Page 73 of Hot Momosa

Dahlia

“There you are.”My father flashed me a million-watt smile. “Why are you sitting in the dark?”

“Did you have anything to do with the article in the paper?” I don’t know what possessed me to ask. Leaking that sort of garbage wasn’t his style. However, I wouldn’t put it past Robert to make a statement about the stalker and hint that Leo was involved.

His face fell. “I’d hoped you wouldn’t see it until we’d had a chance to talk.”

My mouth moved but nothing came out. He might as well have punched me in the stomach, it would have hurt less.

“Robert spoke with Harry. It was their idea. Since you’re engaged now, they thought it would solve a lot of problems.” He shoved his hands in his designer slacks.

“I don’t see how lies solve anything. Actually, it might have put me and Gunnar in danger.” I stood and forced him to look up an inch or two to meet my gaze. “The stalker is getting more desperate. He found me at Leo’s and took pictures from outside the sliding glass door.”

“I don’t understand. What does Harrison claiming Gunnar as his son have to do with Leo Marchionni?” His eyes widened. “What in the Sam-Hell were you doing at that man’s house? Does Harry know?”

The room tilted. “What are you talking about?”

“The news article.” My dad frowned.

Holding my hands up, I took a step back. “Harry told the world Gunnar was his?”

He wouldn’t. Would he?

I couldn’t imagine Harrison going to the media and lying about being the father of another man’s child. Then again, I never thought he’d beat his wife or hurt women he dated. And the conversation we’d had? I’d believed his lies.

“The press release went out late last night…” The color drained from my father’s face. “What article are you referring to?”

“Shanna called to tell me about a story that ran yesterday about the stalker. They alluded that Leo was a suspect. Now answer my question.”

“Some reporter contacted Harry asking how he felt about you having a child with Leo. Harry and Robert thought if they gave the press a love story, the press would lay off the Marchionni angle.”

“I can’t believe this.” I’d suggested the same thing to Robert, only I’d planned to tell the truth.

He glared. “I never would have agreed to it had I known you were lying to me about your relationship with Leo Marchionni. He’s a criminal.”

“I’m not the one who’s been lying to you. I have never stayed the night at Harrison’s place, let alone moved in. Nor have he and I had sex.”

“Never?”

“No. If you must know, the only man I have ever been with is Leo.”

It was my father’s turn to gape.

“That’s right, Dad. The man you chose for me to marry has been feeding you a steady diet of bull crap.”

“I’m sure he had his reasons…”

The stress of the previous few days caught up to me. The fear. The helplessness. The anger. All of it boiled up and came out of my mouth. “I’ll tell you his reason. He’s an entitled bastard who can’t take no for an answer. You want to talk about a criminal? What about Harrison? He beat his wife so severely she was hospitalized. And that’s not all. A handful of women have accused him of stalking, and worse. Last time I checked, rape was illegal.”

“That’s enough.” Robert Becker stepped forward and ran his hand from the back of my father’s head to his shoulder—tenderly.

He leaned into the touch before he caught himself and stiffened.

What the hell?

“How dare you speak to your father in that tone?” Robert clasped his hands behind his back and pointedly avoided making eye contact with his employer.

My mind spun like a carnival ride. How many times had I walked in on their hushed conversations? Questioned the need for Robert to spend so much time in our home? Overheard my mother crying about their sham of a marriage?

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