Page 66 of Protecting Little Phoebe

“I don’t know. Seems like it would be a nice thing to do.”

“Why would I want to be nice to you when you’ve stolen my husband!”

Uh-oh.

“I haven’t stolen your husband,” Phoebe said quietly.

“Krystal,” Melly said sharply, returning and placing her cup on the desk. “What are you doing here? How did you get in? Did Linda let you in?”

“I’m entitled to be here. I’m Barren’s wife, not her.”

Melly picked up her phone as Phoebe stood. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“Then you shouldn’t have stolen my husband, you gold-digging whore! That’s why you’re with him, right? For his money. I know your type. Poor little damsel in distress, huh? What? Did you do your research on rich older men who had been recently divorced? How did you throw yourself into his path? Did you fall over in front of him? Pretend to be hurt? Or did you have a flat tire right when he drove by?”

Dear lord. Did people actually do that?

“Krystal! What are you doing here?” Barren walked into the small waiting area.

Relief filled Phoebe.

“I’ve come to save you from a big mistake.” Her voice changed, becoming sweeter and lower as she turned to Barren. “Oh, Barren, this girl isn’t with you because she loves you. She’s with you for your money.”

“Krystal, you can’t come in and make baseless accusations against Phoebe. You and I are no longer together and frankly, you’re embarrassing yourself.”

“I’m not the one embarrassing myself, you are. She admitted it all to Freida.”

What?

Barren frowned and glanced over at Phoebe. He wasn’t buying this, was he?

He’s known Krystal for twenty years… maybe he does still love her. He’s only known you a few weeks.

Phoebe felt her nerves fluttering in her stomach. She sensed some movement from the corner of her eye, but she couldn’t look away from Barren. She couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.

“Admitted what?” Barren demanded.

“To being with you for your money! She told Frieda that it doesn’t matter if you don’t love her because she’s only with you for your money! She’s going to suck you dry. She doesn’t want or love you. She’s a gold-digger.”

“Who the hell do you think you are to call my sister a gold digger.”

Um.

What the hell were they all doing here?

CHAPTER 17

Barren couldn’t believe this. His entire day had been a mess. Paul Lancaster had turned up to their meeting with all of his brothers. He was demanding that Barren find them a buyer for their multi-million-dollar corporation. One that they’d wanted to sell since their father died.

But as he kept telling him, his father had left equal shares to all of his eight children. So if they wanted to sell the entire thing, they needed everyone to agree. Honestly, it seemed that they were still arguing amongst themselves about selling.

He was about to tell them all to get lost when Melly had called him to tell him that Krystal was here and abusing Phoebe. Well, he wasn’t having that. He hadn’t expected his clients to follow him out… or for them to say…

“Sister?” he repeated, glancing from Phoebe to Paul Lancaster and his brothers.

Zane Lancaster stepped forward, scowling at Krystal. “Why would our sister need his money when she is likely worth twenty times what he is.”

“Seems this bitch didn’t do her homework,” Joseph sung, grinning.

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