some of its power. “ Mia, we ’ ve not seen eye to eye in a long time, but you are my child and I naturally want what is best for you … That will never be Bennett Hayes. ”
“ I didn ’ t assume it would be, ” she replied coolly.
“ Then why are you making this so hard? You know what you have to do, Mia, ” he said, and his tone was deceptively soft and contrite. “ You have to end it. ”
She hated him more for pretending to care than for not caring at all. He could couch his protests in any manner he liked, but the truth was, he didn ’ t like Bennett because of his last name. There ’ d never been any reasons beyond that. He deemed the Hayes family too low on the social scale and too close to old scandals that could tarnish the Darcy name. It wasn ’ t about what was good for her. It never had been.
Taking a deep shuddering breath, she met his gaze and refused to back down. She was violating the spirit of their agreement but not the letter of it. It was a tactic she ’ d learned from him. “ Right now, I can ’ t take care of Mama physically. Until my wrist heals, I have to depend on others to do that for me. Once it ’ s better, everything goes back to the way it was. And as for our agreement, I never said I ’ d stay away from Bennett. I said I wouldn ’ t run away with him, and I didn ’ t. So you have no reason to be here. ”
Samuel nodded thoughtfully. “ It really would be a shame for the truth to come out … for people to realize the hand that Hayes — and you — played in your mother ’ s unfortunate accident. People might not look so favorably upon him and his sister in their little enterprise if it were discovered that your mother ’ s life, in all but the basest of essences, was taken from her as a result of the selfishness of the two of you. ”
It didn ’ t matter how many times he reminded her, the twisting of that particular knife would never cease to hurt. But then Samuel was always good for going for the jugular.
“ Yes, and you ’ re always so eager to point it out, ” she replied. “ Whatever is happening between Bennett and myself, it is temporary. He knows that, and so do I. There ’ s no need for you to concern yourself … but there is every need for you to get the hell out. The sight of you sickens me. ”
He leaned closer, his face only inches from hers. “ You forget who has the power here. ”
“ I ’ ve forgotten nothing. Not the way you cheated on her before she was even injured. Not the way you manipulated, controlled, and lied to every one of us. I haven ’ t forgotten that you nearly bankrupted the family business. I. Haven ’ t. Forgotten. Anything . ” She finished with the last words coming out between clenched teeth. “ I ’ m done with this conversation. You can see yourself out. ”
“ I ’ ve warned you, Mia. You ’ re my daughter and I don ’ t want to hurt you … but I will break him. Whatever it takes. ”
“ Why do you hate him so much? What the hell did he ever do to you? ”
“ He reminds people that we might not be entitled to everything we have … and I can ’ t let that happen, ” Samuel replied. “ Do him a favor, and cut him loose. But if you — in your all too familiar, selfish and stubborn ways — have to have your fun, do it. Then you can break his heart all over again. ”
He left, the door slamming behind him, and Mia actually felt the temperature of the room go up. Her blood was boiling and her stomach churned in the aftermath of their bloodless conflict.
The caregiver came in then, carrying the empty bottles used in her mother ’ s tube feeding. “ I ’ m sorry about all that, ” she said. “ I didn ’ t realize that you and your daddy weren ’ t on the best of terms or I wouldn ’ t have invited him in. ”
“ He has a key, ” Mia said sharply. Realizing that she was being a snappish bitch, she forced a smile and softened her tone before continuing. “ It ’ s fine, Elizabeth. He can
“ I didn ’ t assume it would be, ” she replied coolly.
“ Then why are you making this so hard? You know what you have to do, Mia, ” he said, and his tone was deceptively soft and contrite. “ You have to end it. ”
She hated him more for pretending to care than for not caring at all. He could couch his protests in any manner he liked, but the truth was, he didn ’ t like Bennett because of his last name. There ’ d never been any reasons beyond that. He deemed the Hayes family too low on the social scale and too close to old scandals that could tarnish the Darcy name. It wasn ’ t about what was good for her. It never had been.
Taking a deep shuddering breath, she met his gaze and refused to back down. She was violating the spirit of their agreement but not the letter of it. It was a tactic she ’ d learned from him. “ Right now, I can ’ t take care of Mama physically. Until my wrist heals, I have to depend on others to do that for me. Once it ’ s better, everything goes back to the way it was. And as for our agreement, I never said I ’ d stay away from Bennett. I said I wouldn ’ t run away with him, and I didn ’ t. So you have no reason to be here. ”
Samuel nodded thoughtfully. “ It really would be a shame for the truth to come out … for people to realize the hand that Hayes — and you — played in your mother ’ s unfortunate accident. People might not look so favorably upon him and his sister in their little enterprise if it were discovered that your mother ’ s life, in all but the basest of essences, was taken from her as a result of the selfishness of the two of you. ”
It didn ’ t matter how many times he reminded her, the twisting of that particular knife would never cease to hurt. But then Samuel was always good for going for the jugular.
“ Yes, and you ’ re always so eager to point it out, ” she replied. “ Whatever is happening between Bennett and myself, it is temporary. He knows that, and so do I. There ’ s no need for you to concern yourself … but there is every need for you to get the hell out. The sight of you sickens me. ”
He leaned closer, his face only inches from hers. “ You forget who has the power here. ”
“ I ’ ve forgotten nothing. Not the way you cheated on her before she was even injured. Not the way you manipulated, controlled, and lied to every one of us. I haven ’ t forgotten that you nearly bankrupted the family business. I. Haven ’ t. Forgotten. Anything . ” She finished with the last words coming out between clenched teeth. “ I ’ m done with this conversation. You can see yourself out. ”
“ I ’ ve warned you, Mia. You ’ re my daughter and I don ’ t want to hurt you … but I will break him. Whatever it takes. ”
“ Why do you hate him so much? What the hell did he ever do to you? ”
“ He reminds people that we might not be entitled to everything we have … and I can ’ t let that happen, ” Samuel replied. “ Do him a favor, and cut him loose. But if you — in your all too familiar, selfish and stubborn ways — have to have your fun, do it. Then you can break his heart all over again. ”
He left, the door slamming behind him, and Mia actually felt the temperature of the room go up. Her blood was boiling and her stomach churned in the aftermath of their bloodless conflict.
The caregiver came in then, carrying the empty bottles used in her mother ’ s tube feeding. “ I ’ m sorry about all that, ” she said. “ I didn ’ t realize that you and your daddy weren ’ t on the best of terms or I wouldn ’ t have invited him in. ”
“ He has a key, ” Mia said sharply. Realizing that she was being a snappish bitch, she forced a smile and softened her tone before continuing. “ It ’ s fine, Elizabeth. He can
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