Page 93 of Coldhearted King

“Suffice it to say, I’ll be serving your father with divorce papers first thing tomorrow.”

The news is hardly a surprise. It’s not as if their marriage has ever been anything more than a matter of convenience, and my father has just stopped being convenient. It was only a matter of time after Dad was found guilty, or in this case, admitted his guilt. “I’m sure he’ll be expecting it.”

She sniffs. “He’s lucky I held off as long as I did.”

“Well, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” I say. “Obviously you are, so, considering it’s eleven-thirty p.m. here, I’ll say goodbye.”

There’s a long pause and I glance at my phone to check it’s still connected. Hesitation isn’t exactly Mom’s style. “How are you and your brothers doing with...everything?” she finally says.

Now it’s my turn to search for words. I don’t remember the last time she voluntarily asked any of us how we were doing. I clear my throat. “I’m okay. I’ve got back-to-back meetings with all our investors over here. I’ll have to do some more damage control once the news spreads about Dad’s plea bargain. Roman is dealing with some shit from Berrington, but I’m sure he’ll handle it. And Tate...Well, Tate is Tate. Not much seems to faze him.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re all doing well, but I should go,” she says, and I almost laugh. She’s obviously reached the extent of her motherly concern. Which, considering she normally has none, is impressive. “I’m having dinner with the Jeffersons tonight. I’m sure they’ll ask about your father, so I’m going to have a glass of wine beforehand.”

“Good idea. The Jeffersons are painful at the best of times.”

After we say our farewells, I turn the phone in my hands as I stare into the dimly lit room. Having Mom ask about how my brothers and I are doing when there’s no one else around to keep up appearances for is unusual, and I’m not sure what it means. Is it just an aberration or is being away from Dad softening her a little? Or is it possible that what Delilah said during our last lunch together made some kind of impact?

I shake my head. I’m obviously reading into it too much. Being around someone as caring as Delilah has me seeing signs of affection in others that aren’t really there. For all I know, this was just a one-off because of the recent events with Dad.

But now Delilah’s on my mind again. Not that she seems to be off it much these days. I open my phone again and pull up her number. I stare at it, the same debate I’ve had every night running through my head. It’s been six days since I’ve heard her voice. Only four more days before I’ll be back in the US, and she’ll be back in my bed. I’ve made it this long; I can last four more days. My finger hovers over the screen for another moment, ready to close everything down and go to sleep. And then I’m hitting call and leaning back against the headboard as I wait for her to pick up.

“Hi, Cole. I’m so happy you called.”

Her soft, sweet voice sends a rush of warmth spreading through me. Fuck, I’m in so much trouble. “How are you?” I ask.

“I’m good. Working hard to get the detailed designs done so they can get signed off by the deadline.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage it. Don’t work too hard. Make sure to take a break.”

“Yes, Dad,” she teases.

An unexpected grin spreads across my face. “You could at least go with daddy.”

She laughs. “I didn’t take you as the daddy type.”

“You’re right. Let’s avoid daddy.”

“How are you doing, anyway?” she asks.

I rub my hand over my face. “Roman called. Dad took the plea bargain today.”

“Oh, Cole. Are you okay?”

I have to stop and think. Am I okay? When Mom asked how I was doing before, I told her about work. I didn’t stop to assess how I’m feeling about everything, and I doubt I would have shared it with her regardless. But with Delilah...

“I don’t know. I feel...conflicted. There’s never been any love lost between us. I respected him as a businessman, but I didn’t love him as a father. And now, any respect I had for him has been destroyed.”

“That makes sense. What he did was selfish.”

“Exactly. My brothers and I were raised to put the company above everything else. It’s our name. Our legacy. It’s the only damn thing holding this family together, and he risked it all. For what? For women that weren’t his wife. Women he had no connection with other than the physical. I can’t reconcile his behavior.”

“I guess the only thing I can say is that people are complicated. Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to make sense of his behavior. Sometimes you can’t. Sometimes you just have to accept that people make selfish decisions all the time without thinking or caring about the consequences for the people they’re supposed to love the most. Family should always come first. Maybe that’s a lesson your father never truly learned.”

She’s right. Family was never Dad’s priority; it was the wealth and the power he craved. The women were just part of that. Another way to bolster his ego.

“Is your mom okay?”

Trust her to ask, even though Mom was rude to her the only time they’ve met. “She’s divorcing him.”

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