29. Laurene
CHAPTER 29
Laurene
“You didn’t have to do all this,” I said, eyeing the feast in front of me Noelle had brought. I pushed myself up higher in the bed, wincing as pain shot through my side.
“Hey, take it easy.” Serena was at my side in an instant. She gently pushed me back down. “Relax. Lemme fix you a plate.”
“I got it!” Gigi jumped up from her chair, rushing to the table to intercept Serena. “You’ve been in her face since she woke up. Let somebody else do something for once.”
Serena shot her a glare. “Excuse me, but I’ve been here, making sure she’s okay. Where were you? Off shopping for new shoes again?”
Gigi’s mouth fell open. “Lu understands that I needed those Paloma Blossom Sandals to go with my dress for Coachella! At least I came back with snacks, which is important. Second of all, stop micromanaging!”
Walter, who’d been napping in the purse, woke up to bark.
“I’ve been meaning to try out some new recipes, anyway. And there’s no way we were going to let you starve in here.” Noelle sighed, stepping between them, eyeing them warily as she set another container of food on the table .
I glanced at the table, now crammed with food that smelled heavenly, and my stomach growled loudly.
“It’s not that bad,” I said, though the bland, rubbery pasta from last night begged to differ.
Noelle raised an eyebrow. “Laurene. That last tray had Jell-O cubes that looked like they’d been alive at some point. You deserve better.”
Gigi and Serena ignored her and continued arguing.
“You came back with a half-eaten bag of chips and a chocolate bar.” Serena frowned.
“ Both of ya’ll ,” Erik’s voice cut through the bickering. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.
Serena and Gigi both froze, midglare, like kids caught raiding the cookie jar.
“Imma kick both of y’all out if you can’t behave.”
“I wasn’t fighting,” Gigi muttered under her breath, though she side-eyed Serena.
“You were both fighting,” Erik said matter-of-factly, strolling over to the table. “Now, hand me that plate. I’ll fix it.”
“Why do you get to do it?” Serena demanded, though she took a step back, probably knowing better than to argue with Erik.
“’Cause I’m the oldest,” Erik said. “And I’m not about to stand here listenin’ to y’all argue over chicken and rice. Now, go sit down somewhere.”
The countless bouquets and gift baskets crowded every available surface, their pastel colors and sweet floral scents filling the room.
“Did it double up in flowers up in here? I was gone for twenty minutes.” Erik plated the food, looking around.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Serena deadpanned, sitting back on the couch, pouting.
“They’re from the whole town,” Gigi said. “I hope people do the same for me. Not that I wanna be hurt and possibly break my nose. People just wanna check in on Laurene. ”
Erik snorted. “Right. Because they’re so concerned about her well-being and not fishing for gossip about the crash.”
Gigi rolled her eyes. “You know they’re dying for the tea.”
“They’ll have to stay thirsty,” Erik said firmly, shooting me a look. “No one’s bothering you about this until you’re ready, got it?”
I nodded, my chest tightening—not from the pain this time, but from the unexpected comfort of knowing my brother had my back. That all my siblings and Noelle had my back. It made that devasting moment just a little better.
The crash still played on loop in my mind, the screech of tires, the blur of headlights. It had all been so sudden, so violent.
Every movement outside my room had me on edge, and the hospital room felt more like a cage than a place for healing. I kept waiting for someone to slip through the door, for a face to appear in the window and finish the job.
The added security didn’t help. It was hard explaining to my family it was just a preventative measure.
I lifted my spoon, ready to dig into the plate. The door to my hospital room slammed open, the sound so loud it made my heart skip a beat. Everyone jumped and turned to see Mama standing there, Dad trailing behind her.
Her eyes were hard, her lips pressed into a thin, angry line. “Laurene, did you see the news?”
“What news?”
“Change the channel,” she barked, and Noelle scrambled to get the remote. She landed on the local news station and she turned it up for us to hear.
There was Harold, hands cuffed in front of him, being led into a Las Vegas jail.
“Reese said Harold was here,” I said.
Mama shook her head as we continued to watch his face. His lips were pale and pressed in a grim line as reporters shouted questions at him. The camera panned, and beside him were two other familiar faces—Blair’s father, Albert Sterling, Toby, and Blair herself, all looking equally disheveled and furious as police marched them inside.
“Holy shit!” Gigi exclaimed.
The news anchor’s voice filled the room, her tone laced with barely contained excitement.
“—arrests made earlier today in connection with a massive illegal gambling ring operating out of Las Vegas and tied to high-profile individuals. Harold Ashbourne, Albert Sterling, Blair Sterling, and Tobias Merrick were taken into custody on charges of money laundering, racketeering, and running an unlicensed gambling operation for the last few years. A whistleblower on the operation revealed to authorities…”
Business.
Harold had said Blair was helping him with business.
“Your marriage needs to end. Immediately,” Mama said.
I let out a breath, slow and measured, and set my spoon down. “Excuse me?”
“Laurene.” Her voice was laced with cold pragmatism. “You know as well as I do that your marriage to Reese is more of a liability than an asset now.”
I let out a short, humorless laugh. “A liability?”
“His father just got arrested like a common criminal ,” she continued, like I hadn’t spoken. “The Ashbourne name is about to be dragged through the mud, and yours will be right there with it. You need to cut ties before this gets worse.”
“You mean before it affects the family,” I said, voice flat.
“Before it drags you down,” she corrected me. “Do you really want to tie yourself to a sinking ship?”
Something burned in my chest, anger and exhaustion and something too raw to name. “Reese is my husband.”
“And? Your great-grandmother had five husbands! We’re talking about survival. About the legacy we’ve spent generations cultivating. We cut the Ashbournes loose. Let’s just void our deal with them and handle Dante another way.”
Maybe she was right. Maybe Reese was a risk .
But he was my risk.
I sat up a little straighter, ignoring the ache in my ribs. “I’m not leaving my husband.”
Mama’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Laurene?—”
“I mean it.” My voice didn’t waver. “I made vows, and I’m not breaking them just because it’s inconvenient for you. I love him.”
“Love?” She scoffed, and walked to the center of the room, standing at the foot of my bed. “I told you about love. Now you love him after a month? I’m giving you the easy way out. You never wanted to marry the boy. He was always a backup plan.”
I looked at Daddy, hoping that he’d say something.
For a moment, he just watched, his eyes flicking between me and Mama. Then, he exhaled through his nose and turned to Mama.
“Yvonne.” His voice was even, but there was an edge underneath. “Laurene’s made her decision.”
Mama barely spared him a glance. “She’s emotional. She isn’t thinking clearly.”
“She just survived a car crash, Yvonne. I think she’s thinking clearer than most people would be in her position.” Daddy stepped forward, planting himself between us. “It’s her decision.”
“Vincent.” Mama looked at him, shock across her features, and her gaze went from him to me and back again. “Do you realize what’s at stake? Dante just approved the redevelopment of downtown. He’s bypassing us, we’ve just lost millions.”
“Like the deal you wanted to force him that would have eliminated all the other businesses and families? Augustus King wanted this town for everyone , not just us,” I snapped.
My siblings all looked at her, even Daddy. She had the gall to look crazy.
“He told you that? It was private—” Mama said.
“I’m not focused on deals right now,” he cut in. “Laurene isn’t a child. She understands the consequences.” His gaze flicked to me. “ I’ve allowed you to dictate us for years, Yvonne. It stops now. And if she’s willing to stand by Reese, then we need to respect that.”
Mama scoffed, stepping closer. “Respect?”
“Yes, respect ,” he said. “We didn’t raise our children to be weak. We raised them to be smart, to be independent, to make their own choices. And she’s making one now.”
Mama’s nostrils flared, and she turned to me. “You can find another man, sweetie.”
I shoved the blankets off and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Erik quickly came to my aid, and I held his hands. A sharp pain shot through me but I kept moving toward Mama.
“Laurene—” Daddy started, stepping toward me.
I needed to stand for this. Needed her to see me, not just as her daughter, not as a piece on her chessboard, but as a woman making her own damn choices.
“And what exactly do you think this little display is going to prove?” Mama arched a brow, unimpressed. “You had sex with him, and now your emotions are all twisted up?”
Daddy exhaled sharply. “Yvonne?—”
“What? Am I wrong?” Her eyes flicked back to me. “Love don’t pay settlements, don’t protect us from scandal, don’t undo a business deal already in motion.”
I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms. “This marriage was your deal. Not mine.”
“And you agreed to it.”
“Because you forced me into it!” I tried to breathe slowly. “You really think I’m just gonna throw him away for your fucking ambition ?”
Mama’s eyes flashed. “Watch your mouth?—”
“No.” My voice was steady, sharp. “I’ve spent my whole life watching my mouth. Watching my steps. Doing what I was told, marrying who I was told . I let you rip me away from him once. I let you win. ” I swallowed, my chest rising and falling too fast. “But I never stopped loving Reese. Not when I was pretending to hate him. Not when I was sneaking around with him. Not when I was lying to myself for you. ”
Mama’s nostrils flared. “Laurene?—”
The door opened again, and we turned to see Reese as he stepped inside, looking rough around the edges . He froze as his gaze swept over the room, wary. And then he saw me.
I shifted, and my body betrayed me. I stumbled. Before I could catch myself, Reese was there, crossing the room in three long strides, hands firm on my waist, steadying me, pulling me from Erik. His grip was warm, solid— home .
I shook my head, my eyes never leaving Mama. I wanted him to hear this.
“You made me choose the family over my own damn happiness before. And I did it. I bled for this family. I sacrificed for this family. I let you carve me into the perfect fucking daughter. And you know what?” I let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t want it. Not like this. Not if it means choosing pain over love. Not if it means ending up like you.”
I looked over at my siblings. Gigi looked scared and awed. Serena was a mix of surprise and maybe some disappointment. Erik nodded at me, grinning.
“I’m done,” I said to Mama, voice stronger now. “I don’t want my inheritance. I don’t want a fucking dime from you. And I never want to see you again until you can look me in the eye and apologize. Until you get help.”
Mama stood there blinking at me.
“Get out.”
She glanced toward my siblings, searching for someone—anyone—to side with her, but none of them moved. They stood behind me, silently.
Mama’s gaze flicked to Daddy, a silent plea for him to intervene. But he didn’t. Not this time.
“Vincent?” she snapped, but he only shook his head.
“This has been a long time coming, Vonnie… ”
And then she stormed out, the door slamming shut behind her, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.
I didn’t feel the relief I expected. Instead, it was like I had just stepped off a cliff. The freefall was terrifying, but also exhilarating. I was free . Free from her, from everything that had kept me tethered to a family that never understood me.
My legs buckled underneath me. Reese was there immediately, his strong arms catching me. His face was drawn, concern flickering in his eyes, but there was a quiet strength in him. The kind I had always needed.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I whispered, the words barely coming out, my throat tight.
I looked over at my family.
“Holy shit, I think I just pissed myself,” Gigi finally said.
Erik nodded. “I think I gotta agree with G.”
Serena only stared at the door Mama left through.
Reese gently helped me to the bed. I sank into the sheets, exhaustion suddenly flooding my body. He sat beside me, watching me closely, his brow furrowed.
“You meant those words,” he said, his voice quiet but heavy with meaning.
“Yes, I meant them,” I said. “I’m done with all of it. I can’t live for them anymore. I’m living for me now. For us.”
Reese’s eyes softened, and he leaned in, brushing his lips against mine. It was tender— real . And for the first time, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be.
“I just want to rest. With Reese.”
I looked back at my family and Daddy nodded.
“We’ll leave you two alone,” he said softly and made a movement with his head at my siblings.
Erik stepped up next, offering a fist bump. Gigi gave me a quick, nervous smile, Noelle gave me a thumbs-up, and Serena’s eyes softened before she turned to leave .
“No way I can go home. Erik, can I come stay with you?” Gigi asked.
Erik turned back around, looking at Gigi and then at her purse with Walter. “I told you your mutt ain’t welcome in my house.
“C’mon, let that go! I’ve almost paid you back.”
“You paid me ten dollars. That collection was worth fifteen thousand dollars .”
Gigi stomped her foot. “Pleeeaaase?”
Erik ignored her with her on his heels.
And just like that, they were all gone. It was just Reese and me.
Alone.
“How are you dealing with everything? With your father?”
Reese’s face tightened, and I could see the pain flicker in his eyes. And something darker crossed his expression, like a storm rolling in.
“The blackmailer contacted me again,” he said.
I swallowed. This was what I had been afraid of. “What do they want this time?”
He clenched his fists.
“Twenty million, in two days. Or we’ll be dead this time.”