“Still.” He turned to look at his father. “You are a disgrace to me and to your own name.”

“How dare you?” James spat out. “You foolish seed of mine.”

“What are you going to do? Hit me?” Lucas asked as he towered over his father. “Go ahead then give me chances of self-defense.”

James was all talk; he lowered his head when Lucas confronted him.

“You will delete anything that you have on Kate,” Lucas demanded. “Just so you know, I have pictures of your infidelity. I have recorded this entire conversation. If I see an accidental release of her privates online, everything that has happened today will be revealed to the public.”

“Have I made myself clear?” Lucas asked.

I had no idea that I was recording. I didn't even anticipate that Kate would confess or James would confirm it. Lucas had strategized it and taken advantage, earning him some extra love points.

“Tch,” James sucked his teeth and pulled out his phone.

Lucas observed as the older man fiddled with his phone. Lucas looked away at some images. I could tell that he was selecting and deleting the nudes.

“All gone,” he showed Lucas the phone. “So, make sure you don't release today's recording as you promised.”

“Just make sure there are no copies of what you just deleted, and we're good,” Lucas assured him, then turned to Kate. “You don't have to worry about him ever again.”

That man had proven twice how much of a knight in shining armor he really was.

Chapter twenty-seven

Leaving

Kate

I was free to go. Blinded by greed, I had fallen in love with the wrong person and nearly lost my reputation in the process. But now I was free to go. I didn't know that Lucas was recording everything, but I'm glad he did.

After the whole thing happened, James left…said he was going on a trip, but I assumed it was to heal his hurt ego. His own son had made him look small in the presence of women. I didn't feel some degree of sympathy for him, but I could relate to what he was feeling.

I still don't feel sorry for him; he deserved it.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Olivia asked.

“I'm going back to Chicago; there's an old client I want to see,” I replied.

“Oh,” she said softly. I could tell what she was trying to say was, “Haven't you learned your lesson?”

“Don't worry, he's actually a good person,” I assured her.

“I think I've heard that one before,” she remarked.

I laughed and said, ”I know. I mean it this time. He's a really good person. I couldn't tell before but after seeing James, I think I know what is good and what is rotten.”

“Not to sound judgmental,” she said, “but you're going back to all this?”

“I'm not. I just want him to teach me how to handle the trade on my own and maybe make some income ,” I replied. “If it doesn't work out, I'll try my hand in something else. Just the same way as you did. If you could do it, then surely I can.”

“That's the spirit,” she said, showing her pride in me. “Let me know if you run into any problems.”

“I will. Thank you for leaving the door open,” I said.

“I don't even feel like staying in this place tonight. I'm renting a hotel,” Lucas announced as he returned to meet us in the living room. “What are you two going to do?”

“I'm going back immediately. In fact, I will book the next flight available,” I said.