Page 125 of Oblivion

“You’re all making me nervous.” I laughed to try and ease the tension, but all I was offered was sympathetic smiles.

James motioned me into the living room, and I sat on the cream couch beside Mom.

The familiar surroundings seemed foreign, like I was seeing the paisley cream and blue-green curtains and feeling the plush cream carpet beneath my feet for the first time. I grabbed a cream-colored cushion from the couch and hugged it to my body.

Mom fidgeted and twisted her fingers together, pushing my already frazzled nerves through the roof. She looked up into my uncle’s tight smile when he clasped her hands.

“Ready, Cyns?”

“No.” Mom’s single word was solemn and accompanied with a head shake.

I raised a hand. “I am.”

James sat on the chaise of the L-shaped couch and leaned forward on his elbows. Lizzie reached across from her armchair and laid a hand on his thigh. He linked their fingers and gave her an endearing smile. They were always a united front during times of uncertainty, and today was no exception.

“What do you know already, Penny?” James asked in a gentle tone.

I swallowed and glanced at Mom. Tears already welled in her eyes. Each one weighed on my heart. I didn’t know how much she already knew, but she had to havesomeidea.

“Well, let me start off by saying I quit my job this morning, dumped my beautiful car, and cut all ties with Paul.”

James’ brows rose in surprise. “Why?”

I drew a deep breath. “So, you know the paternity results I received on my birthday?” They all nodded. “Well,hesent them.”

Mom jolted as if slapped, and James snapped to his feet.“What?”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “Apparently, he suspected I wasn’t his biological daughter for years, and decided to confirm it before I turned twenty-one. That way he had an excuse to withhold my inheritance.”

“Jesus Christ,” James hissed, lacing his fingers at the back of his head.

I laughed bitterly. “Oh, there’s more. The kidnapping?Heorganized it because it won him sympathy votes in the election. And you know how I found out? I went to surprise him this morning by returning to work early, and he wasthankingthe man who took me. Ronan is his name.

“He forced me into Dad’s office, and Dad admitted to using me to further his political career. Hethenthreatened that if I didn’t sign an NDA, I wouldn’t get a cent from him. If I did sign it, I would only get half, because the other half was used to pay for the kidnapping.”

I met Lizzie’s stricken, wide-eyed stare while my uncle cursed and paced the living room. I couldn’t look at Mom. She cried beside me and I was barely holding myself together.

“This is all my fault,” she whispered.

“No, Mom, it’s not. Not at all. I’m sorry for blaming you. I was wrong. It was him all along. I’m so sorry for taking it out on you.”

Sorrow-filled eyes locked with mine, and Mom opened her arms to me. My threatening tears spilled over as we clung to each other. I couldn’t believe I’d been so blind and so quick to point the finger. Regret floored me, and I grimaced against the accompanying ache.

“It’s okay, Kitty Cat,” Mom murmured. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t know any of this. I left because of his resentment and anger-fueled ranting, but I had no idea he was behind it all.”

Her grip increased to the point I could hardly breathe. It was perfect and exactly what I needed, and I didn’t want her to let me go. If I could have hugged away all the guilt, I would have.

If only.

When our embrace finally eased, I kept a hold of Mom’s hand. I glanced between her, Aunt Lizzie, and Uncle James.

“What I don’t understand is why he wouldn’t tell me who my real father is. He told me to ask you,” I said to Mom.

The air in the room clamped. It physically chilled as if frozen by some sort of out of this world superpower. Tension rose and coiled in my throat.

“Mom?”

She angled toward me and pulled my hand onto her lap. She hesitated and darted a glance at my aunt and uncle.

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