Page 8 of Lush

Out of nowhere, staff emerged to minister to my mother, swiftly collecting her bags and loading them onto the jet I just exited.

“Give us a minute, Erik,” Mama commanded him.

He met my gaze, his eyes holding that old, reassuring look—a quick flick of his thumb across his nose, his way of saying he was on my side before he headed to the SUV.

“Are we going to talk business, or just pretend it’s all fine?” I crossed my arms.

“I need to be in Palm Springs in an hour.” Her voice was smooth as she flicked dirt from under her nails.

“Why am I here, Mama?”

“I can’t want my daughter home?”

I was tired of the games. The schemes. I’d loved Paris, and here she was pulling me back into this shit.

“No. I have a life in Paris. Which is where I should be.”

“Did you forget what happened?”

“You kicked me out.”

“Youdecided to leave. It was your choice.”

“A choice?” I scoffed. “You’re gonna pretend like I really had one?”

The truth was such a twisted thing in this family. It could save or destroy you—and everyone had their own warped relationship with it.

“This new attitude, Laurene, you need tofixthat.”

I thinned my lips as Mama scowled and continued, “We will have this discussion later. Have your brother take you to the mansion and say hello to your father.”

She pulled her purse higher on her shoulder, brushing past me to the jet and snapping at staff, “Handle those bags like they’re worth more than your life. They’re Hermès.”

“Just tell me what you want so I can decide to stay or to go.”

“I heard things weren’t going well for you in Paris.”

I narrowed my eyes on her, “You just ‘heard’ about that?”

She didn’t look at me, but I caught the corner of her mouth twitching. “Everyone talks. I keep my ear to the ground, Laurene.”

“Have Erik get me another jet back to Paris. I’m leaving.”

I started to brush past Mama, but she grabbed my arm, spinning me around.

“Did you conveniently forget how you fucked us over? My reputation—ourfamily’s reputation—was dragged through the mud for years because of you. Not a scandal since wefoundedthis town, and look what you did!”

“A life was lost, Mama. You can’t just ignore that.”

Conrad didn’t deserve what happened. It wasn’t a part of the plan.

There were so many things I needed to say to her. But I knew who I was dealing with, and she wouldn’t give a damn. “Why did you call me home then? You want me in my old position?”

I had run King Investments, a small firm specializing in high-end art, luxury goods, and collectibles. I had a knack for numbers and an eye for art. I didn’t get to run galleries or host exhibitions then, though, even though I’d wanted to. Mama just wanted me to find the overlooked gems and make them shine.

Erik told me Mama tried to find a replacement for me after I left. They weren’t me. They couldn’t be me. I wasgreat,and everyone knew it.

Mama had shut the company down out of spite.

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