Chapter 26. Tell Me Your Deepest, Darkest Secrets
CHAPTER 26
Tell Me Your Deepest, Darkest Secrets
After the confrontation with Jacqui, we packed up our stuff, checked out of the resort, and caught an earlier flight back to Port Benedict. All my attempts at talking to Alec or cheering him up were met with a quiet nod or a shake of his head. Rob had been frantically trying to call him, because word had gotten around that the Goodwin-Mackenzie partnership had ended just days after it had started.
When we arrived home, Alec only mumbled a quiet “see you later” and disappeared into his room, closing the door with a firm-sounding click. I stared at his door for a long time, torn between wanting to barge in and give him a comforting hug and assure him that everything would be just fine and giving him the space he was clearly asking for. Deflated, I went to my own room, my heart heavy and breaking, but not knowing how to help.
Later that night, as I unpacked my weekend bag, I realized I hadn’t taken my phone off airplane mode. That was when I saw the flood of messages from my mother, even two from my dad, all newly sent in the past few hours. There were also several others from Eric and Naomi, rounding up the total new messages to twenty-two.
I took one cursory glance at the list, with my thumb hovering over the first message, wondering whether I should open them. But after everything that had happened earlier, dealing with my family was the last thing I wanted to do right now. Deciding I’d deal with them tomorrow, I left all twenty-two messages unopened and tossed my phone onto the nightstand. And as I slowly drifted off to sleep, my thoughts went back to Alec, wondering how he was doing, and wishing, more than anything, that I was there to support him.
Alec had left by the time I woke up the next morning. There was no note, but I assumed he’d gone to work, trying to salvage the deal with Jacqui. I was debating whether I should send him a message, but decided to give him some space.
Kim was standing outside her shop with a big grin when I arrived at the bakery. “Welcome back. How was your mini getaway with Loverboy Building Expert?” She peered at me, her curious eyes assessing. “You don’t look like someone who’d just returned from a weekend of rest, relaxation, and incredibly hot sex.”
“And you would be right.”
She followed me inside the bakery. “Is everything okay?”
Her eyebrows dipped farther and farther down as I gave her the condensed version of what had happened. “That’s strange. Why would this Phil guy do something like that? Has he got something against Alec?”
“Not that I know of. They’ve only just met each other at that dinner party.”
Kim glanced at her watch. “I gotta go, but let’s talk more about it. I’ll text Jenna, and maybe we can figure out the missing piece in the puzzle over lunch.”
I nodded, grateful for the support.
Our scheduled opening was less than two weeks away, so things were borderline chaotic right now. Rob’s crew had finished their work, and I had started training Ruby on her main duties—running the POS system, keeping track of our inventory, and making sure our displays looked nice and pretty. And because Jacqui had canceled her order, which I’d been counting on, I had to make up for it somehow. I pushed the bakery launch harder on social media, offering a generous 20 percent discount during opening week. My To-Do List had grown by several more pages, and as it grew, so did the headache pounding in my brain. But even as I ran around all day, my mind kept wandering back to Alec. All my messages to him were read but unanswered, and when I tried to call in the afternoon, it went straight to his voicemail.
Right now, the shop was quiet, as it was close to 6:00 P.M. , and Ruby had already left. I had just finished going over my list, ready to lock up for the day, when my phone beeped with a short message from Naomi. I decided to call her, and she answered on the second ring, sounding frantic.
“Ellie! Where have you been? Why haven’t you returned my calls?”
“I’m sorry. Things have been super hectic.”
“Are you okay? Eric has also been trying to get in touch with Alec, but he hasn’t been returning Eric’s calls. Some guy claiming to be a journalist from the Port Benedict Gazette contacted me a few days ago, asking a lot of questions about Alec, his company, and his relationship with you.”
“I know.”
“But I got suspicious, so I hung up after a few minutes. Eric called the Gazette to check, and they’ve never heard of that guy. Then someone else named Carmel, who said she worked for Goodwin Property Group, called a couple of nights ago to ask more questions.” Naomi paused to take a breath. “Carmel said she wanted to verify some stories for her boss, but I was so suspicious, I hung up on her twice, before one of Eric’s contacts in the property industry confirmed her identity. What’s going on, Ellie? Why are people asking about your relationship with Alec?”
I finally told her everything: about our arrangement, the pretend relationship for Jacqui, and how it all went pear-shaped yesterday. Naomi was silent, listening, not even interrupting once, until I finished my story.
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
There was no point in pretending with her. She knew me too well. “Yes.”
Naomi chuckled softly. “About time. You two are meant for each other.”
A wave of sadness tore through me, because right now, I didn’t know how things stood between us. “But with everything that has happened… I don’t know what to do. I want to help, but I don’t know how. He’s been avoiding me and ignoring my messages.”
“Give him some time,” Naomi replied. “Just be there to support him. And whatever happens, be firm and stand your ground, no matter what your mother says. It’s your life, your relationship, and you’ve done so well to start a new life out there on your own. It won’t be easy saying no to her face-to-face, but you’re strong, and you can do this.”
I went quiet. “What do you mean, face-to-face?”
There was a long pause before Naomi spoke again, her tone careful and measured.
“You haven’t read my messages, have you?”
“Um.” I put her on speaker, then tapped open her unopened messages. As I scrolled through them, my heart started to race, and panic began to overtake my consciousness.
Your mother has been asking questions about you. And Alec. Eric isn’t saying anything, but she’s VERY suspicious.
Her next message, an hour after the first one:
She knows where you are. We don’t know how she found out, but she did.
And her very last message from last night.
Heads up. She’s flying out to PB tomorrow.
I froze, as Naomi’s voice echoed in the empty store. “Her flight arrived at four.”
Shit. I thanked her and hung up, then shoved my laptop into my bag. I didn’t even know where she would be headed, but in my mind, the most sensible thing to do was leave now, get home, and warn Alec. As I typed a frantic message to him, the front door swung open. A familiar voice rang throughout the store, sending chills down my spine.
“So. This is what you gave up the family business for, huh?”
Dread filled me, as the hairs on my neck prickled and my back stiffened. I slowly looked up and locked gazes with the woman I’d moved to the other side of the country to avoid.
She strolled into the shop, casting a critical gaze around. “Not bad. Although I’d probably invest a bit more in the kitchen if I were you.” She nodded toward the perfectly fine commercial kitchen at the back of the shop.
“What are you doing here?”
Her eyes were still assessing the place. “How much did it cost you to set up this business? What’s your projected monthly turnover for the first year? How long until you break even?”
I heaved a resigned sigh. “Seriously? You’ve been here for five seconds, and you’re already dissecting and criticizing my business?”
My mother scoffed. “That’s because I can’t imagine how this is a profitable business model. There’s a reason your father and I never went into retail, especially brick-and-mortar stores. The net profit margins aren’t worth the time, the effort, and the investment.”
I ignored her unsolicited business analysis. “Let me ask again. Why are you here?”
She finally turned to look at me. “I’m here to take you home.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening.”
“It sure is.” Her tone was condescending. “Because I said so.”
“How did you know where I was?”
“It wasn’t easy, trying to find you. Eric and Naomi wouldn’t tell me where you were. You locked your Facebook profile, went private on all your social media accounts. It was a smart move, I’ll give you that. Mimi suggested we hire a PI to track you down, but I didn’t want to risk the possibility of this… scandal getting out. Can you imagine what our business partners might say? If they heard that the daughter of Henry and Veronica Pang ran away from home, and we needed a private investigator to track her down? How embarrassing would that be for us?”
I kept quiet.
“But I overheard Eric on the phone one afternoon, talking to Alec Mackenzie.” At this, her face turned menacing. “So I began to wonder if maybe you were with him. His family wouldn’t say anything. Turns out my hunch was correct. I’m sure I would have found you eventually, but it was fast-tracked when a journalist from the Port Benedict Gazette called.”
So not just Naomi and Eric. Phil also called her. “What did he want?”
“He was writing an article about Mackenzie Constructions and its founder and discovered his connection to the Pangs through you, his girlfriend .” My mother sneered. “I made it very clear to him that you are not his girlfriend, and our family is in no way connected to Alec Mackenzie or his family. But thanks to him, we found out where you are.”
“Well, congratulations, Mom. You found me. But I’m sorry you made the trip all the way here for nothing, because I’m still not going back home with you.”
“I heard about your latest hypo. And how you ignored the signs.”
My jaw unhinged. “How did you know?”
“You’re lucky it didn’t escalate into much worse. Have you forgotten that horrible episode ten years ago? Do you realize there’s one single person connecting you to both incidents?” She advanced on me, her eyes narrowing. “Every single time, it’s him. It’s not a coincidence.”
“It’s just another hypo,” I said impatiently. “You know it happens. It’s not a big deal.”
“Maybe that last one wasn’t. But the next one could be. And if that happened, who’s going to be there to look after you? Only your family. No one else can. Especially not someone like him.”
“You’re wrong. You’re just saying that because you’ve never liked Alec and his family. He’s been putting a lot of effort into learning about everything.” I gritted my teeth. “And I can look after myself perfectly well.”
“We’re reinstating you in the will. Provided that you come home with me and cut off all ties with that man. Right now.”
“Are you serious? Do you not see what I’ve built here?” I gestured around the bakery. “Do you really expect me to just walk away and leave everything? Should I just lock up and tell my employee that she doesn’t have a job anymore?”
“Only one?” She waved a dismissive hand. “That’s easy. Just pay her wages for the next three months.”
“ How? I need to open the business to have the money to pay her.”
I could have sworn she looked bored with this conversation already.
“Fine. Pang Food Industries will foot the bill. We’ll make sure she’s paid and looked after.” She gave an impatient shake of her head. “Stop wasting time. Is that all?”
“I. Have. A. Business.” I enunciated each word, as if I were talking to a disrespectful toddler who was refusing to listen. “Something of my own that I started from scratch. Something that I’m proud of.”
“Put it up for sale. You’re going to work for the family,” my mother said, with a finality in her tone. “Eric and George still need a capable CFO at their brewery. We were so lucky the Fitzgeralds were willing to move on from that humiliating proposal. You’ll need to learn the ropes because one day, when your father and I retire, Eric will inherit the business, and he’s going to need someone he trusts to help him manage things.”
“Eric will inherit the business,” I repeated, my ears ringing with anger. “And I’ll be the one helping him manage things.”
“Exactly.” My mother looked pleased that I finally understood her grand plan.
“Maybe you could refresh my memory. Not that I wanted it, but explain to me again why I’m not inheriting the business alongside Eric?”
She raised her eyebrows. “That’s pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it? He’s the firstborn son. You don’t have the capability to shoulder such an enormous responsibility, and you don’t need the extra pressure that comes with running Pang Food Industries. We can’t have someone with a health issue holding the reins. You have a disability, Ellie. If something were to happen to you, it would leave the leadership of the group in a void. Thousands of people depend on us. We need someone healthy, strong, and of sound mind to lead the business, and Eric is the perfect person for the job. Not you.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. “Did you say disability? And of sound mind?” That was news to me.
“Well, you rejected a perfectly fine marriage proposal, then left your family without even saying goodbye. Your father and I think that shows immaturity and recklessness. What if we put you in charge of the business, and you suddenly decided to do that again? Bolt from all your responsibilities? That would be disastrous. Billions of dollars could be at risk.”
Immaturity and recklessness? Seriously?
“Plus, Eric has his degrees, his MBA, and he’s been involved with the business since he graduated. Whereas you chose to waste time working for other people and doing meaningless cooking courses and whatever the hell else you’ve been doing.” Giving me a satisfied nod, she concluded her spiel, “That’s why we’re leaving the business to Eric, with you assisting.”
My head spun. I needed her to get out of here. Out of my life.
“We’ve already been through this so many times. You’re different. You have limitations, and you need to accept that your life will never be normal.” She made a circling gesture in the air, indicating the bakery. “Trying to pretend otherwise, to prove it by running a business of your own, will never work. It changes nothing.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to grab the delicately embellished porcelain cupcake holder behind me and throw it against the wall.
Instead, I took a couple of steps away from her. “I’m not going back.”
My mother’s eyes narrowed. “Is this because of him? If you knew what he did, trust me, you’d run for the hills as fast as you can.”
“Is this about his dad?” I raised my voice. “I know what he did. But Alec is a good man. He’s honest and dependable. He’s not his dad, and definitely not who you think he is.”
“How did you think I found out about that latest hypo?”
I gaped at her. “What?”
“He freaked out and told Eric. Told him to come and get you.”
I went completely still. That couldn’t be true. He was the epitome of cool, calm, and collected that night. Pricked my finger, patiently waited with me until I was fine. The total opposite of freaking out.
But… he was the only one who knew about it.
She nodded at my stunned expression. “Didn’t know that, did you? That honest, dependable Alec isn’t as trustworthy as you think?”
My stomach churned, and I felt like I was about to throw up. “He wouldn’t do that.”
“He did. Look, while we’re revealing secrets, I have something else to tell you. I think it’s time you found out.”
Bile rose in my throat. What now? I’d had my quota of horrible news for two lifetimes, and I didn’t think I could bear any more.
“Did he tell you why he left ten years ago?” At my confused look, she reached into her handbag and pulled out some folded papers. “Of course he didn’t. Here. Read this.”
I eyed the papers as if a three-headed monster was going to magically emerge and bite my head off at any second. My first instinct was to push the papers away, but curiosity got the better of me. I slowly unfolded them, afraid of what was to come. As I scanned the official-looking document, a sharp pain sliced through my chest.
It was a confidential agreement, dated ten years ago, between Alec and my parents. To be exact, one week after that incident , specifying that my parents would pay the Mackenzies a sum of three million dollars if he agreed to sever all contact with me for the foreseeable future. Forever. It was a legally binding contract, in boring, wordy legalese, with lawfully enforceable consequences. My parents had signed it. A lawyer had signed it.
He had signed it.
I blinked twice. Maybe I’d read it wrong. But no, even after flicking through the pages repeatedly, rereading it until I could probably recite all the words by heart, they still spelled out the exact same thing. His name was on it, and so was his signature.
My parents had bribed Alec with three million dollars to stay away from me .
And he had taken the Goddamn money.
Thoughts and questions swirled around in my head, and lumps of anger clogged my throat. This couldn’t be right. Alec wouldn’t do that, would he?
Would he?
“He obviously broke the agreement,” my mother said, as my eyes drifted back to her in disbelief. “The terms specifically said he’s not allowed to be in your immediate vicinity, or he could be liable for breach of contract. We’ll be taking him to court, and the judge will rule him guilty faster than you can say ‘three million.’”
I glanced at the papers in my hand, then back at her, refusing to believe her words.
“No. You made this up. He said he left to chase job opportunities here. He’s the most decent, hardworking man I’ve ever met.”
My mother sighed and shook her head. “You don’t believe me? Fine. Go ahead and ask him. I’ll be staying at the Plaza Hotel if you need to find me.”