Page 137 of Finding Forever

“I was… driven. And to be honest, his so-called empire was a house of cards. Without your money keeping him afloat, it was just a matter of tugging on a few strategic cards to bring it all crashing down.”

She gaped at him in disbelief.

“And you did it in my name? What doesthatmean?”

“Everything I gained went into a trust for you. To recoup what he stole from you. That’s also how I got the deed to your friend’s shop back.”

He kept his gaze fixed on her face, clearly trying to get a read on her mood. But since Fern herself wasn’t sure how she felt about this, she didn’t think he was getting much from her face. Except maybe shock. And disbelief.

“So, I think he’s going to be a lot angrier than you’re expecting him to be.”

“Oh, I was expecting him to be plenty angry,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “After all, I’m having his arse indicted.”

Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth before she spoke again, voice wobbling and muffled by her hand.

“I’m having him indicted andyoujust stripped him of his only chance of a decent legal team.”

Cade couldn’t tellwhat she was thinking or feeling. He knew that he had overreached. After what she’d just said about needing to prove to Abernathy how well she was doing without him, Cade worried she’d feel that his interference had somehow diminished her own achievements. He should have discussed it all with her first. Gauged her reaction. She wasn’t ruthless. Utter destruction wasn’t her style.

“And you say you did that forme?” she repeated, as if she wasn’t certain she’d heard or understood that part clearly.

God, she probably hated him. Resented him for ruining her moment. For undermining her. Cade couldn’t blame her really. It had been an uncharacteristically impulsive decision, powered by blind rage. But he couldn’t even blame impulse. Not really. He could have backed off at any time, but he hadn’t stopped… Days, weeks, months he’d had to change his mind but he’d pushed on, fueled by the memory of Fern crying in his arms, still so very heartbroken over something that fucker had done to her nearly ten years ago.

Now the chickens had come home to roost and his wife was staring at him with huge eyes and trembling lips as she tried to understand what he’d done.

“I—” The word got stuck in his throat and he coughed to remove it and start again. “I did it for you. The way you cried that night, Fern... I know it’s not an excuse but I couldn’t fix what he’d done, so I set out to make him feel some measure of how he’d made you feel.”

“Oh Cade,” she whimpered, her voice going small andtremulous. “That’s just thesweetestthing anybody has ever done for me.”

Uh…

What?

He’d been bracing for the worst and now had no idea what to do with all the residual tension coursing through his body.

“You’re not angry?”

“No, of course not.”

“Why not?”

She laughed at the question and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Do you want me to be?”

“No… no. I just thought, I mean, it’s alot, right?”

“It’s perfect. Better even than the ugly car/massive bodyguard combo you got me for Christmas.” He chuckled at that.

“Ian is a driver not a bodyguard,” he corrected for the hundredth time since he’d arranged for her driver and car.

“You and Ibothknow that’s a lie,” she scoffed, before tightening her arms around his neck. “Now can we get back on subject please?”

“What were we talking about?” he asked breathlessly, as she clambered into his lap.

“We were about to get into an in-depth discussion about how grateful I am to you.”

“Aah, yes of course.” He smiled as her lips met his, and he found a satisfactory way to rid himself of his residual tension after all.

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