Dane's Storm

“You signed a prenuptial agreement, dear. An iron-clad prenuptial agreement. I made sure of it myself. That building was purchased by Dane and Dane alone. You weren’t entitled to anything when you left him—not a single penny.”

My chest hollowed out and my heart beat loudly in my ears. When you left him. “Yes, I know I signed a prenuptial agreement. I remember well. But Dane bought that building specifically for my use and gifted it to me. We put it in my name, and he let me keep it when we . . . separated.”

She waved her hand in the air. “H

e did no such thing. If you made assumptions, it’s your own fault.”

I felt sick, shaky, but there was nothing for me to lean against. “You can’t just take my building from me.”

She sighed. “It was never yours to begin with.”

“And Dane agrees with this? He’s okay with what you’re trying to do?” My voice sounded small, faraway, as if it were coming from under water. I wanted to deny the trickle of grief churning in my chest, but I couldn’t. Oh God, I could handle anger, sadness, but what was I supposed to do when the mention of his name still felt like a kind of drowning?

This couldn’t be happening. It wasn’t possible.

She waved her hand again. “Of course. He leaves the management of the estate to me. Someday he’ll have children, and he likes to know their legacy will be well established. Dane never was much for finances, despite his other good qualities . . .”

Someday he’ll have children. The words pummeled me, causing me to drift away in my own mind as she babbled on about Dane. So he hadn’t had children. I hated the fact that a breeze of relief blew over my skin at the news. The truth was, I’d made a concerted effort to avoid learning anything about Dane’s life. I figured he was still running his family’s business at the headquarters in California, but other than that, I had no information whatsoever. I’d made it a point not to.

Dane. No, he couldn’t possibly know what Luella was doing to me. Could he? Was it possible he hated me that much? Or . . . that he was so indifferent he couldn’t even be bothered lifting a finger to exercise some human decency? To tell Luella this was wrong? It didn’t sound like the Dane I’d once known. My chest constricted even further. I struggled to draw in air. The truth was, I had no idea who Dane Townsend was now. I couldn’t even begin to guess what his role in this might be.

“Why do you want the building?” I choked. “Why now?”

Luella had been saying something and I’d cut her off. She paused as if she was wondering if she should even tell me, but then seemed to decide it didn’t matter. She glanced briefly at her nails before saying, “Townsend Robotics is building an industrial park on the acreage across from the building Dane bought. We’ve purchased the properties along that road and are planning major expansions.”

I shook my head in heart-wrenching bewilderment. “So that’s all it comes down to? You need that space to expand your . . . industrial park?”

“Well no, the building you now occupy will be just outside the park, but the surrounding properties will be updated and expanded too.” She glanced at the slim gold watch on her bony wrist as if I had already taken up too much of her time. “Will that be all?”

Will that be all?

“My God, do you really still hate me so much?”

Luella sighed. “Oh dear, I don’t hate you. Truthfully, I haven’t given you a second thought in seven years. This is business, plain and simple. Business isn’t always . . . comfortable, but my family hasn’t gotten where we are by shying away from some discomfort, now have we?”

“I was your family.”

Her eyes glittered coldly as if denying it with her expression. No, she’d never considered me family, even when we’d shared a last name. “But you’re not now, are you? And it was your choice, not mine.”

Her words cut through me.

I couldn’t deny the truth of them.

“You’re not even going to offer to purchase it from me so I can buy another space somewhere else? It’s not as if you need the money.” I swallowed down the sob trying to make its way up my throat.

She looked at me as if I was the biggest fool she’d ever seen. “Why would I buy my own building from you? I already own it. I will give you thirty days to vacate and find a new place, though. And I think that’s more than generous.”

Thirty days? More than generous? For the love of God, she was taking everything I’d worked over seven years to build—taking it without offering me a single form of payment. Walking away from that building would cripple me financially. I still had an outstanding loan, and my bank balance was pitifully small. What could I do? Start operating from my living room? That would make me look so legitimate. Any customers I’d accumulated would drop off like flies. I would once again have nothing.

Luella glanced at her watch again. “I really must get back to my luncheon. You still know the way out, I assume?” I continued to stare at her. Numbly. I wanted to scream and cry, fall to my knees, but Luella had never responded to shows of emotion and I doubted she would now. No, I needed to leave and figure this out. I needed to call a lawyer. This wasn’t over—not by a long shot.

The door clicked shut softly behind her, and I wrapped my arms around myself to stop the shaking I could no longer control. What Luella was doing both infuriated and terrified me, but it was Dane’s possible involvement—even his mere knowledge—that brought the profound sense of pain.

CHAPTER FIVE

Then . . .

Audra emerged from the building where her art class was held, surprised to see a sky full of gray clouds overhead. The weather forecast hadn’t called for rain.