Chapter 17 #2
I lifted a chin to her, slicing my eyes away from her face, fighting the urge to push her up against the wall and kiss her.
‘Good day?’ she murmured.
‘Busy but manageable,’ I offered, slipping into our current routine of polite chitchat that avoided the roiling emotions beneath.
I set the table and helped with the salad, then we split up to change.
Retreating to my primary bedroom, I showered, then pulled on inky denim trousers and a black button-down shirt.
The doorbell echoed through the house just as I slipped into leather loafers.
‘They’re here,’ Roxy called out from the foyer.
I groaned, rolling my shoulders to ease my tension before fixing my attitude and my face into a neutral mask.
I stepped onto the staircase, pausing when I spotted Roxy opening the door.
She wore a tailored linen jumpsuit, her feet bare against the polished wood.
A sudden, violent jolt hit my ribs at the sight of her under the soft glow of the hallway lights.
She was beyond beautiful; she was stunning, I thought as she went to open the front door.
Elsa and Reese slid out of their car, leaving their chauffeured black limousine idling at the curb.
Elsa, in her customary all-white Chanel, perfect makeup and slicked-back hair, appeared drained.
A deep weariness seemed to have settled around her eyes, alongside a quiet, simmering resentment toward her husband.
Reese marched beside her into the house, his posture rigid as he leaned on his cane.
‘Food ready?’ he demanded.
Roxy nodded. ‘This way.’
No hugs, no kisses; the Rosedales always kept their reunions cold, devoid of affection.
We suffered through a tense dinner and polite chitchat, catching up on friends and on Reese’s recent wins in the press.
We finished with a dessert of flourless chocolate torte and espresso.
The second the plates cleared, Reese jerked his chin to the back patio, signaling me to follow like I was some kid to be scolded.
My jaw tightened.
You’re in my house now, old man.
Still, I ambled after him after exchanging a glance with Roxy and raising a brow.
‘I hired a private investigator to track Evangeline,’ Reese stated without preamble as soon as the sliding door shut behind us.
His hands gripped the iron balcony railing as he stared me down.
‘She’s tangled herself up with a high-end narcotics dealer she met in New York. The guy goes by the name Maurice.’
A spike of fury pierced my gut.
However, I kept my expression locked down like steel.
Crossing my hands over my chest, I leaned a hip on the balustrade.
‘What do you expect me to do about it?’
‘She’s blocked my number,’ Reese snarled, his jaw tightening. ‘She might answer your calls. When she does, you need to order her to cut ties with this loser. Her association with him could bode badly for the Rosedale Group.’
He had no idea she called me in Capri and was blowing up my DMs.
I was not compelled in the least to share.
‘Why do you now care about her safety?’ I countered, crossing my arms and towering over him.
‘I’ve always cared,’ he spat, his voice dropping to a vicious whisper. ‘She needs to distance herself from this criminal before she causes a public scandal that I can’t -.’
‘What? Cover up?’ I stepped into his personal space, cutting him off with pure dominance of my sheer size.
‘That I can’t protect her from.’
‘What would you know about protecting her? Spoiling that girl and prioritizing her over her own sister turned her into a manipulative, toxic brat. You created her into the entitled woman she is. I’ve no interest in helping her and covering your ass at the same time.’
Reese narrowed his eyes, his voice turning icy cold.
‘You’re angry, Angel, so I’ll overlook this little tantrum. As for you and Roxy, keep the charade going; don’t fuckin’ ruffle any feathers until I lock in my investors and seal my deal, hear? Do as I say, or -.’
He let the last word hover between us, his lips parting in a cruel smile.
‘Same old routine,’ I scoffed, leaning in to make him blink first. ‘You’ll threaten my family and my dad’s business again. I get it. You wield massive leverage in Nashville. You made that pathetic point clear months ago, but you don’t intimidate me.’
‘I don’t care; I’ll destroy you regardless if you don’t toe the line,’ Reese warned.
Nonetheless, his voice lacked real heft now as he spun on his heel.
‘You’ve got my heart all a flutter,’ I scoffed after him.
He stormed through the glass doors, leaving the patio in a cloud of affronted arrogance.
Good riddance.
I wasn’t playing the role of his failsafe with Evangeline anymore.
I walked back into the living room as the older man gathered his coat.
‘We’re leaving, Elsa,’ Reese barked, not waiting for his wife to respond.
He marched out, and Elsa sighed, moving slower than him, rising from the dining table.
‘Thank you honey for the lovely meal,’ she told Roxy as she hugged her. ‘Come round and see me soon.’
‘I will, mama.’
Elsa stepped to me, offering a fragile smile.
‘I’m sorry for his behavior, Angel.’
I softened my posture, leaning down to press a gentle kiss against her perfumed cheek. ‘Don’t worry about it, Elsa. You’re always welcome here. Him? Not so much.’
She gave me a wry, understanding smile, then walked out with her chin held high.
The door whispered shut behind them.
Roxy and I stood in the quiet foyer, exchanging a long glance.
‘What happened out there?’ Roxy asked, her brow furrowing.
‘Just your father trying to dictate our lives,’ I muttered, running a hand over my jaw as the lingering irritation buzzed under my skin.
‘He wants us to promise to keep our shit together so he can secure the sale of Rosedale Breeding to the Saudi investors. It makes me wonder why he’s so desperate for this cash injection.
He’s acting like a man with a clock ticking over his head. ’
I kept Evangeline’s name from our conversation, not wanting to poke that bear whatsoever.
Roxy leaned against the wall, a cynical chuckle escaping her lips.
‘He’s not the upstanding titan of industry he pretends to be. I know for a fact he had three significant commercial loans collapse over the last two years. Major corporate creditors are hounding his office.’
I smirked. The playing field just leveled out.
‘So, Reese Rosedale has a massive financial vulnerability, huh? He’s broke?’
‘He might be,’ Roxy speculated. ‘Mum and I have overheard conversations of him dodging his collectors.’
‘So how do we dig up what he might be hiding?’ I rasped, my mind racing. ‘We need proof to bring him down.’