Chapter 34
ALICE
Ihave never been so nervous.
I’m dressed in a smart suit that Simeon purchased in the store where I tried to escape him. That seems so long ago now, and I am happy he prevented me from making a huge mistake because I wouldn’t have found him. The man destiny wanted for me, even though I was blinded by his criminality.
It’s only now I see the man behind it, and that has surprised me more than anything.
We are waiting in the reception of Goldsworthy enterprises and I’m on edge, wondering if my grandfather will be annoyed at my line of questioning.
Edward Goldsworthy may be angry that I am dragging up the past and challenging what appears to be fact.
Then again, he is my blood. The only part of my mother I have left, and I’m hungry for his memories. To discover a part of myself I know nothing about.
A man heads our way with an efficient smile.
“Please follow me. Mr. Goldsworthy will see you now.”
Simeon stands alongside me, and I’m grateful for his support. It doesn’t even enter my mind to ask him to wait here for me. Wherever I go, he goes, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
The journey to my grandfather’s office is spent in tense silence, and I wonder if the assistant knows who I am. He gives nothing away, and I admire his cool demeanor because being confined in an elevator with Simeon Ravera is not for the faint-hearted.
His glare is angry, predatory, and with warnings attached. His possession is obvious and ominous presence disturbing. He appears every inch the mafia soldier he is.
He calls himself the family enforcer, and I am trying very hard not to picture what that involves.
The elevator arrives at one of the top floors, and as we exit, my feet sink into the plush pile of a navy-blue carpet. The walls are hung with framed certificates and the company logo; praising excellence, rewarding diligence, and admiring business acumen.
The air I’m breathing is rich; it’s as if only the elite belong in this space, and I’m grateful for the designer outfit Simeon chose for me. Clothes become armor when facing battle, and if I were dressed down, it would make me feel even more inferior.
We stop at a wooden door, polished so hard I can see my reflection, and a deep voice bids us to enter. The assistant opens the door and steps back, so we enter first, and my breath hitches when the man behind the desk stands and gazes at me with astonishment.
“Alice.”
He appears emotional, and I swallow the lump in my throat as I venture inside, noting the lines on the face of a man who has suffered great tragedy. My heart beats faster as I move toward him, and as he meets me halfway, he merely stares at me with incredulity.
“You are so like your mother.”
His husky whisper brings tears to my eyes, and he shakes his head.
“I would recognize you in a crowd.”
I’m surprised when he reaches out and whispers, “May I?”
I nod vigorously as he pulls me into his arms and holds me close, an emotional moment for us both as we meet for the first time.
“I thought I had lost you forever.”
He pulls away and shakes his head in astonishment.
“How did you get here? I heard you were missing, presumed dead.”
“Excuse me.”
The horror in my voice must be evident because he appears confused.
“I was told you were missing, that you had run away, and she understood you had been taken by a criminal gang who were known assassins, and she had every reason to believe they were hired to kill you.”
“Morgan?”
I possess so much hatred for that woman, and for the first time, Simeon speaks.
“When did she tell you that?”
Edward glances at Simeon, and resignation in his expression causes me to say firmly, “Simeon helped me, grandfather. He protected me when others tried to harm me.”
“I see.”
I can tell he doesn’t believe that, and with a sigh, he points to the couch in his office along with two easy chairs.
“I’ve arranged refreshments. Come, there is much to talk about.”
As I take the seat beside him, Simeon takes the one opposite and fixes his dark gaze on the only blood relative I have left other than my sisters.
“Morgan came to me last week and told me she received a ransom note from a criminal who apparently kidnapped you from the town near a convent you had reportedly fled to.”
“You knew about that?”
I’m starting to believe that my grandfather knew of me and chose not to find me, and that’s a hard fact to absorb.
“I did.”
He sighs, bitterness in his sad smile. “When your mother died, your father cut off all contact with you. I tried so hard for grandparent’s rights, but he matched me at every piece of litigation, citing my past.”
“What past?”
I’m confused, and he sighs. “I had a few convictions that went against me.”
“What convictions?”
I’m astonished, and he groans, “I’m ashamed of my past, Alice. I wasn’t the perfect husband or father, and my temper was legendary. It’s why your grandmother left me and took your mom.”
“What did you do?”
I’m almost scared to ask, and he appears defeated as he lowers his eyes and whispers, “I was convicted for domestic abuse and swerved a custodial sentence because I paid off the judge.”
I glance at Simeon, who appears disgusted, and my heart goes into free fall.
“Your grandmother took your mom and half of my fortune, and I was warned to keep away, so I did. Then your mom met Enrico and married him. I could only watch from afar because she wanted nothing to do with me. Since the day she left, I have never even had a conversation with her. She cut me off and I couldn’t warn her about him. ”
“What warning?”
It’s as if my stomach is tied in knots as he paints a dark picture of Mom’s life.
“That he was ruthless, emotionless, and used people to further his ambitions. I was aware he was marrying your mom for her money, and I have never been proven wrong. I took steps to counteract that, but under the terms of my divorce, your mom’s inheritance was no longer under my control, and I pleaded with her mother to advise her.
To her credit, she listened, via my lawyer, I might add, because she never spoke a word to me since the day she left. ”
He appears so contrite I am hovering on forgiveness, and he sighs heavily.
“She persuaded your mother to put the inheritance in your name, and I have a strong feeling that’s the reason I was never allowed to see you. Enrico needed you for your inheritance, at least the collateral that guaranteed his investments.”
“But I have never seen a penny. I’m not even aware of it.”
“You may be unaware of its existence, but it’s there. Locked away under piles of red tape that only you can access.”
My mind turns to the key, and I wonder if somehow that is the key to the inheritance, and Simeon interrupts, “I still don’t understand how Enrico can use Alice’s inheritance.”
“Because when Sarah died, the inheritance transferred to him as her husband. He was able to act on Alice’s interests and use the funds to grow the pot, as they say.”
My blood chills as the penny drops, and I glance at Simeon, noting the fire in his eyes.
“Tell us about Sarah.” He asks, his intention riveted on my grandfather.
“What can you tell us about her death?”
He is staring at him with a hard expression, and I shiver at the dark expectation in his eyes. Simeon is a dark force to be reckoned with and could strip the truth from inside you with one glance in your direction.
I hold my breath for answers because if my grandfather knows whether my mom is still alive, Simeon will get to the truth one way or another.