Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142976 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 477(@300wpm)
The only girl he could think of was possibly the stepdaughter, but the last time Cade had checked the teen was at boarding school in Switzerland. As far as he could recall, there’d been some vague inferences about the girl’s mental competency, and even when she came of age, it was likely her stepfather would continue as her proxy in all business matters.
Abernathy clapped—he actually clapped—and a procession of uniformed maids entered the dining room with trays of food. Cade was too busy gawking at the tacky display of excess to notice the small, neat figure following the line of servants. The first he knew of her presence was from the movement to his left. He glanced over to see a slender woman in a drab gray skirt and cream blouse slipping into the chair beside his. He half stood, wanting to assist her into her chair, but his father had beaten him to it.
His gaze travelled up to the bent head and he froze in horror, when he instantly recognized that hair. The long silvery mass was braided and twisted into an intricate coronet around her head. It was the kind of otherworldly style into which he imagined an elf from Middle Earth would magic their hair. The delicate length of pale blue ribbon woven through the elaborate crown on her head, appeared to be her only adornment.
She wore no make-up, dressed like the housekeeper—fuck was she the housekeeper? Would Abernathy actually invite his housekeeper to dinner?—and wore no jewelry.
“You’re late,” Abernathy snapped, his voice taut with something that resembled dislike.
She hadn’t looked at Cade, not once, instead she kept her gaze downcast. That display of humility was starting to irritate him immensely.
“Yes, I’m sorry, we had a complication with the main course.”
“Resolved, I hope?”
“Of course.” She reached for her napkin, the slightest of tremors in her hands, and smoothed the fabric onto her lap.
“Good. Uh, gentleman, this is my stepdaughter, Fern. I invited her to join us tonight so she’d have an inkling as to where her mother’s company is going. And since the sale is to her benefit, it’s important she bears witness to everything I do to keep her trust healthy.”
Cade’s brain stalled. It literally stuttered to a complete and utter halt at the shocking information. Yes, he’d known that Abernathy was the sole trustee of his late wife’s estate, in absolute control of his stepdaughter’s immense wealth and assets until she came of age, but he’d always believed said daughter was much younger. Sixteen at the most. Which was why he hadn’t bothered to do any real research on her.
He wasn’t sure what to make of this. Had she known exactly who he was to her and her business at the gala two months ago? If so, had there been an ulterior motive to what had happened between them?
He stared at her profile, willing her to fucking look at him, but she didn’t and that infuriated him.
“Fern?” He wasn’t sure why he said her name. He sounded incredulous, questioning, and he couldn’t be certain if the exclamation came from some innate desire to have her confirm that it was indeed her or a prompt to get her to finally meet his eyes.
“A ridiculous name, right?” Abernathy guffawed, mistaking the reason behind his exclamation. “Sounds like something a new age hippy would name their kid. Although, to be fair, Maeve with her bleeding heart and her desire to save the earth was definitely a hippy.” He chuckled heartily and Cade’s contempt of the man increased a thousandfold.
Cade happened to like the name Fern.
“I happen to like the name Fern.” He couldn’t believe he’d actually said the words out loud and in such a contemptuous tone of voice. He needed to tread very, very carefully here.
His ever-perceptive father’s gaze sharpened on his face but Cade ignored the old man, keeping his attention fixed on that neat, unremarkable little profile. Her eyelids flickered, and her head jerked slightly. He watched her slender throat bob as she swallowed.
“Fern won’t interfere with our negotiations, of course. The girl is lucky to have me. She’s not very good with money or responsibility. Are you, Fern?” He raised his voice on the question, the way an ignorant arsehole would speak to someone who was mentally challenged and that just raised Cade’s hackles even more.
He truly despised this fucking prick.
That was when Cade recalled the other thing the man had said, about inviting her to join them for dinner. Didn’t she usually have dinner with her family? Why would she need an invitation?
And why the fuck was her stepfather still in control of her trust when she had to be at least twenty-five already?
“Ugh, Fern the scallops are rubbery,” one of her stepsisters—Cade couldn’t tell one from the other—suddenly whined, and Cade blinked. Why were they treating her like the hired help? What was wrong with these people?