I couldn’t press him any further because there was no way for me to dispute his twisted version of events without revealing that I knew the other side of the story. He had closed every door that would allow me to dig deeper. He was a master of manipulation, just like Damien warned—Edgar’s story sounded so genuine that I would have believed every word he said if I didn’t know that there was a lot more to it than he shared.
That was my one chance, and he didn’t even flinch.
They started talking about other things, and I just kind of zoned out as I ate my food. I wasn’t going to be able to shift the conversation back to him—not without burning a bridge with my mother. I couldn’t come up with a logical reason not to live with them, especially if my mother was selling the house. I wasn’t making enough money working at the front desk of the Pembroke Hotel to afford to live on my own if I had to pay rent—I would need a second job to pull that off—and I had school expenses on top of it. I had been able to secure grants to cover my tuition because of my mother’s financial situation—but that had changed overnight. I wasn’t even sure I would still qualify for those grants when it was time to renew them.
“Please excuse me.” I put down my fork and pushed my chair back. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.”
I really didn’t have to go to the bathroom, but I needed to get away from the table for a few minutes. I sat in the stall and fumbled with my phone as I tried to figure out what I should do next. Edgar’s sob story about Damien and their so-called falling out had complicated things. My mother was obviously under Edgar’s spell and had no reason to question the story he told her. If he was as cruel as Damien said, there was no way I could let my mother walk into Sinn Manor alone after seeing how easily he could lie to her face.
If he was playing some sort of game, I had no idea what it could be—and that worried me. I had no choice but to let it play out and keep trying to dig deeper when the opportunity presented itself. If I could expose Edgar Sinn for what kind of man he truly was, then I might be able to save my mother from the life she thought she wanted—before she became another casualty of the devil’s cruelty like Damien’s mother. I knew Damien wasn’t going to be happy, but I had to tell him anyway, so I started typing a message.
Leigh: My mom is selling the house. I’m not going to be able to stay there…
Damien: What? Why is she doing that?
Leigh: Probably because your father told her to do it.
Damien: You’re not actually thinking about moving in with them at Sinn Manor, are you?
Leigh: I don’t have much of a choice.
Damien: No. We’ll find another way.
Leigh: I can’t just abandon my mother. She doesn’t realize what she’s gotten herself into.
Damien: This is a bad idea. I don’t think you realize how cruel my father can be.
Leigh: I’ll keep my guard up. I know the truth. I need to try and help my mother see it too.
Damien: Then I’ll tell her everything myself. Where are you?
Leigh: That won’t work. Your father has already filled her head with lies about you. She’s not going to believe anything you say.
Damien: I really don’t want you anywhere near him. Your mother made her choice…
Leigh: I know, but if our roles were reversed, would you just walk away?
Damien: …No.
Leigh: I’ll be careful. I promise.
Damien: I still don’t like this.
I couldn’t come up with a better plan than the one that was laid out for me by the situation itself, so I returned to the table and forced myself to eat the rest of my food under the watchful eyes of Edgar’s two over-sized bodyguards. Edgar and my mother looked like the happiest couple on the planet. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of game Edgar was truly playing or why he was with my mother. Even if he did really like her, it was way too soon for marriage—and I knew enough about my mother’s previous relationships to know that she wasn’t the type of woman that kept her panties on until she got a wedding band on her finger. Maybe if she was, she would have gotten one long before Edgar came along—but it was hard to judge her for that after losing my virginity to Damien.
If Edgar is half as charming as Damien, then I get that part of it, but marriage is a mighty big leap from the bedroom.
“Are you ladies ready to go?” Edgar leaned back in his chair. “I have a car waiting outside.”
“We—drove.” I glanced at my mother and then turned my attention to Edgar. “We can follow you.”
“No need.” Edgar shook his head back and forth. “I’ll have someone pick up your car later.”
“Okay.” I pulled out my cell phone and checked to see if I had any new messages from Damien.
“Oh, we need to swap that out.” My mother took my cell phone out of my hand before I realized she was reaching for it. “We’ll do that when we get to Sinn Manor.”
“I’ll hang onto it until then…” I leaned forward to retrieve it.