Page 44 of Sinful Attraction

I would lose my fucking mind if I were her—if it’s even harder than this for her.

“I know you did, but—”

“Oh, come on, everybody, this is really stupid. If I was into lying to you, wouldn’t I have just grabbed another five million, claimed I got the original heist back, and handed it over? Why would I face all these complications and all this drama—”

“Maybe you’re just stupid,” my sister breaks in suddenly. “Maybe you’re so deep in lying to cover for being stupid that you can’t even remember what lies you told anymore.”

“What?” I look between them all. “Holy hell, would you listen to this girl?”

She scowls at me. “I’m in my twenties, idiot. I’m a woman now.”

“Could have fucking fooled me,” I clap back at once. “Spreading all sorts of crazy rumors about me on and offline, trying to turn Mom and Dad against me... acting like you’re a genius and the first person ever to come up with the idea to pull shit likethis. What the hell is your endgame, Maria? Is it anything at all besides pissing me off?”

My mother’s face falls. “Michael, sweetie, don’t raise your voice at the table.”

I eye her for just a moment and force my voice to be calmer. “All right, Mom. Look, Maria, if you’re going to do this, will you at least tell me why? When exactly did I take a piss in your cornflakes?”

My father scoffs and snorts; my mom forces herself to scowl disapprovingly at me.

Maria looks from me to our parents and down at her phone. Her face is petulant as always, and for a bit, I expect some kind of nasty retort that a 14-year-old might think up.

Finally, she says, “You always think you’re so damn smart, Michael. Smarter than me. But the truth is, I’m smarter than you, and I always have been.”

I stare at her. My sister is as brilliant as she is mature. She flunked out of junior college. She destroyed two BMWs my dad got her within three months of each other. She has to be reminded regularly how cell phones actually work. And, of course, she thinks she is the smartest person in any room anywhere on the planet.

“If you’re so damn smart, why are you pulling dumb crap to try and mess up my relationship with everyone?” I don’t get it. I have never gotten it.

“You deserve it! That’s what actually happened, and you’re lying about it!”

Oh, great, she actually believes her own bullshit. “You just won’t let any of this go no matter how many times I explain it, will you?”

“No!”

I just don’t get it. Maybe I never will. “Mom, Dad, look. I know you feel caught in the middle here, but Maria is dead wrong, and I’m going to prove it one way or the other. And once I do, I want you to make her put all this shit to rest. I’m done.”

Maria’s jaw drops, and for a moment, I think we are going to get somewhere with her. But the next thing out of her mouth is, “He’s just bullshitting again. He won’t find anything! You’re a failure, Mike! Just admit it!”

I stare at her. God, I want so much to just tell her to shut the hell up so I can enjoy some time with my family without her crazy manufactured drama ruining everything. But the day’s already ruined, and she just keeps staring at me with that blank-eyed, petulant malice that I can’t understand what I’ve done to deserve.

“I’ll find the damn money,” I say again, knowing nobody in the room believes me but me. “And when I do, I want a goddamn apology.”

“You won’t get one because you won’t find that money,” Maria scoffs.

I get up suddenly. “I’m going away for a few more days,” I say as I walk away. “I have work to do.”

And I’ll be doing it in a way better company than I have here.

Chapter 20

Arya

Michael’s yacht is less huge and ostentatious than I expected, despite his father’s wealth. The deck is just big enough for a large Jacuzzi. The main cabin is the size of a house’s great room. There are four sleeping cabins and a galley below the decks.

Everything is done up in blond wood, with touches of navy, white, and brass. It’s cleaner and more elegant than I expected and a bit more old-fashioned compared to his ultramodern condo. I’m not surprised when I come in and see he already has champagne on ice and a bowl of strawberries ready.

“Now, what did I tell you about starting the party early?” I tease him gently as he leads me in.

“Sorry, sweetheart, but I need a little hedonism right now. It’s been a hell of a day already.” His smile looks a little strained.

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