“She’s not my anything. You managed to spoil that.”
“Me?” Her hands raised to her heart like she was offended.
“Your lies. Your manipulations. The way you ruin everything you touch.” I take a heaving breath, trying to rein in my temper. “You made me distrust every woman who dares to get close to me. You’ve ruined me.”
When Raven hadn’t returned my sentiments, the poison seeped in, surrounding me with memories of Tabitha and how she’d only been interested in my wealth.
“Oh, come on. Don’t act like I didn’t do you a favor. The best thing I did was saddle up with Daddy Warbucks.”
“You’re vile.”
“Think what you’d like, but I do care for him.”
“You don’t care about anyone but yourself.”
“So hostile. Did you really love me that much?” She blushes. “I’m flattered.”
I laugh sardonically. “It has nothing to do with you. For all I care, you could’ve bloody well shacked up with the pope. It was my father who destroyed me.”
“Yes, that did break him, too. I must say, you men are quite the tender hearts. I wasn’t prepared for that.”
“Get the fuck out of my office!” I yell, and she has the common sense to jump.
“Calm down, Charles. I only came to warn you that your father is ill.”
My breath hitches.
“You came all the way here to tell me that? Like I care.”
Tabitha would never take time from her busy life to drop in and warn me that my father’s ill. It’s just another one of her sick games. She hasn’t been able to pit us against each other in some time, so I have no doubt she’s been concocting something.
“It’s his heart.” She says it like it’s not really a big deal. As though she were really just in the area and thought she’d drop a bomb on me and watch it explode.
I won’t give her the satisfaction.
“You bitch,” I seethe.
“Sir, is everything okay?” Shelby asks, rushing into the office, eyes wide.
When she gets a look at Tabitha, her eyes narrow to slits.
“You,” she grinds through her teeth. “I didn’t realize we were entertaining Satan today, sir.”
I snort, and Tabitha’s eyes cut to Shelby. If looks could kill, Shelby would be on death’s door.
“Everything is fine. She was just leaving.”
Shelby nods. “There’s a call for you on line two, sir.”
I nod, picking up the phone but never moving my eyes from the snake in front of me.
“Cavendish.”
The voice on the other line speaks, but I hardly hear a word. Instead, I’m watching, and I don’t miss the small smirk.
She’s pure evil.
Her warning wasn’t a lie for once, and I’d wasted my time fighting with her.