Richard says nothing until he finishes drawing up his resignation letter. It’s not until he signs it that I release a breath it seems I’ve been holding for ten years. Setting it aside, he turns to me with regret filling his gaze.
“I’m sorry, Fox. I never wanted it to be like this.”
It’s too little too fucking late.
“I loved your mother.”
The room goes deadly silent and I stand rigid as another bomb drops on me. Maisy’s eyes widen and she comes to my side to hold my hand as I grit my teeth.
“No,” I bite out. “No you fucking didn’t.”
If it were true, how could he let her die. He’s lying.
“We were…we wanted—”
“No!” I slam a fist down on the desk.
Richard swipes sweat from his brow and his shoulders slump. “It’s the truth, son.”
“Was the baby yours?”
“No. We were waiting for the right time.”
It doesn’t bring any relief.
“What are you saying?” Maisy demands, squeezing my hand.
Keeping his gaze pinned on me, he continues in a mournful voice. “It destroyed me when I found out about the crash. It wasn’t supposed to happen. I wanted to protect her, too, but your dad just wanted more and more money. He wouldn’t leave it until he got what he wanted. They weren’t going to budge, so they eliminated them and made us cover it up.”
“Stop it,” I growl. “Just shut up.”
I can’t listen to this, or I’m going to explode. I don’t know whether to wring his neck or deck him.
“How do you live with yourself? I don’t even know you anymore,” Maisy says. “I only wish I’d known sooner.”
“Sweetheart,” Richard begs. “I swear to you, everything I’ve ever done was to protect you and Holden. I just wanted to give you a good life. Please, please go home.” He gets up, clearly intent on trying to patch things up with her. As he reaches out, Maisy takes a step back. “You’re going to get hurt being around him. Just listen to me, honey.”
“No! You think anything you say is going to make it better? I wanted my dad back!” Breathing heavily, her nails dig into my hand and it grounds me. I can’t drown in my own misery when I have her at my side. “You lost me and Holden the minute you agreed to this insane deal. You and Mom destroyed our family. I don’t want anything to do with you.”
“Maisy, no, please—!”
She turns away from him. When he charges, my protective instinct takes over and I block him, hauling him by the lapels of his suit as I push him back.
“You’ll never be able to hurt or control her again,” I swear. “You’d have to go through me to get to her and I’ll die before I let anyone touch her. Do you understand?”
“Maisy!” he tries again and I shake him hard enough his teeth clack.
“You’re done, Richard.” I let him go and he slumps against the wall.
“Bye Dad.” Maisy won’t look at him again.
Pausing at the door, I turn back. “Don’t tell your wife or your bosses about this. When they ask why you resigned, you give them any reason you want but the truth. And if you warn them? We’ll make sure this gets out.”
Taking Maisy’s hand, we leave behind a broken man as we walk out.
Thirty-Six
Maisy