It was clear who benefited most from their business connections, and it wasn't her husband.
CHAPTER 19
"Have you been poisoning him against me?" Annette's father demanded with rancor.
"He was appalled by both your and mom's behavior at the lawyer's office. When I told him about me being adopted and how you only did it to get money from your wealthier, older brother, he wasn't all that impressed either."
"That's ridiculous. We were on his side. You can't tell me he took that against us." Typical of her father to completely ignore any reference to her adoption, or the reason for it.
Yes, they'd been on what they considered Carlo's side, just like they had been five years ago. She was their daughter, but she didn't matter. Her feelings didn't matter.
She wanted to hang up, but she had one last thing she had to say. "I'm pregnant. I will take your congratulations as spoken," she said sarcastically before her father could speak. "Whether you are allowed into my family's life will be determined by your choices. How you choose to treat me. Whether you attempt to play the same favorites with your grandchildren that you have your own children."
Whatever their reasons, they'd adopted her, darn it. And they had forced her to recognize them as her parents. Now, they could either recognize her as their daughter with all rights and privileges, or they could stay well out of her life.
"You think you've landed yourself in clover, don't you? Carlo Messina only married you because you're pregnant with my grandchild."
Man, it had taken mere minutes for her father to change his tack on that one. First his business, nowhisgrandchild. Notherbaby. What a narcissist.
"You've insinuated yourself in his life, but he'll see you for what you are." What her dad thought that was, he left unsaid.
But she'd had a lifetime to figure it out and it wasn't something good.
"What I am is a loving person who will be a great mom, because there was a time many years ago that I had one." She would hold onto that memory always and they could not take it away from her, even if they'd managed to erase the connection between her and her biological father. "And if nothing else, you and mom have taught me important lessons about raising all my children with the same love and affection."
A hand was suddenly in front of her, open like ready to take the phone, but not reaching for it.
She stared at that hand and then looked up into her husband's face. His handsome features were cast in fury.
How much of their conversation had he heard? Had he been there the whole time? Annette's phone was a cheap model that bled a lot of noise. No such thing as a truly private phone call if anyone else was around.
"May I speak now?" he asked politely.
She almost laughed but stifled the sound and handed him the phone. She'd said what she needed to.
"Floyd, this is Carlo," her husband said in a chilled tone, so different than the one he used with her.
The sound of her father's voice, which had been raised in a litany of the usual complaints against her, cut off abruptly.
"Listen carefully. If you ever speak in this cutting way to my wife again, not only will we cut you from our lives, but I will cut all business ties with you as well."
Annette stood up from the bench and stepped away to the edge of the terrace, not wanting to hear her father's response.
Though she couldn't miss Carlo's next words. "No, there will be no further business dealings, but I will not cancel current contracts. That is as far as my generosity takes me."
Carlo and her father spoke for only a few moments more before Carlo informed the other man that all communication from the Hudsons needed to come to him, not be directed toward Annette. When he looked at her, like asking if that was okay, she nodded.
She was done. Annette would not waste any more energy trying to earn love or respect from her adopted family and she frankly never wanted to see her biological father again. Not that he'd shown any desire to build a relationship over the years.
She just knewsheno longer wanted to, either.
She had a new family, and she was going to concentrate all her love and energy on them.
That night, when they made love, Annette said the words out loud.
"I love you, Carlo." She needed him to know.
He was on top this time, setting the rhythm. His grey eyes dark with passion, he shushed her. "Shh. Just feel. No talking."