Page 134 of Destiny

Chapter Forty-Four

Ava

Dad and I arrive, along with Brendan, at a beautiful ranch house in Barrel Oaks. Brendan knocks, and a nice-looking young man with auburn hair opens the door. I can’t help it. I gape. He does look a lot like Brendan.

“Jack,” Brendan says, shaking his hand. “I’d like you to meet your cousin Ava, my lovely fiancée, and your uncle, Ryan Steel.”

Jack nods, gesturing for us to come in. “Please.”

“Where’s your mom?” Brendan asks.

“She’s in the living room. This has all been a lot for her to process.”

“For all of us,” Brendan says.

Dad takes the lead, following Jack into the room where my aunt sits. She’s pretty, and in a way, she looks like me. No pink hair, of course. But the blue eyes—the blue eyes that I always thought came from my mother.

She rises, smiling weakly.

“Hello,” Dad says, holding out his hand. “I’m Ryan Steel.”

“I’m Lauren Wingdam.” Her hands shake as she hands Dad a paper.

He takes it. “Thank you. I’ve already seen this, as my wife is a good friend of the lab tech who ran the test. I know you’re my sister. And I… I’m just so sorry that we didn’t get to grow up together.”

A small smile tugs on Lauren’s lips. “Don’t you worry about that.”

“I do worry about it, Lauren. I’m going to talk to my brothers and my sister. We’re going to cut you in on the Steel fortune. It’s your birthright.”

“But it’s not.”

“It is as much as it is mine. We’re both illegitimate children of Brad Steel. If I deserve it, so do you.”

“I don’t think our mother saw it that way.”

“No, she probably didn’t. But Brendan tells me that you and your mother had a falling out.”

“We’ve never been close.” Lauren drops her gaze. “She never felt I was worthy. I always figured it was because I didn’t come from the one love of her life, Brad Steel. Now, it turns out that Idocome from him.”

“Because you came from an artificial insemination,” Dad says. “That’s how our mother’s mind worked. I came from the sex act itself, and I grew up in Brad Steel’s house.”

“In what world does that make sense?” Lauren asks.

“In our mother’s world, unfortunately. She was a mess, Lauren, as I’m sure you know. And I, for one, am glad she’s gone—for good, this time.”

I approach from behind my father. “Hello.”

“This is my daughter, Ava.”

I hold out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you,” I say.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Ava. Did you bring your mother?”

Dad shakes his head. “Ruby wanted to come, but she and I both agreed that we didn’t want to overwhelm you, even though the two of you have already met. I have another daughter as well, Gina. She just finished her fall semester at Mesa, and she’s still there, partying before the holidays.”

Lauren simply nods.

Dad sighs. “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through. But I have to ask…”

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