Kingdom Fall

“Mother.”

Instant fear coated her face before she composed herself and turned to face Striker. “Connor, baby, I’ve missed you.”

As I had earlier, she extended her hands and stepped forward—only to stop. The don’t you dare look in his eyes had paralyzed her.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“This is my house,” she said.

“We both know that’s not true. Your separation required you to move out. And we both know you wouldn’t have come here unless you were one-hundred percent sure Dad wouldn’t be here. Him being in the hospital is convenient for you.”

“My things are still here,” she said, the fight back in her.

“Talk to your lawyers.”

“We shouldn’t have this conversation right now.” She glanced back at me before looking at her son.

“Why not.”

“I don’t know who this woman is even if she claims to be your wife, but she isn’t a part of this.”

“She is…” Connor walked over to me and took my hand. “Apart of this and my wife.” When he lifted it to press a kiss to my knuckles, it flashed the ring on my finger. I’d gotten so used to it being there, I’d forgotten it was.

“You hate me so much you didn’t invite me to your wedding? I bet Royce was there and he’s not your real father. You prefer him over me, and I gave birth to ye.” That was the first time I’d noticed a slight Irish accent from her.

“And how, Mother, do you know who my father is? You were sleeping with Dad and his best friend.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Fine you want to do this now in front of her?” Connor nodded. “Royce was a pompous ass. Charles is a real man and he told me about your father’s vasectomy. Why would Royce lie about that all of these years? He has to know the truth. The only reason is his jealousy of Charles, and he wanted to keep you to spite him. The least you could do is return his phone calls. Do you want your father to stay in jail forever?”

Connor stiffened next to me and I almost felt like leaving them to talk alone. Only Striker held on to me tight, like he needed me there. “He’s not my father.”

“Not that I blame you,” she continued, as if Striker hadn’t said a word. “The money is a lot, but Charles has money too and he’s your dad.”

“It doesn’t matter who the sperm donor is. If Charles cared one bit about me, he would have been there for me years ago.”

I agreed with Connor there. This Charles seemed just as selfish as his mother. Maybe they deserved each other.

“We were securing your future. He had to keep it a secret.”

“You’re lying, Mother. Neither of you thought that until Charles had the confrontation with Kalen.”

I felt like I was watching a bad TV drama plot.

“That’s not true. Royce wanted a son. He couldn’t have Kalen, so he accepted you,” he said.

Connor’s jaw tightened. “You urged him not to pursue Kalen.”

Some women didn’t deserve to be mothers and she was one of them.

“For you. If you’d fallen in line instead of dreaming and drawing, you would have been the next CEO. That boy wouldn’t be here.”

I guessed that boy was Kalen. From what Bailey told me Kalen was probably as conflicted as Connor was about their father. There was love and hate. But Kalen had come to New York to help run the company when their father had asked him to.

“He deserves to be here. He’s Dad son. From your lips, I’m not.”

“You’re a stubborn boy. You get that from—” She stopped herself.

“From whom, Mother?” Connor snapped.

“After everything I’ve done for you.”

“What have you done for me? Truly.”

I wanted to jump in, but she shook her finger at him and spoke before me. “The day that man finds out you don’t belong to him, don’t come looking for me.”

Then she stormed out, her heels clicking on the marble floor. How had I not heard her approach?

He didn’t say a word for a few minutes, giving the woman time to exit. “Sorry about that.”

I shifted so we were facing each other. “How much did you know?”

“Most of it, I guess. She and Charles ambushed me at the office a few months ago.”

This was the part that hurt the most. “Is that why you married me?”

“Because of Charles?” he asked, looking confused.

“Don’t. You said you knew most of it. That includes the inheritance.”

“What inher…”

I pulled free as he trailed off. “So you did know. I should have figured marrying me benefited you too.” I blew out a breath. “You blamed me for not ending it when you could have as well. I bet you were just pleased to pieces that I didn’t get a lawyer.”

He ran a hand over his head, and I stepped back, fighting the urge to run.