,” he snarled.

I pursed my lips and then sighed. “I’m happy to continue to do that as long as you don’t feel you have the right to come into my office and berate me for whatever societal crimes you think I’ve committed.”

“Rhett,” he stressed condescendingly, like I was a child on the verge of a meltdown. “I’m not here to fight you on this. The Beaumonts are a fine family. Good name, old money. In fact, I’d say they’re just as respectable as the Vances, except they don’t have as much money. If you’re serious about this girl, I can’t see how?—”

“Stop,” I cut him off. My voice wasn’t loud, but it was hard enough to shut him the hell up. “Don’t talk about Pearl like she’s an asset or a name on a ledger. My girlfriend isn’t a society box to check off. She’s not part of some strategy or legacy. She’s a person—a woman I care about—and I won’t let you reduce her to something less.”

His face darkened, the lines around his mouth tightening. “You’ve always been so quick to throw away what’s been handed to you. The Vanderbilt name, our reputation—it’s what built this city. It’s what built you.”

I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “No, Dad. I built me andthis.” I gestured to the office around me. “This company? This isn’t the Vanderbilt name. This isme. My work, my ideas, my effort. I didn’t use your connections, your money, or your influence. And let’s be honest—you didn’t offer any of it, anyway. You told me this was ahobby, remember? It was to keep me busy until I settled down into the life you wanted for me.”

George’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue.

“And now,” I continued, letting years of repressed anger lead me, “you want to give me your blessing to be with Pearl? Let me be clear—I don’t care what you think about her or me. Pearl and I don’t need your approval, and we sure as hell don’t need your judgment.”

He let out a slow breath, his gaze shifting to a cold, calculated calm—the place every sociopath retreated to when threats failed. “Rhett, you’re part of a heritage, an important one in the state of Georgia. If you think you can just walk away from that?—”

“I already have,” I interrupted himagain. I think I’d done that more during this conversation than in my whole life, which was telling. “I’ve been walking away from it for years. Speaking of which, and for the sake of transparency, I wanted you to know that I’m selling the house…the whole estate.”

The words hung in the air like a grenade waiting to go off.

His eyes widened, and for a moment, he looked genuinely shocked. “You’rewhat?”

“I’m selling it,” I repeated, my voice steady. “I hate living there. I’ve hated it for years. It’s not a home—it’s a mausoleum. I’m not going to keep holding onto it justbecause you think it’s some kind of symbol. It’s not my legacy, it’s yours. And you can keep it.”

“You can’t sell it.”

“It’s mine, so I can. If you want to keep it in the family or whatever, feel free to make me an offer.” He couldn’t afford it, he knew that, and so did I, since I was intimate with his portfolio.

He stared at me, his face a mask of fury barely held in check. “You don’t understand what you’re throwing away. That house has been in our family for?—”

“Many, many generations,” I supplied. “Legacy doesn’t mean a thing if it makes you miserable. You’ve spent your whole life trying to control everyone around you, pretending it’s about preserving the family name. It makes you happy, so you can keep doing it. I’m not going to live my life that way, and I’m sure as hell not going to let you drag Pearl into it.”

The silence that followed was heavy, the weight of unspoken truths pressing down on both of us.

“This doesn’t end here.” I think he wanted that to be the final blow, but it didn’t land. The thing was, nothing was landing any longer, and he could see it, feel that he’d lost me.

“Yes, it does.” I stood and looked him dead in the eye.

He rose as well, straightening his jacket with a sharp tug. “I always knew you were going to disappoint me, and you finally have.”

“Frankly, sir, I don’t give a damn.”

CHAPTER 28

Pearl

Iwas worried about what people would think and say.

I was sure by now everyone at work knew that Pearl Beaumont had lost her shit and had to go on medical leave. It was embarrassing, even though Rhett told me that I should be proud of how I took the time to take care of myself—and wished more people did the same.

Easy enough for him to say since he wasn’t the one staring at a simple piece of toast, wondering how to put it in my mouth and then chew.

So, it was no wonder that I walked through the glass doors of Savannah Lace with trepidation.

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