Page 90 of Seal My Fate

“For now,” Saint replies coldly, pausing as we turn to go. “Remember, Dad, you have until the end of the day to release your statement. Then we’re turning all the trial data over to the authorities and letting them take it from here.”

“Anthony—Saint, please, you’ll ruin us!” Saint’s mother, Lillian, lets out a wretched cry. She’s stricken: Her life of status and luxury slipping away before her very eyes. “We’ll lose everything."

“Ironic, isn’t it?” he tells her coolly. “You sold your souls, and it was all for nothing in the end.”

“You have to understand, we did this for you,” his father pleas. “For the Ashford legacy—yourlegacy!”

“We’re your family!” his mother adds.

Saint pauses there in the doorway, and shoots them a final, furious look. “No, you aren’t. Not anymore. Tessa’s my family now.”

And he takes my hand, and we walk out, and away from Ashford for the last time.

Chapter23

Tessa

Sunlight falls through the palm trees, a gentle breeze whispers my bare skin, and the only sound I can hear is the gentle swish of waves lapping the shore.

Paradise.

I let out a blissful sigh, lounging in a luxury cabana right on the waterfront. The beach is deserted, white sand sparkling under the South Pacific sun, and there’s nobody in sight—aside from a discreet waiter, who materializes with another icy drink as soon as I slurp the last of the old one.

“Can I get you anything else, ma’am?” he asks.

“No, thank you. I’m great.”

He nods, retreating out of sight again. I sit back, nibbling a chunk of pineapple from the rim. Great? How about completely, luxuriously perfect…

Saint surprised me with a trip, after everything exploded back in England. The downfall of Ashford Pharma was front page news, and suddenly, there were reporters camped outside his house, braying for answers. After everything we’d been through, he said we needed a break. I was expecting an escape to the countryside, maybe, or even a little getaway in Europe, but instead he whisked me first-class across the world, to one of the most exclusive resorts around. No reporters stalking our every move, no lawyers blowing up our phones all day; nothing but miles of white sand and turquoise waters, and total privacy.

Even clothing is optional.

My phone buzzes with a familiar ring tone, the only one I’m picking up these days. I answer, smiling. “Wren!

“I take it that you made it to the island okay?”

“How do you know?”

“I can hear the smile in your voice.”

I laugh. “Well, it’s kind of impossible not to, when you’re surrounded by this kind of luxury,” I admit. “We have a massive villa with a private pool, right on the beach, and we’ve been here a full day already, and I haven’t seen a single other guest.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Wren teases. “Soon, you’ll be expecting caviar with every meal, and turning up your nose at any bedsheets that are less than two thousand thread-count!”

“Believe me, I’m not taking anything for granted. Not one single day,” I reply. “Nearly dying a half-dozen times will do that to you.”

“Oh, I know. I’m making it a habit to eat ice cream every day,” Wren reports with a giggle. “There’s a place just down the street from my new apartment, and I’m working my way through the flavor list. Life’s too short to skip the double-chocolate chunk.”

“Amen!” I agree, smiling. “So how are you getting settled in?”

“I’m great!” she exclaims. “I finally got my new furniture delivered, so my apartment is starting to feel like a home. You should see this place. It’s too big for me, but I love it. My balcony has a view of the ocean, and I’m even thinking about getting a dog. They were doing adoptions at the farmer’s market, on the weekend, and I fell in love with this one puppy, a golden Labrador.”

“Like Buster!” I say, naming our childhood dog.

“Exactly. I got the details of the adoption place, so I’m going to visit this week, and see if we bond.”

“You have to send me all the photos,” I say immediately, and she laughs.

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