I was the Hayes family’s eldest daughter, but I
lived on scraps.
Sarah turned them against me. I was scolded, punished.
To them, Sarah could do no wrong. I was a constant embarrassment.
The memories stung. I looked up. “What’s your point, Patrick?”
I didn’t believe he cared.
He shifted uncomfortably. “Peter’s changing.
You saw it just now. After this surgery, he’ll
treat you right. Stay. I’ll pay you a million a
year.”
I laughed again. “I was Peter’s pet for three years. Why would I stay now?”
After a long stare–down, he sighed.
“Thank you for being there for Peter. He wouldn’t have gotten through this without you.”
I held up the checks. “You’re welcome.”
He had a car take me to the airport.
I got a text from him when I arrived.
[I’ve arranged everything for your future. If
you trust me, open the folder on your left.]
I glanced at it, smiled, and got out of the car.
<
I bought a one–way ticket to Alaska and
threw my phone away.
Patrick worried about Peter’s reaction when
he found out I was gone. He ordered the doctors to sedate him.
His assistant sighed, holding a folder. “Sir, this isn’t going to work. The young master asked me to get a gift for her, before the surgery. He’ll be devastated when he wakes
up and she isn’t here.”
Patrick was already stressed. This made it
worse.
His brother and sister–in–law had died young.
Patrick had raised Peter.
<
He was strict, but he cared.
He’d hoped, when he saw a flicker of
something real between Peter and me, that I
might stay.
But Peter had hurt me too badly.
Now he just hoped I’d follow the plan he’d
laid out, a new life in France.
But the driver called.
“Sir, Ms. Hayes didn’t touch the folder.”
Patrick hung up, a headache forming.
He had another idea and hurried out.
L
Peter woke up to see his uncle dozing on the
sofa.
“Uncle?” He tried to sit up.
Patrick opened his eyes. “Easy. Your leg is still fragile. Don’t undo all that work.”
Peter lay back down. “Why are you here?
Where’s Summer?”
Patrick frowned, stood, and straightened his
suit.
“Hungry? The doctor said you can have
something light. I’ll go get it.”
His evasiveness fueled Peter’s anxiety.
is evasiveness Tuele reters dixieLY.
He tried to get up again.
“I’m not hungry! You don’t need to get me food! Where is she? I found a matching
cornea! She’ll be so happy she can see again!”
Patrick didn’t want to upset him. He lied.
“She wasn’t feeling well. The doctor sent her home to rest.”
Peter relaxed, hearing I was at home.
He saw Patrick’s grim expression. “I’m not
staying here. I want to go home and recover
with Summer.
Patrick walked over and tucked him in.
く
“You know how you’ve treated Summer.
There are nurses and doctors here. Let her
have a few days of peace. If you want things to work out between you, stop being selfish.”
He studied Peter’s face.
Peter closed his eyes, obediently lying back.
His acquiescence was too easy. No
hesitation.
Patrick understood.
Peter finally realized he loved me.
This gave Patrick a bigger headache.
If Peter found out I was gone… he didn’t
want to think about it.
く
He soothed Peter and left, face grim.
Two rooms down, Sarah and the Hayes
parents were tied up on the floor.
They cried out when they saw him, begging
for mercy.
“Mr. Knight, there must be some mistake! Please let us go! We’ll do anything!”
Patrick chuckled, sitting down gracefully on a
chair his assistant had provided.
“Anything?”
He picked up a folder and tossed it at them.
CC
Abusing Summer, lying about her scheming
to steal the marriage, driving her away… how
<
“Uncle? What are you talking about?
Summer’s… gone?”
Peter’s voice came from the doorway. Everyone in the room reacted differently.
The Hayes family scrambled toward him, crying for help, thinking he was their savior.
Sarah sobbed hysterically, still blaming me.
“She was jealous! She forced me out and took my place! Peter, you have to believe me! You said you only loved me! Save me!”
Patrick’s head throbbed. He gave his
assistant a look. Pictures of Sarah and the
executive landed in Peter’s lap.
CC
en going to lat
with th
<
“I was going to let you deal with them. But you’re fresh out of surgery… Now that you’re here, decide what you want to do with them.”
A doctor wheeled Peter into the room. Patrick patted his shoulder and left.
Peter stared at pictures of me, bruised and
naked. He didn’t look at the pictures of Sarah.
His voice was tight. “Who did this?”
Sarah thought he was still the same Peter. She crawled to his feet, almost bragging.
“I did! You hate her, right? When you’re
better, we can…”
He slapped her.
L
His eyes were bloodshot. He looked ready to
kill them all.
The Hayes parents backpedaled furiously.
