The Tycoon

“Why didn’t he tell me?”

“I imagine he was trying to protect you. And perhaps—himself.”

I took the papers. And the ring box.

“Thank you,” she said. “And I know my opinion doesn’t matter, but Clayton isn’t a bad guy. He’s just bad at being good. I don’t think anyone ever showed him how.”

Fuck. I did not want to feel empathy for the guy. At all.

But that was him, in a nutshell. He had his father and my father as role models.

“Thank you, Madison,” I said, and the lawyer turned and walked to her car. I went back into the house, where the dogs had pulled themselves out of our heartbreak nest and were cleaning out their food bowls.

I set the papers and the box on the kitchen counter in a bright square of sunlight that came in through the back door. The sunlight made the papers glow like they were more important than they were.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I muttered and I flipped open the file.

A contract giving me control of the company. The trust and the foundation. All dated that first week after my father died. Just a few days after Clayton had sent that letter to Dylan.

The last page of the contract was a letter.

Dear Veronica,

The company is yours. It was my plan from the beginning. You are the King who should have inherited everything. For the last five years I have been telling myself that I was just keeping it for you. When your father died, I was sure the company would go to you, and taking care of it in those years was my honor. There are quality people in the organization who can hit the ground running. My former assistant, Denise, is one of them. She should probably be vice president, just so you’re aware.

I wish I could give your father credit for seeing how this would all unfold, but we both know that’s a lie. He never saw your worth. And for that I am so sorry, Veronica. But I hope you understand it is his loss.

The trust is yours to control for your sisters as you see fit. So is the foundation.

I wish more than I can say that I had done this the day of the funeral. If I were more noble, I would have. If I were less selfish, I would have. If I had been able to dream of a way to keep you in the room with me long enough to tell you how sorry I was, I would have.

But I saw you and I felt how I always feel in your presence—like I wanted more. More time. More you. Another chance to make it right.

I’ve been so happy these last few weeks and I know you have been too. I had my window for honesty and I missed it. I’m so sorry.

The ring is yours, as well. My mother would have loved you and my father was right, she would have wanted you to have it.

You were right, what you said. We are terrible at understanding what we are worth and you, my beautiful Veronica, are worth everything.

I choose you. I love you.

Even though it’s too late.

I put down the paper and stepped back.

He gave me the company. He gave me…everything. I felt like I was floating. Or sinking. Yep. Sinking. I was suddenly sitting on the ground, the dogs stepping over me with concern. I heard the front door open and Bea coming up the stairs.

She would talk me out of feeling this way, I thought. She would remind me that he lied. And that he manipulated. She will remind me that I am better off without him. Someone needed to, because all I wanted on this planet was to get to him as fast as I could.

“What’s going on?” Bea asked, coming in to see me sitting in the middle of the kitchen, the dogs sitting nervously next to me.

“Read that.” I pointed to the papers on the counter.

“It’s like a contract. For the company?”

“He’s giving it to me. He was going to all along. Read the last page.”

Bea did, her lips moving a little, the way they always did, and I closed my eyes because my heart was full enough.

“Holy shit,” Bea finally breathed.

“It’s bullshit, right?” I asked. “It’s him thinking he can have everything.”

“I don’t know, Ronnie,” Bea said. “He kinda gave you everything.”

My breath caught in my throat. “He did, didn’t he.”

“I mean…” Bea looked down at the letter and back at me. “I’ve had some guys try to win me back before, but…Bea…he just burned down his whole world for you.”

I rested my head on Thelma’s back, and she held still and let me, and Bea got down on the floor with me.

“Do you love him?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Do you…believe him?”

I lifted my head off Thelma, who took her opportunity to get away. “I do. I mean, the crazy thing is that he’s never lied. He hasn’t told me the whole truth, sometimes, but when he does tell me something, it’s always the truth.”