Page 48 of Single Mom's Undoing
His grip is firm, perhaps a little too firm. He’s sending me a message, and I am tempted to respond in kind, but I choose to smile and do nothing. “Most of these artworks are from my personal collection. Elizabeth purchased some of them, and now I’m ready to give back for a noble cause,” he says.
“Ah, right. It’s a charity gala.”
“Indeed, and we’ve got elite personalities flying in from all over the states and overseas for it,” Elizabeth adds. “We’ve put in a lot of work to make this happen. Should we reach our donation objective, we’ll build a new art school to service the entire county, not just Blackthorn Falls.”
I notice the subtle movement of Bill’s hand settling on the small of Elizabeth’s back, the exchange of smiles and knowing looks. There’s more going on between them than meets the eye, and it chills me to the bone.
“Since when did you develop such a strong love for Blackthorn Falls, Elizabeth? Last I checked, you were itching to get out of here and put this town behind you. Hell, you left your husband and your baby girl so you could fly around the world and live a much more glamorous life.”
“Yes, I did, but now I’m back,” she replies with a soft shrug. “I’m ready to pick up where we left off, Damon, and I deserve to be a part of Shiloh’s life. I am her mother, after all.”
“You gave birth to her, and then you abandoned her. That hardly makes you a mother,” I shoot back.
“My lawyers will disagree,” Bill intervenes, his tone clipped, his eyes hawk-like. “Even if she did renounce her parental rights, with the right amount of pressure and the right arguments in court, Elizabeth could have them restored before summer’s end.”
“And you’re helping her. Why?” I ask.
“I care about Elizabeth and her happiness. She has made me happy in a number of ways.”
“Oh, I’ll bet,” I mutter.
Bill scoffs and shakes his head. “She deserves more than my financial gratitude, and she wants to be reunited with her daughter. It’s the least I can do.”
“And frankly, I resent your comments, Damon,” Elizabeth adds, pursing her lips to make it clear that she feels insulted.
I don’t really care, not at this point, not after everything Shiloh and I went through to build a good quiet life for ourselves.
“You forget something, Mr. Lockwood,” I calmly say.
“What is that, Damon?”
He raises an eyebrow while Elizabeth inches slightly closer to him.
“You’re not the only one with the financial prowess to lead a legal battle in court anymore,” I say. “You’re not the only one who can whip out a team of $500-an-hour lawyers. Whatever you throw at me, I will match it. And I will make sure the court and the public learn precisely what kind of a mother Elizabeth chose to be.”
“I deserve a second chance, Damon. You can’t deprive me of that,” she says, practically pouting. “Shiloh deserves to get to know her mother. I just want visitation rights, for starters.”
“No.”
“Then we’ll go for full custody,” Bill interjects. “You may have the financial prowess to face me in court, Damon, but you do not have my experience or my patience.”
“Is that a threat, Mr. Lockwood?”
“It’s a promise, and my son can confirm that I always keep my promises.”
As I look at him, I feel conflicted. The other day, when he showed up at the mansion, Bill seemed warm and friendly. He didn’t show this aggressive demeanor. He did give me some persistent looks during his chat with Carter, but I thought nothing of it—until now.
Now, it all makes sense.
He’s been doing more than just business with Elizabeth, and he’s come to her rescue as soon as it became clear that I’m not giving an inch on Shiloh—ever.
He’s waging war.
“Elizabeth, I will see you in family court then. File your motion, and I will fight you with everything I’ve got,” I politely reply. “In the meantime, good luck with your charity gala. I hope it garners the success it deserves.”
“You won’t win,” she warns me.
“This isn’t a game where one of us wins and the other loses. This is our daughter we’re talking about, and if you’re more concerned about winning than you are about Shiloh’s welfare, you’re already off to a terrible start.”
