Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 156392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 782(@200wpm)___ 626(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 782(@200wpm)___ 626(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
“That’s not healthy.”
“Tell me about it. Neither of them will back down.”
“But Uncle Aiden must know how hard Eli worked on the project he got kicked out of.”
“Not hard enough to walk out of the most important meeting and then stab the only prospective investor. In public,” Uncle Aiden says as he sits beside his wife and wraps an arm around her shoulders, slowly stroking her arm.
I’ve noticed that he always has to touch her in some sense, as if she’s the only person who can root him in this world.
Honestly, I don’t ever want to imagine him without her. Even Creighton once said neither he nor Eli can picture their dad without their mum.
He’s a frightening man, not toward me since he accepted me with open arms, but he was frightening when Anni first got together with Creigh. Probably because of some unfortunate events in their story.
“It was because of me,” I say slowly. “He ditched the meeting because he thought I was in danger.” I lie because I don’t think he’d appreciate it if I said it was due to his son’s possessiveness. “And he stabbed Robert because he said his condition to invest was to sleep with me.”
Aunt Elsa gasps. “That piece of shit.”
The only reaction from her husband, however, is a temporary pause of his stroking motion. “In that case, why didn’t he mention it?”
“I don’t know. But I can’t in good conscience keep this information to myself. I wish you’d cut him some slack. He’s a ridiculous workaholic and we both know he has an obnoxious talent for making money, so the company is in good hands with him.”
“That doesn’t excuse his impulsive actions.”
“But I just told you he did that because of me.”
“And I appreciate that. I also understand his need to protect you above everything else, but that shouldn’t have the power to cloud his judgment. Due to his foolish criminal actions, my father and I had to pull an absurd amount of strings to keep him out of prison and are enduring being slapped with nepotism accusations. But despite that, the Meyers family is fighting back with their own connections. Robert is neither a small fish nor an insignificant fly Eli can stab and then walk away from as if nothing happened. He did not think through the consequences of his actions, and that is not a quality for a leader in this organization.”
I lift my chin. “If someone suggested something similar about Aunt Elsa, would you not have done the same thing?”
“She has a point.” She smiles up at him and strokes his cheek. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“I would’ve done worse,” he admits. “But not in public. He should know better than to leave trails of evidence behind.”
My shoulders droop with defeat because even in Eli’s psychotic cases, he’s never done anything in public. Even Lan thinks he’s a masterful private shit-stirrer with a pristine public image.
The fact that he deviated from his usual pattern isn’t something anyone can defend. Not even me.
Sensing my predicament, Aunt Elsa changes the subject and talks about a funny video of Creigh that Anni sent her.
I’m thinking of a way to excuse myself without disappointing her, mostly to avoid getting on Uncle Aiden’s shit list. He might’ve heard me out and even appreciated it, but he certainly doesn’t care for others stealing his wife’s time. Not even his sons. He’s worse than Papa in that regard.
Before I can say good night, none other than Landon walks through the sitting room’s double doors, dressed in a leather jacket, black jeans, and a white tee. He runs his fingers through his hair as if he’s striding through a photo shoot.
“Surprise!”
Uncle Aiden stands up and he goes straight to hug him. “Miss me, Uncle?”
“Let me think on that,” Uncle Aiden says as they break away.
“Wrong answer.”
“The right one being?”
“Yes, or absolutely, or I couldn’t sleep thinking about you and contemplated flying over just to see you.”
“No to all,” Uncle Aiden says with a small smile.
“You know you love me. You don’t have to say it.” Lan drops a kiss on Aunt Elsa’s cheek. “Is it just me or do you look more beautiful than the last time I saw you?”
“Did you also tell that to your mum?” She pinches his cheek.
“Word for word. I also added that she’s lost some weight—she hasn’t, but she loves hearing that.” He finally turns toward me and hugs me. “Barbie! How have you been without me?”
“Living just fine.”
“Questionable. No one lives just fine without my godly presence. I know because I wouldn’t want to live without me. You lot should pay me for having me in your lives.”
I bring out my phone and put it to my ear. “Hello, MI5, Lan brought his nonsensical arrogance to Britain again. Please come pick him up for national security purposes.”