Page 34 of Overnight Inheritance

“You too, Rosario. Is Sebastian in?”

She shook her head. “He’s having lunch with Ashley’s parents. Since it’s her birthday, the first one since she died, I think they were going to do something to commemorate it.”

“Oh, of course,” Mae said, trying not to betray her feelings. Maybe it was nothing, but was it weird that Sebastian hadn’t mentioned this at all? She’d seen him last night and he’d sent a text at 7 a.m. to say good morning, but there had been no mention of something this big. She considered the other side of the story, for balance. Perhaps he was thinking it would be awkward for her? Still, she was going to have to mention to him that secrets were a deal breaker for her.

Rosario pointed to her headset. “Give me a minute to finish this call before you go, though. I was hoping to talk to you today.”

“Sure,” Mae said and glanced out the window.

An older man with gold-rimmed glasses and an angry face stormed in, pushed past her, and opened the door to Sebastian’s office.

He stomped back and scowled at Rosario. “Where is he?”

“I’m sorry. I need to put you on hold again for a moment,” Rosario said into the headset’s microphone. To the man, she said, “Mr. Newport, he’s not available right now.”

Mae was suddenly on full alert. This was Sebastian’s father, Christopher Newport. Sebastian looked nothing like this pasty-faced man with sandy hair—he must have taken after his mother in looks.

“I can see that,” Christopher said. “I askedwherehe was.”

Rosario didn’t flinch or falter. “I’m afraid he didn’t tell me. I’m only his assistant.”

“This is unacceptable—” He froze as he caught sight of Mae waiting to the side, all color draining from his face. His mouth opened and then closed again.

In the background, Mae heard Rosario going back to her call and ending it. “Mr. Newport, I can take a message and pass it to Sebastian when he gets back.”

Christopher didn’t take his focus from Mae. “I assume you’re Joseph’s other missing brat. At least you look more like the Rutherfords than your brother.”

Mae weighed her options. Even if she hadn’t already known what sort of man Christopher was, it was clear now that nothing good was going to come out of his mouth and she should step outside until he was gone. But this man had been her father’s business partner and rival, and she expected to see something of her father in him—more than she’d seen anything of her father in his sister, Sarah, so morbid curiosity kept her there.

Besides, this was Sebastian’s father and observing him for a few moments might give her more of an insight into the man who occupied her every waking thought.

And so she stuck out her hand. “Good to meet you, Mr. Newport. I’m Mae Dunstan.”

He stared at her hand without reaching for it, then looked back up at her. “I’d heard rumors that Sebastian was taking a leaf out of my book, but I didn’t believe it.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”

He smirked. “You look like your aunt.”

She’d heard that often enough, but it still didn’t make sense. “So I believe. Not sure how that relates to Sebastian.”

He tipped his head to the side in what he probably thought was a suave gesture. “Sarah and I used to be together.”

“You and Sarah?” she said, incredulous.

“What? You think I wasn’t good enough for her? She was obsessed with me back in the day.”

Magnificent Sarah, obsessed with this buffoon? “I find that hard to believe.”

He lifted his chin in the air. “I almost had her father convinced to leave his share of Bellavista to her. Then once I married her the whole company would have been mine.”

A creeping chill spread across her skin. Something about his words seemed very off. “What about Joseph?”

“Your father was a jerk.” He’d spat the words with contempt. “And stupid too. Sarah was the brains of the family, and their father knew it. And if I’d pulled my plan off, you and your brother would never have seen a cent either.”

“That’s an interesting story, but you obviously didn’t pull it off. Heath and I inherited everything, so something went wrong.”

His eyes shifted to the doorway. “I changed my mind,” he said with less bluster.

---