It was poison–lethal. One touch could kill you.
The front door swung open. Judy stepped out with a bag of trash, then froze when she saw Theo standing outside. She nearly dropped the bag.
“Mr. Newton, you’re back. Why are you just standing there?” she blurted out, surprised.
Theo’s frown deepened, tension written all over his face. “What are you doing here?” he asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
He was certain he’d already let her go.
Before Judy could answer, Kelly appeared in the doorway, her tone easy. “I asked her to come back. I’m used to having her around.”
Theo glanced at the clock, eyebrows raised. “You’re home late. Something happen?”
“Let’s talk in the study,” Kelly said, turning to follow as Theo stepped inside and changed his shoes.
The moment the study door shut behind them, Theo’s voice was sharp. “You went to see Patrícia, didn’t you?”
Kelly met his stare, a hint of defiance in her voice. “Is that a problem? Am I not allowed to see her anymore?”
He scoffed. “So after all these years, you really think everything I’ve done for you can be undone by a few words from another woman?”
The Newton family had poured everything into him–money, time, connections. Every single resource, all for his future. If it wasn’t for this marriage in name only getting in the way, he’d be so much further by now.
Kelly’s voice was calm, but there was steel underneath. “I’ve never denied what your family’s done for me. But I’ll say it again–I’m an adult. I know how to handle my own problems. If you don’t want things to get messy, stay away from Patricia.”
Her eyes sharpened. “What’s that supposed to mean? Does she have something on you?”
Theo hesitated, his eyes flickering away. If only that were the case. A man’s mistakes were always easier to fix than a woman’s.
“It’s not what you think.”
“And about the Miller family–just stay out of it, okay?” Theo’s tone was cold. “On paper, Patricia and I aren’t divorced. If you so much as lift a finger to help the Millers, the media will start spinning stories about me and Nina. I’ll be branded a cheater.”
He opened the door and left, ending the conversation.
There was no way he could tell Kelly the truth–that Patricia was holding onto some compromising photos of her with another man. That was a secret too heavy to confess.
The next morning, reporters crowded outside the Miller family hotel. The Millers had made their
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10:36
Chapter 54
name in the hotel business, building B&Z Corporation into a powerhouse with a dozen different hotel brands–luxury, mid–range, budget–dominating Riverdale’s hospitality scene. They were right in the middle of a massive expansion, spending a fortune on advertising and pulling in new franchisees. But then, out of nowhere, disaster struck: the owner’s son had assaulted a disabled woman, and the story was all over the news.
Instantly, negative press was everywhere. The company’s reputation was tanking.
Ben, the eldest son, had been busy overseas most of the year, chasing opportunities to take their hotel brands international. He was hardly ever home. He never expected his first trip back would be because of a scandal.
Inside the Miller family living room, the mood was tense. Joseph sat on the sofa in a crisp black shirt, his salt–and–pepper hair combed neatly. His father’s glare was cold and sharp.
Zoey sat next to him, sighing in frustration as she turned to Joseph.
“Your father and I are out there working ourselves to death trying to grow the business, and you? You’re dragging us down. What were you thinking, Joseph? Hitting a woman?”
“You think you were just blowing off steam? Do you realize you just flushed millions in advertising down the drain?”
Joseph’s voice was low, regret clear in his eyes. “I wasn’t thinking. I get how serious this is now.” Zoey’s voice was tight. “It’s a little late for that, isn’t it?”
“I’ll apologize to her in person,” Joseph said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make it right.”
10:37
