My stomach cramps as bile rises in my throat. I’d love to call Heather’s bluff, but she’s not bluffing. Daisy will be the one who suffers the consequences–not me. I don’t care about teaching. I don’t need my father’s money. But Daisy’s only goal since childhood was to get into medical school and practice medicine. This will ruin her.
“So, what do you say?” She eyes us one after the other. “Are you ready to play ball?” She uncrosses and recrosses her ankles, knocking over a cup of pens in the process. “Buzz. Too long. The price just went up to 700k, and if you don’t agree to the money in the next ten minutes, I’ll find out who that guy was that left your office and destroy whatever business venture you were so excited to begin because–”
“I don’t give a shit what you do to me.” My hands ball into fists until my nails cut into my palms. “His name is Wes. Weston Cain, to be exact. I’ll give you his business card. I don’t care about my future, but you’re not destroying Daisy’s. I won’t stop at anything to destroy you if you do one more thing to hurt her. You’ve spent years being jealous of her–”
“I. Am. Not. Jealous. Of. Daisy.” Her eyes flash with rage as she jumps up, kicking half the pens onto the floor in her haste. “She’s a worthless nobody.”
“Who you wish you were even half as good as.” I rip open my desk drawer and pull out my checkbook.
“I’ll pay your hush money to protect Daisy, but if I hear you’ve gone back on your word or in any way keep her from getting into medical school, graduating, and starting her own practice, I’ll haunt you for the rest of your life.”
My father walks to me and places his hands on my shoulders. “I’ll retire today. Giving you everything. If you stop seeing her and never see her again.”
“Everything?”
“Yes, you can have the company, and I’ll remove the stipulation of not changing anything for ten years. It will all be yours. To do whatever you want. As long as you renounce her.”
“I also want an A in calculus.” She fiddles with her phone.
“You’d do that for me? You’d give me everything if I never see Daisy again?”
“Yes, son, I will.”
“You’ve got your wish. I won’t see Daisy anymore.” After all this time, he’s giving me what I want. What I deserve.
Chapter Forty-Two
Daisy
After six hours of serving at the café, my feet are killing me. I enjoy the customers and the tips, but I’m looking forward to the day when I can hang up my apron for good. Sadly, I won’t be turning in my sneakers that day. I’ll be spending more time on my feet as a doctor than I do now.
I fill Hazel’s mug of tea and wipe the crumbs off the table.
She jerks her head upward and smiles as her eyes focus on the room. “Hey, Daisy, thanks for the refill.”
“You’re welcome.” I tip my head toward her laptop. “Everything good with the new manuscript?”
“Yes.” She frowns. “I’m still struggling a bit with the sex scenes. Don’t tell Wylder. He’ll either get offended that he’s not properly motivating me or try to lure me over to the dark side.” Her husband is a thriller novelist, and they love to fight over whose genre is better. More popular. More needed by the world. You name it, they’ve bantered about it according to her.
“Mums, the word.” I chuckle as I zip my lips and move to the next table.
As the afternoon wears on, the clouds form in the sky, breaking up the sunshine that streams in through the front windows. It’s going to be dark sooner than usual tonight.
The bells above the door ding, and I twist on my heel to greet the new customer, only to come face-to-face with Heather. Seriously? She’s like a pestilence that won’t let up. She’s everywhere.
The muscles in my back tighten until it feels like someone is drawing my shoulders up to my ears. Why can’t she leave me alone? First, stealing my sister. Then talking shit about me for years. Now, she’s at my college, in my calculus class, showing up unannounced at family dinners, the café, and Alexander’s parents’ house. Is nothing sacred?
She swings her hips and makes a beeline for me. Clearly, not. Nothing is sacred. Somewhere along the line, I’ve pissed karma off, and this is my punishment.
“Hello, Heather. Would you like a seat?”
“No.” She smiles. “I’d like to speak to you in private.” Her eyes flash with a mixture of humor and hate. It’s creepy, but I’m used to it.
“I think we should stay out here.” I brace my feet apart.
“I don’t think you’re going to want everyone to hear this.” She bites her bottom lip and waggles her eyebrows.
Shit.What if she’s found out about Alexander? I don’t want her shouting it to all the customers in the café and bakery. “No, you’re right. Let’s go to the back.”