Chapter 6
COLE
Thornwood Estate is fully operational during the winter season.
Christmas is only a few weeks away, and Ian has decorated the mansion accordingly, with traditional-style wreaths and garlands.
A giant fir tree stands in the middle of the lobby, with its classic red, gold, and green decorations, including antique baubles, Murano glass ornaments, gilded ribbons, and warm twinkling lights.
I find Sheila in the ballroom, which now feels like a cancerous growth on our beloved winter abode. Following her specific color scheme, the walls were recently painted white. I hate it. Everything Sheila touches turns ugly in my eyes.
“Cole, what brings you here?” she asks as soon as she sees me.
Her slim figure is wrapped in a burgundy velvet robe, cinched around her waist with a gold-brushed belt.
Her red hair is pulled into a loose bun at the nape of her neck, and loose curls frame her bony cheeks.
I can see why my father found her appealing.
Once, I also saw her appeal, but now I only see the rotten character that lurks beneath the surface.
“Your behavior, in particular,” I say, stopping in the middle of the ballroom.
Above us hangs one of three gigantic Art Noveau-style chandeliers with swirling brass arms and smoked glass bulbs that my great-great-grandmother commissioned when the estate was built and loved so much. I take a second to admire it, and Sheila follows my gaze.
“Oh, those are coming down for the wedding,” she says casually, heels clicking as she walks toward me.
“No fucking way,” I bluntly reply.
“It’s already been approved. Your father signed off on it.” She savors this little victory.
I give her a hard look. “Where is he?”
“Upstairs. He’ll join us for breakfast,” she says. “He’s looking better after the recovery center. Those doctors worked a miracle, didn’t they?”
“Sheila, what you’re doing is fifty shades of dirty,” I reply. “Out of all the wedding planners in the city, you pick Willow’s. You’re sick.”
Sheila seems unfazed. “Willow could’ve turned me down.”
“She couldn’t, because you caused her to lose her other clients,” I shoot back. “Willow may not have her ears attuned to the Hamptons gossip, but I hear things. And most importantly, I know how your filthy mind works.”
“Cole, darling—”
I cut her off. “Don’t call me that,” I say. “Consider this a warning.”
Sheila raises an eyebrow, defiant, as she lets her red lips curl into a smile. “A warning?”
“Yes, a warning. Stay the fuck away from Willow. Keep it strictly professional, and do not make her job harder than it needs to be. She’ll deliver your dream wedding, and then you’ll give her a rave review.”
“Or else what?” Terrence asks as he enters the ballroom.
I don’t know when he’d gotten so cocky, but I have plenty of methods to beat the sense back into him, each more painful than the next.
“Or else I’ll make you both regret ever looking at Willow,” I calmly reply. “She’s being courteous, patient, and professional. Her track record is impeccable. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure her business thrives, no matter what the two of you throw at her.”
Terrence chuckles dryly as he reaches his mother’s side. “Cole’s in love, Ma.”
“You dodged a bullet with that one,” Sheila sneers, then looks at me. “Have the three of you taken a run at her yet? Or are you still taking turns?”
“Sheila, you may be married to my father, but that doesn’t make you immune to retaliation from me or my brothers if you continue being so nasty.”
“She’s not lying,” Terrence chimes in, smiling broadly. “I mean, a woman who’s willing to take three dicks is not a woman worthy of me.”
I take a quick step toward him, making the fucker flinch. “I can beat you to a pulp before anybody stops me, asshole. Do you really want to keep testing me? I thought we sorted that out back when you were still in prep school.”
“It’s not my fault that the truth hurts,” he says.
“No, what bothers me is your audacity,” I reply, then look at Sheila. “Put a muzzle on him, if you want your precious son to make it to his wedding in one piece.”
“I’ll tell your father about these threats,” she hisses. “You’re out of control, Cole.”
“I’m just being honest,” I reply. “Isn’t that what you like? Brutal honesty? Well, here’s some brutal honesty for you, Sheila. I know what you’re doing here, and it’s not going to fly with me or my brothers.”
She puts her hands on her hips, feigning outrage while struggling to remain calm. I’m glad I can get a rise out of her. It means my words haven’t fallen on deaf ears.
“What are you going to do about it?” she asks. “Terrence and Katrina are having their wedding here. We’re changing the ballroom to match the wedding’s aesthetic. Your father agreed to everything. There’s nothing you can do about it!”
“You’re trying to nibble away more and more of what’s ours: a ballroom here, a refurbishing there, a shift in property ownership somewhere else.
I know about your chat with the family lawyer, Sheila.
You’re getting ready to secure your son’s legacy while advocating that Terrence be added to the will.
That’s what this whole Thornwood wedding is about.
You’re tugging at the old man’s heart strings. ”
Sheila scoffs. “Terrence is his son. He should be in the will.”
“Terrence Madison is not my father’s son. He never will be.”
“Hey, Dad could adopt me and give me his name, if he wanted. But you and the twins keep getting in the way of that,” Terrence argues with a deep frown on his face.
“You’re goddamn right we do,” I snap. “All you’re good at is spending your monthly allowance, instead of working for a living like a man. Sheila keeps saying you dodged a bullet when you dumped Willow, but Willow is the one who dodged the bullet here. You’re a fucking parasite.”
I point a finger at Sheila before continuing.
“Keep your son on a leash. I’m not going to say it again.
And kiss that will goodbye. You’ll probably get something when the time comes because Dad’s an honorable man.
He won’t leave you or Terrence out on the streets, but you’re not getting a single extra penny from his fortune. ”
“Unfortunately, that’s not for you to decide,” Sheila calmly replies. “Mr. Bennington has already agreed to talk to your father about it, especially after the last surgery.”
“You had no business talking to the family lawyer without me or my brothers present,” I remind her.
The ballroom door opens, and my father walks in.
I haven’t seen him since he returned from the recovery center.
He looked rather feeble and pale then, but now, I see a smidge of color in his cheeks.
His white beard is neatly trimmed, and he’s gained a pound or two, judging by how he fills out his dark green sweater.
“What’s with all the ruckus?” he grumbles.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, frustrated that we have to do this now.
I’d hoped to catch him alone later because he can rarely be reasoned with when Sheila is around.
The woman has a way of getting into his head and twisting his mind.
She’s been doing it for years, every time to the detriment of our family.
“Hey, Dad,” I say, giving him a cool smile. “Glad to see you up and about.”
“You three were fighting again, weren’t you?”
Sheila rushes over to put an arm around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder as they both look at me.
“Feeling better, Dad?” Terrence asks him.
I know how disingenuous this prick is. All he wants is a big chunk of the Morgan family fortune. He never gave a shit about my dad. It’s been the root of our discord from the minute he and his mother walked into our home years ago.
“Much better, thank you, Terrence,” Dad replies. His hair has gotten thinner and whiter, but he seems stronger. The old man isn’t ready to retire from the company, let alone this life. “Cole, what’s with all the yelling?”
“You’re giving them too much leeway with the ballroom, for starters,” I say. “The chandeliers are part of this space. They’ve been up there since the estate was built. You said so yourself.”
“Maybe it’s time for a change,” he replies. “Let’s see what the ballroom looks like with the new fixtures. If we don’t like it, we could always change them back.”
It’s a shame we couldn’t change him back to being a widower again.
“Sheila spoke to Mr. Bennington without me or Toby or Asher present regarding your will,” I add. “It’s an issue.”
“It’s only an issue if I wasn’t made aware of it,” Dad says. “But I was.”
“So you’re seriously considering the amendment?”
Sheila scoffs and rolls her eyes, but her demeanor is softer in his presence. “Cole, for God’s sake. Terrence is as much a part of this family as I am. He deserves more. And he’s already expressed a desire to work for your father.”
I’m surprised and don’t bother hiding it. “You have?” I ask Terrence.
“I did. As a matter of fact, I’m starting right after the honeymoon, in mid-January,” he replies with a cocky grin.
“You have no background in the finance sector. That MBA you got was bought and paid for by your mother. You spent most of your college years drinking and partying. What the hell do you know about running a business?”
“And you were off fighting with the Marines for years before you came back to work in my company,” Dad reminds me, “while your brothers built businesses of their own. Forgive me if I’m growing more interested in making sure that my legacy, my family’s success, stays in the family.”
“Well, I’m here now, aren’t I? I’ve been here for years,” I say.
“And Terrence has room to grow and learn,” he replies while Sheila gives me a smug smile.
“Cole, please. Enough with the fighting and the bickering. I’m old, I’m tired.
I’m not getting any better. I don’t want to leave you arguing and going for each other’s throats when you could all be working toward the same goal.
Morgan Enterprises needs every hand on deck, and we have a wedding coming up. ”
“Dad, I… Deep down, you know that each of my concerns holds up,” I say, trying to reason with him. “Just talk to me; talk to Asher and Toby before you make any decisions.”
“Asher and Toby have repeatedly said they’re not interested in running the company,” Sheila chimes in. “All I suggested was a shift in the shareholding percentages to include Terrence, especially since he’ll soon start working for your father.”
“Just because Asher and Toby don’t want to run the day-to-day operations of our father’s company doesn’t mean they’re willing to relinquish their advisory or voting roles on the board,” I reply. “Know your place, Sheila.”
“Cole!” Dad snaps. “Enough. I’ll take your concerns under consideration, and I will take Sheila and Terrence’s concerns under consideration, as well. In the meantime, I understand we have a copious breakfast waiting for us in the den. Will you join us?”
I exhale sharply, my anger and pride getting the better of me, and I shake my head. “No.”
“The deeper you dig, the greater the chance that you will shake something loose and end up hurting your father more than you will ever hurt me,” Sheila says. “Come on, Cole. Have breakfast with us. Let’s try to be a family, for once.”
I know what she’s insinuating, and it only makes me despise her more. There are things best left in the past, and the fact that she’s threatening to bring them back to the surface tells me Sheila is ready for war.
What she fails to understand is that I have fought in an actual war. I have seen the battlefield. And she has no idea the kind of damage I can deliver, even if it costs me my relationship with my father.
“You three go ahead,” I say, hiding my anger under a tense smile. “Dad, I’ll be in touch. Sheila, do heed my warning about Willow. You too, Terrence. Don’t test me.”
I shake my father’s hand and walk out before the conversation veers back into unpleasant territory.
“Why did Cole warn you about Willow?” I hear him asking Sheila.
“Oh, it doesn’t even matter, honey. It’s just a misunderstanding,” she says.
My warning stands, though, and she knows it. Terrence knows it, too. Willow deserves better, and I intend to give her better, along with my brothers. A woman like her only comes around once in this lifetime, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let my stepbrother and stepmother hurt her again.
I’ll burn it all to the ground, if I have to.