Page 27 of The Ring Thief
“You loved him,” he says softly, a reminder.
“The person I loved never even existed. It was a lie from the start. He never wanted to be with me, not really. And now he’s with her.” The words burst out of me in a broken rush, and he stands, rounding the desk to crouch in front of me, hands cupping my cheeks.
“Just because he wasn’t real, doesn’t mean your love was a lie,” he says, his expression sincere. “Love doesn’t just turn off like a faucet, and it will take time to heal from this wound. Just because you can’t see it, that doesn’t mean you aren’t bleeding.”
I feel my face crumple, and then I’m throwing my arms around him,clinging desperately like I’m still a little girl, needing her dad to make it all better. But I guess I am.
“How can I still love someone who used me like that?” I whisper. “How can I love someone who was always thinking about being with someone else?”
It takes several minutes before I pull myself together, his hands stroking my hair and back, reminiscent of how he’d comfort me as a child. When my breathing has evened out, he straightens, his expression turning stern.
“We’ll fix this, Lilypad, I promise you that.”
“How? When you sold?—”
He shushes me. “We’re not talking about that yet.” Guilt surges at his words, making me wonder whether he doesn’t want to talk about it with me because he does blame me, if only a little.
I would, if I were him.
“Now, if we’re going to make this work,” he starts, his expression turning focused, “we’re going to need character witnesses and evidence about his deception. I know who can help with that, but they won’t like it,” he says the last part almost to himself, but I’m struggling to follow along. “That’s okay, I’ll make them see sense.”
“Dad—”
“We’ll need a lawyer. Martin Jarvis specializes in corporate law, but he should be able to refer us to someone. And I know a judge who owes me a favor, so I’m sure he’ll get us on the docket as soon as we’re ready.”
Feeling like he’s planning everything at the speed of freaking light, I lean forward to catch his eye. “Dad!” He doesn’t blink, his face a mask of concentration, so I get louder, “Daddy!”
The name I’ve rarely used since I was thirteen, and decided I was far too old to still be calling him that, catches his attention. He sits back on his heels in front of me, tilting his head to look at me with a smile. “We’ve got this, Lilypad.”
I groan in exasperation. “Got what, Dad?”
He stands up and heads for his desk, telling me over his shoulder. “You won’t be getting divorced, Lily. You’ll be getting an annulment. I’m going to make it like this never even happened.” He picks up his phone, fingers moving rapidlyover the screen.
“Can we do that?” I ask, unsure.
There’s a twitch to his mouth, but he lifts a hand, swiping it away with a brush of his thumb. “Probably.” He waits a beat. “Possibly. It’s all going to come down to what evidence we can get, and if I get certain people to play ball. But like I said, I know a couple of guys, including a judge.” He sends me a confident wink. “I’ve got it all in hand, you’ll see.”
My thoughts are blowing across my mind like tumbleweeds in a desert, but I manage to snag one. “You said earlier there was something I didn’t know. What did you mean?”
He pauses, his expression thoughtful, like he’s considering whether to tell me or not. He shifts his weight, almost like he’s bracing, before he admits, “Declan was here five days ago.”
“What?” I lean forward so fast, I almost topple out of my seat. Figuring the question bears repeating, I ask again, “What? Why didn’t you te—” I snap my mouth closed, my teeth clacking together forcefully, but it’s too late, an amused rebuke crossing his expression.
“I’m sorry, were you just about to ask why I didn’t tell you?” he chides. “Careful with those stones you’re lobbing, Lily.” He watches me carefully, waiting to see if I’m going to interrupt again, but I hold my tongue, lesson learned. “I didn’t tell you,” he continues, censure still coloring his tone, “because you wouldn’t take my calls.” He flicks up an eyebrow. “For a week, Lily. You didn’t take my calls for a week.”
I inhale slowly, feeling like I’m on a seesaw, my stomach churning from the constant roll of emotions. “I’m sorry, Dad,” I apologize again, but then, “Why?” bursts out of my mouth.
I don’t have to explain what I mean, but concern furrows his brows as he meets my eyes, mouth pursed like he doesn’t want to say.
I shake my head. “Please,” I beg, “no more secrets.” I press a hand to my chest, trying to alleviate the ache that’s settled there, as he watches me, resignation pulling down his mouth.
“He was here to renege on the deal,” he announces quietly. “I didn’t sell the company. Declan doesn’t own Hi-Tech. I do.”
CHAPTER 13
Lily
Igive myself a minute to process that bomb, vaguely aware of Dad working away on his phone. Every so often, he’ll throw a worried glance my way, like he’s checking I’m still there and not falling apart.
