Chapter 46: Dead Mothers

Dorian was so distracted he didn’t even catch the tone. "It’s supposed to be for Naomi."

Adrian’s eyes moved to the bracelet. "Supposed to be?"

Dorian turned it between his fingers again. "I had her throw it away."

"Let me guess. She got it from someone you do not particularly like."

Dorian looked up. "I do not understand what a woman like her sees in that man. He’s so dull. And such a child. I mean, listen to this." He picked up the bracelet and turned it over until he found the engraving on the inside. "Fit for a Sterling." Dorian looked genuinely offended.

Adrian glanced at the bracelet again. "Subtle."

"How much more self-absorbed can he be?"

"Should it bother you?"

Dorian looked at him as though the answer were obvious. "This bothers me!" He tossed the bracelet onto the desk. "Sending my wife gifts and flowers? Who the hell does he think he is?"

"The man she was meant to marry instead of you?"

Dorian’s eyes narrowed. Adrian remained perfectly calm. Technically, nothing he had said was incorrect.

Callum Sterling had been Naomi’s intended husband. Dorian had simply appeared in the timeline three months earlier.

"For fuck’s sake, just give me what you have."

Adrian opened the folder in his hand. "Your meeting with your client at Bedford Hills has been cancelled."

Dorian reached for another file. "Why?"

"She was stabbed late last night. I just received the message."

"Send my condolences to Mr Genovese." Dorian looked down at the paperwork on his desk, but his mind had already moved somewhere else. "Naomi’s mother is held at Bedford Hills, is she not?"

Adrian looked at him. "Yes."

"Hmm..." Dorian leaned back slightly. "And she is still currently there?"

"As of two weeks ago, yes."

"So why would Naomi tell me her mother is dead?"

"You did say she wanted you out of her business. Maybe the point is to close that door."

Dorian looked down at his desk.

Maybe.

Naomi had been furious when she discovered he had investigated her. And perhaps telling him her mother was dead was simply the fastest way to stop more questions.

Except something about it still bothered him. She had looked sad when she said it. He rubbed his thumb against the edge of the bracelet.

"Maybe." He turned the gold cuff over once more.

Fit for a Sterling.

His irritation returned instantly. He slipped the bracelet back into its box, placed the box inside the gift bag and held it out toward Adrian. "Send this to Mr Sterling."

Adrian accepted it.

"Address it from me."

"Of course." Adrian looked into the bag. "Shall I include a note?"

"He’ll get the message."

"Yes, sir."

Dorian leaned farther back in his chair. His wife was becoming more and more of a mystery he was itching to unravel.

And, unfortunately, more and more of a temptation he was itching to undress again.

He exhaled sharply and reached for the next file on his desk.

Work.

He desperately needed more of it.

*****

The package from Uncle Richard was waiting at the door to her apartment. She had only come to collect more clothes.

Then she noticed the thick envelope pushed beneath the door. She set her bag down and picked it up.

The logo in the corner caught her attention immediately. Richard’s wealth management company.

Naomi locked the door behind her and carried the envelope to the kitchen island. This was what she wanted.

So why did opening it suddenly make her nervous? She tore through the seal. Several documents slid out.

A lot more than she expected. Naomi began sorting through them. Some of the papers were copies.

Others looked like summaries prepared specifically for her. The first batch detailed investments her father had made through Richard’s company.

That part tracked. Her parents had invested using Uncle Richard’s firm for years. She picked up another document.

The numbers were ugly. Her father had invested heavily. Then lost heavily. Some investments had performed badly.

Others had collapsed altogether. There were notes about liquidations. Naomi’s forehead creased. She kept reading.

After the investment losses came loans. Apparently her father had borrowed money in an attempt to stay afloat.

One loan paid another. Assets had been used as security. Properties had been sold. Naomi’s fingers slowed as she moved from page to page.

She knew there had been debt. Richard had told her that for years. But this was the first time she had ever seen anything resembling a full breakdown. She pulled another stack closer.

Then found her repayment history. Her entire adult life reduced to lines on paper. She had always assumed she must be getting somewhere.

The total at the bottom made her sit back. Her father’s total debt, according to the documents, had been around ten million dollars.

Her mouth went dry. "No wonder..."

No wonder Richard had always acted like the debt was endless. No wonder he had laughed when she mentioned Dorian’s five hundred thousand dollars.

She checked the total one more time. What she had paid over the years wasn’t even up to five hundred thousand, excluding the sale of her father’s properties.

Everything looked legitimate. She found several payments mixed in with hers that hadn’t come from her accounts at all.

Her uncle had, in fact, been contributing. That supported everything he had told her for years. He had been helping. She sat back in the chair. So he had been telling the truth. She looked at the final balance again.

Seven million dollars.

"Oh my God." She should have left well enough alone.

Why had she asked questions? Ignorance had been doing a perfectly decent job of keeping her functional.

Now she had numbers. Numbers were horrible. How was she supposed to pay that back? At this rate, she would be working for the rest of her life.

Her children would inherit the debt. Then her grandchildren. "Jesus..." She rubbed both hands over her face.

There would be no life of her own. Every plan would have to include the debt. She had always known she owed money, but knowing she owed millions changed the shape of everything.

Maybe she should go back to Uncle Richard. They could sit down and come up with an arrangement that worked for everyone.

Naomi gathered the documents into a neat pile. As she started sliding them back into the envelope, something small fluttered to the floor. She picked it up.

It was a note in Richard’s handwriting.

Next payment is by the end of the month. You are on your own.

"Oh boy..." Her stomach dropped. "This is not good."