Page 139 of Finding Forever

Fern’s jaw dropped as she finally understood what they were doing. She slid an incredulous glance at her husband, only to find him watching Richard with a speculative look on his face.

Surely, he wasn’t buying into this load of bullshit?

He shot her a dark, inscrutable look, before diverting his brooding glance back to Richard.

“What are you talking about?” Fern whispered in horror.

“You can come home, Fern. Dickie here is willing to be a father to his child and everything can go back to normal.”

Cade’s knuckles had whitened as his hand tightened over his fist. His face was tense and his eyes stormy with rage as he pressed his knuckles against his lips.

Fern was silent for a long, long moment and then she laughed. Slowly clapping her hands as she watched her stepfather’s smug face go slack with shock.

“Oh bravo, that was magnificent, if somewhat desperate.Did you two really think that nonsense was going to work? Even if Cade believed you, which by the way, Cade…doyou?”

He lifted his mouth from his knuckles and gave her a quick, hard little grin, his eyes glinting with something that looked like pride.

“Not on your fucking life, sweetheart.”

“As I was saying… even if Cade believed you,nothingon this earth would ever compel me to go anywhere with you, Granger. I’m never going back. And you’re never getting your greedy, grubby paws on my money again.”

“You ungrateful little bitch.” Granger suddenly dropped all pretense, shedding the concerned stepfather routine the way a snake would shed its skin. “After all I’ve done for you, this is how you repay me?”

“What have you done for me, Granger? Kept me imprisoned and isolated for over a decade, destroyed my only friend’s entire family, and gaslighted me… all so that you could betray my mother’s trust and steal from me! You’ll forgive me if I find myself a littlelighton gratitude right now.”

“What about your sisters?” Wow, he was really clutching at straws now. “This is affecting their lives too. Don’t you care about them?”

“My sisters? Just to be clear, youarereferring to the same women who used to send peanuts in my care packages, despite knowing I’m deathly allergic to them, right? Who took every opportunity to mock and ridicule me? Who stole my mother’s jewelry and clothes after she died? Because they can rot in hell right next to you for all I care.”

She gave him a frigid little smile.

“I’mthe one who approached Cade that weekend, Granger. I offered him myself and Lambecrete up on a platter, because I could see he was a million times the man you are. I was happy to do it and I would choose him over you any day of the week.”

“You really hate me so much you’d see me in prison? Bankrupted and destroyed by that bastard you married?”

She got up, braced her hands on the table, and looked him dead in the eye.

“Yes.”

It was the most satisfying moment of her life. She nodded regally at Cade who pushed to his feet right on cue.

“Ready to go, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m done with this.”

He snaked an arm around her waist and she leaned into him just a little, grateful for his support, a little giddy now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

Cade led her from the room and released her waist once she was able to stand without swaying.

“Okay?” he asked gently.

“Sookay,” she told him with a grin.

“You were fucking magnificent, sweetheart.”

He steered her to the five steps that led down from the law firm’s reception area to the bank of elevators that would take them down to street level, but just as they reached them, there was a commotion behind them.

“You donotjust get to walk out on me like that, Fern!” It was Granger. “Not after everything I’ve done for you.”

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