Chapter 4 #2
"I would prefer not to have you dragged out of here but don’t fucking test me. I will do it, Aja. Get. The. Fuck. Out."
She wiped a few tears and gathered herself before turning to leave but she gave me one more sad ass pathetic look before she exited my office.
"I loved you once. You might not believe that but I did. We could have had a great life and a happy marriage but you ruined it all."
"You fucking lied. How could we have anything when never what you wanted a life with me?" My voice raised but I didn’t give a damn about tempering my anger.
"I wanted a life with you. I loved you but not every woman is built to be a mother and some of us just don't want to be."
"Then you should have been fucking honest and given me the choice before we took vows to love and honor one another. It's possible I would have still chosen you, chosen us . You took that choice away."
"You would not have chosen me, so don’t pretend like you’re some amazing, selfless person.
I had to do what I needed to. If I didn’t marry you, it would have been someone else.
My father was adamant about selling me off to the highest bidder.
I did what was best for me, and like I said, I did love you.
I assumed you loved me enough to see things my way.
Marriage was inevitable but who I married was what I had to consider.
Don't you understand that? My father had plans, whether I cared or not.
I wanted it to be you because we were good together, then you kept pressing me for a family I didn't want. You ruined?—"
"I wasn't the one who ruined us, Aja. That was all you.
I never pressured you for children. We had unprotected sex as husband and wife.
You could have taken another course of action if you loathed the idea of being a mother that badly.
There's no changing how the fuck I feel about the situation, regardless of how you try to justify the decisions you made.
You lied to me, made promises you never intended to keep.
I will never forgive you for that shit."
For killing our children and lying about it.
"Yeah… Well, at least we both agree. I hate you just as much as you hate me.
Have a good fucking life, Christian. I fully intend to do so myself, with or without your money.
For the record, I don't regret a damn thing I did.
I wanted freedom, having kids would never allow me that. I did what I had to do."
Her eyes met mine to further confirm what I already knew. She loved herself far more than she'd ever loved me, or our children, which was why they never had a chance.
As soon as the door to my office slammed and I was alone, my phone rang. I was grateful because being left with the reality of just how hateful Aja truly was wasn't a healthy space for me to exist in.
"What?"
"Wow, what crawled up your ass?" Cress said calmly, which had me sinking back in my chair and closing my eyes.
"Nothing, what's up? You need something?"
"I do, but it can wait, you're angry, what's wrong?" I wanted to smile but my mood was too weighted.
So much had changed about my relationship with my sister since she'd married Elias.
For most of our lives, we were siblings who loved each other but Cress was so invested in dance and I was submerged in the family business that our bond was superficial.
That hadn't been intentional, simply a layer of who we were raised to be.
But over the past few years, she and I had become extremely close.
My niece and nephew were my world and I better understood my sister.
"Aja was here."
"Why?"
"I pissed her off and she felt it necessary to show up in person to express how little she appreciated me doing so."
"Should you two even be in the same room?"
"For the safety of all parties involved, no."
"Are you okay?"
"That's not a simple answer, but yes, I'm fine."
"Is she okay?" Amusement was laced in her voice.
I exhaled a sigh. "She's ten million dollars poorer than she was yesterday so doubtful."
"Shit, you took your money back, how?"
"Greed makes you careless, spite makes you stupid. She encompasses both."
"Well, I don't care how you got it done, she never deserved your money in the first place. Hopefully now you can truly move on with your life."
"That's the plan, speaking of, did you need something… or just calling to check in?"
"Yes, sorry. How much do you love me?"
"Enough to say no to whatever you're about to ask because I have a feeling it will challenge the bounds of our relationship."
"Oh ye of little faith. It's not that serious."
"I'm listening."
"You mentioned visiting Jona and your schedule is open for the next week."
I frowned, already not liking the direction of this conversation. "How would you know?"
"I asked your assistant. She mentioned you had a pretty flexible week and I was thinking it might be a good time for you to surprise our baby sister."
"Me or us?"
"You. It's not a good time for me to travel right now with Elias, the kids, and all but it's just you so…"
"I can easily send the jet and demand Jona get on it to come home for a visit if you're concerned."
Cress and Jona spoke a lot. More frequently than I spoke to Jona.
She did check in at least once a month by my demand or risk not having access to the money she was spending so freely.
I loved that Jona wanted to travel the world.
She deserved the time and space to figure out her life, but she was still our sister, and I worried.
I needed to see her face, even if only on FaceTime, and hear her voice to know she was truly okay.
"I have just been feeling off lately when it comes to her. I need one of us to lay eyes on her."
I mentally ran through what I had going on. I was in the middle of this waterfront acquisition and it wasn't looking like the shit was going to lean in my favor. Then there were the issues with G and the contract I agreed to.
"How about this? If I can't get her on the phone in the next day or so, I will send the jet and Miles to bring her home long enough for one of us to hug her and make sure she’s good."
Miles worked as a driver and security for me. He was about the only person I trusted sending after my baby sister.
"Okay. I guess that works."
"You sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I just don't like her being out of touch for so long. I'm worried."
"Don't be. She's fine. If charges weren't coming through on her accounts I would be concerned. If there was an issue she wouldn't be spending all my damn money."
"It's her money too." Cress's voice was light and I grunted.
"Our family's money was ran out years ago. What she's spending now is all my blood, sweat, and tears. I'm just grateful your damn husband is now footing the bill for your expenses."
"I'll be sure to let him know you appreciate his generosity."
I chuckled. "Nah, don't do that. He might think I finally respect him."
"You do," she confirmed.
I did. Elias was a great husband to my sister and an even better father to my niece and nephew. I respected him and loved how he cared for and loved his family.
A family that I was never going to fucking have…
"I'll let you know when I get in touch with Jona, and if I don't, I'll let you know when Miles will be on his way to get her."
"That works. Love you."
"Love you too."
"And are you sure you're okay?"
Aja.
"I'm good, Cress. Better than I have been in years."
I ended the call and another came through from Werner immediately after.
"Yeah."
"It looks like she's scheduled to finalize the paperwork next Tuesday."
Scotlyn was due to arrive this morning, and after some digging, I found out her survey team was supposed to meet up at the property by ten.
I planned on being there to set up a meeting with her to offer an alternative to what she assumed was happening.
There was no way in hell I was letting her walk away with what belonged to me.
"Get me a time and location."
"Done, I already emailed the details. I assume you plan on joining them."
"I do."
"You want me there?"
"No, but I need you to be available just in case."
"Understood."
I ended the call with Werner and leaned back in my chair, processing what I planned on doing, but then I got sidetracked by the beautiful face trying to fuck me by offering twenty-percent over asking price.
Fucking brilliant and exactly what I would do.
Scot Whitney, who I now knew was Scotlyn Whitney, had played this shit perfectly but she also hadn't considered how important this was to me. This property would mean a steady flow of residual income that The Collective couldn’t touch.
It was time to get up close and personal with the brains behind the beauty that was Scotlyn Whitney.