Chapter Thirty-two
Helen
Andrew’s salt-and-pepper eyebrows shot upin surprise. “I would have gone as high as fifteen.” He chuckled like he was so damn clever, then started writing my check. “But ten sounds just fine.”
My nails dug into the palms of my hands. “It’s Helen Ortega. O-r-t-e-g-a.”
“Helen, Jesus Christ,” came Theo’s tortured protest. “What are you doing?”
I raised a brow, but I couldn’t look at him. I could not bear to see his expression. “I’m being smart.”
Something choked and tormented clawed up his throat, and I felt it slide down mine. Hurting Theo hurt me right back, but it was a necessary evil. I didn’t know what else to do.
Andrew tore the check out with a flourish and handed it to me. My hands were steady as I accepted it. I sat down to inspect it and whipped out my phone.
“Checks are so funny.” I scrunched my nose as I held my phone over the piece of paper. “Isn’t it crazy how I can just scan it with my phone—and boom, the money is deposited in my account? I don’t even have to go to the bank.”
Theo sank down in the chair beside mine, covering his eyes with his hand. I could feel his confusion and anger bubbling up, and I had to put an end to it. This was too much on top of too much.
“Hey, Theodore, can you send me your account info?”
His head slowly turned in my direction. His eyes were bleary and wet, barely focusing on me. “What?” he croaked.
Oh, my heart. I hated doing this to him, but it would be over soon. “Send me your account info and I’ll transfer the tenKas soon as it clears.”
“Baby?” Theo squeezed his eyes as if to clear them. “What did you say?”
Andrew slammed his ledger down on his desk. “What is the meaning of this? You will do no such thing.”
I rose to my feet and braced my hand on his desk, just like he had. “I can, and I will. I’m not for sale, Mr. Whitlock, and I’m not leaving Theo. If you decide you can’t support a son who has a former stripper for a girlfriend, then that cash you so kindly gifted me will come in handy to him. But this is the last time you use me as leverage over your son. I hope we understand each other. There is no amount you could give me that would make me walk. If you want to try, I’ll be happy to keep transferring it over to Theo each and every time. Are we clear?”
Theo rose behind me, pressing his front to my back. “Angel of vengeance, you’re going to pay for taking a hundred years off my life,” he murmured.
“I love you,” I told him.
Andrew had turned puce. If his coloring was any indication, he had to be in danger of stroking out at any moment.
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, young lady, but you do not want to test me. You won’t win. Remember who the president of your university is. I can very easily find a reason to have your enrollment revoked.”
That struck true fear in my heart, but I wouldn’t be bullied. If I never graduated from Savage U and collected the money Mads left me, it would be a massive let down, but it wouldn’t break me. So, I squared my shoulders and didn’t even blink.
“Try me, old man. I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m really fucking scrappy. I won’t back down.”
“Enough.” Theo squeezed my nape. “You won’t threaten Helen.”
“What makes you think it’s a threat? I have her academic future in the palm of my hand, and right now, I’m not feeling very altruistic. If you care about this girl, get rid of her, Theo.”
Theo released my neck and claimed my hip, pulling me into his side. “That’s never going to happen. And let me tell you why. What do you think people will say if they find out you personally approved my wrestling coaches administering performance-enhancing drugs to me when I was a minor? Do you think that will go over well with the alumni?”
Andrew chuffed, and somehow turned an even deeper red, bordering on purple. “No one would believe that. And even if they did, you would ruin your own reputation in the process.”
“That might be true. Or the public might feel sympathetic toward a kid you abandoned as a baby being thrust into an unknown world of privilege and doing anything he could to gain his father’s approval.” Theo played with the bow on the side of my dress as he spoke. “As for them believing me…well, the emails I have saved should do the trick. I don’twantto release any of it, but I will. If you threaten Helen’s academic future or bother her in any way, all the evidence I’ve saved will come to light. I think I have more of a leg to stand on than you do, but if I go down, at least I’ll take you down too.”
Andrew was struck speechless, and honestly, so was I. I would never let Theo go down, but the fact that he was willing to, that he would ruin himself to save me, struck me so deep in my heart, I’d never lose it. This was love, real love, and it was mine.
“That’s enough, Andrew.”
The three of us whipped around to find a stony-faced Miranda in the doorway.