Page 60 of The Exposed Heiress

Emma remained quiet. She wasn’t about to tell her mother that he wanted love. She wouldn’t survive if her mother scoffed at the idea.

Georgia gathered her blanket closer. “Emma, be reasonable. You need to be with someone that understands the fashion world. Someone from a good family.”

She drew in a deep breath. “I came to check on Dad. And you. You need to start living again. If possible, you should both make an appearance on the opening day of Fashion Week. It’ll show unity within our family.”

Her mother clutched her chest. “Your father would have to be in a wheelchair. I don’t want the press taking photographs of that.”

Emma straightened her spine. “Yes, people know that he’s had a long road to recovery. But seeing him out and about would be good.”

Her mother flicked her hair back from her face. “I don’t agree.”

Emma ignored the pain clutching at her insides. “You’ve dumped everything on me. All of your odd expectations, along with your strange ideas about hiding the truth. Now you need to show up and support me.”

Her mother’s voice rose. “I can’t do it.”

She met her mother’s cold stare and kept her voice even. “I expect you both to be there.”

Emma left the room without saying anything else. She could hear her mother calling her name and steadfastly kept walking. If her mother failed to show up, she would make sure there were consequences. She refused to keep sacrificing her life for her family’s legacy.

Stepping into the kitchen, she saw Elyse slicing cucumbers for a salad.

Emma glanced at the housekeeper. “How are you holding up?”

The older woman dried her hands on her apron. “I’m fine.”

“It can’t be easy, Elyse. I’m sorry.”

Elyse nodded. “It’s been tough on your mother.”

Emma said, “I’d like to borrow one of the cars from the garage.”

The housekeeper nodded and said, “The keys are hanging in the usual place.”

Smiling, Emma said, “Thank you. I’ll be back in a few days. I’m going to see my father, and then need the car to run a few errands.”

Elyse looked towards the refrigerator. “Should I pack you a meal to go?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not hungry. Good night.”

Walking out to the garage, she looked at the three cars parked inside. Her mother had a black Mercedes that she rarely drove. Her father’s beloved Bentley had been cleaned and polished, but she opted to take the small red Mini Cooper used by the family to run errands.

Leaving the estate, a heaviness lifted off of her. The expectations her family had always felt like a lead weight, pulling her down into murky depths. She had to find a way to let go of their expectations and live her own life.

Driving on a road near the estate, she thought about denying her relationship with Leo to the reporter. Why did she want to hide it? Did she think others would judge her because she had been engaged to his brother a year ago? She had wanted to protect what they had together. But she ended up throwing it away.

Her muscles felt stiff and she had difficulty swallowing. Putting her turn signal on, she turned onto a side road and pulled onto the grass.

Emma brought the car to a complete stop and put it in park. She covered her face with her hands and leaned into the steering wheel. Tears streamed down her cheeks and a sob escaped from deep inside.

She missed Leo. She missed everything about him. The way he held her tightly, the feel of his broad chest and how he whispered her name. She couldn’t imagine creating a life without him. Why would he simply walk away from her? He must know that she had a hard time disclosing things about herself.

He hadn’t listened to her explanation or cared about the way the reporter has treated her.

She trusted him with her heart. He must know that she loved him. Maybe he didn’t care. More tears slid down her face. When sobs began to rack her body, she made herself stop. She couldn’t fall apart. She couldn’t.

Leaning back against the headrest, she looked for a tissue or something to clean her face. Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car and retrieved her overnight bag from the boot. She put the bag on the passenger seat and found her makeup wipes. It took a few minutes to get her breathing under control, and she flipped the mirror down to look at her red, blotchy face. Taking a wipe, she slowly cleaned under her eyes and down her cheeks.

She couldn’t allow a failed relationship to destroy her. The idea surfaced that maybe she was being dramatic. She shook her head slowly. It was better to face reality. For whatever reason, Leo didn’t want to continue seeing her. He wanted to be free.

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