Page 81 of All for her Forgiveness

The million-dollar question is: Did Vina encourage her to go down this path?

If you had asked me that a week ago, I would have said no. Now, I’m not so sure.

"You never showed this desire before."

"What?"

"All the time Kennedy was in a coma, you never touched on the subject or showed any willingness to go see her."

She spoke in a generic way about missing both of them but never made any concrete plans. On the contrary, as soon as Kennedy was declared a suspect by the police, Vina said almost the same words she just said about Pam, but in that case, she "didn’t believe Juliet would do that."

"I was weak, feeling sick. I'm better now. Besides, I trust your judgment." She pauses. "You said you would protect her forever. What exactly does that mean, Hades?"

I’ve deliberately kept the discovery about my son out of the conversation, and I will continue to keep it from her until my statement about King's paternity comes out in the press.

"Isn’t it obvious? What I'm saying is that Kennedy is mine, and her place is by my side."

Kennedy

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

"Don't be stubborn.Let my team defend you. You don't even know who this secret protector is."

"Ernest knows."

"Then why doesn't he tell you?"

I think about the conversation I had with Ernest earlier today. The fact that he keeps the name of the secret protector to himself causes me a lot of discomfort, but I trust him, and I know that if it were for my own good, he would have revealed who it is by now.

God, what a mess!

If the man isn't someone of goodwill, why does he pay for the house and for my lawyers?

"I don't know," I confess. "Do you understand what you're asking me? Not long ago, you wanted me behind bars."

I see him pale and clench his napkin until his knuckles turn white. "It will never be enough, but even so, I will say it."

"Say what, Hades?"

"Forgive me."

I feel a lump forming in my throat. Until now, he has hinted several times that he recognizes he misjudged me and is sorry for his mistake, but he’s never put it into words.

When almost a minute passes and I don't speak, he says, "I don't know if I'll ever be able to express my remorse enough, Kennedy. I not only believed in the police's conclusions against you, I lost you. That day at the club, when I took you to a private room and kissed you, you misunderstood everything."

I should stay silent, but curiosity gets the best of me. "In relation to what?"

"When I said I didn't want you at Vina's house, I wasn't telling you to leave—I had decided I wanted you as my girlfriend. Pam would never have accepted that. She had already shown jealousy toward you."

"How so?"

"I'm not an idiot. Pam began to see you as a rival. As soon as you arrived in New York, she treated you like a little sister. Shortly after, that changed."

"It must have been after I told her that we met at the casino before I moved to New York. I also mentioned the ride you gave me, but not . . .”

"About when I kissed you and wanted to take you with me that night."

"Yes."

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