Russell took a long breath as his brain caught up. He’d called Jeanette the day after Ashiya mentioned her willingness to help. She’d expected his call and immediately put one of her investigators on the case. She’d asked if he wanted her to keep the investigation private, and he’d refused. He didn’t care whose feelings got hurt or feathers got ruffled as he searched for the truth. Fifteen years with no word on what happened to his brother was too long to care about the sentiments of anyone who might have been at that party and seen something but not said anything.
“No one is accusing you or your parents of anything,” Russell said, barely managing to reign in his frustration. “I’m only trying to find answers.”
Melissa looked at him as if he’d called her an idiot. “At my parents’ house? They know even less about your brother or that party.”
“But the party was hosted at their home,” Russell said.
“They weren’t there,” Melissa shouted back.
Russell took a deep breath to calm his frustration and stop himself from lashing back at Melissa. “Not being there doesn’t mean they might not have heard anything afterwards or noticed anything. No one is accusing you or your family. We’re just trying to find answers.”
Ashiya stepped forward, her arms still crossed, and glared at Melissa. “Exactly. So again, why are you so defensive if you don’t have anything to hide?”
Melissa pressed a hand to her forehead and took several slow breaths. When she looked at them, anger still burned in her eyes, but her words were calm. “My parents didn’t know about the party. They didn’t know about half of the stuff I got into when I was in college. Your investigation means that now I have to deal with a guilt trip over a decade in the making. They say they can’t trust me anymore and are refusing to speak to me. So, while you may not be accusing us of anything, you have caused a rift in my family that didn’t have to be there.”
Ashiya held up a hand. “Hold up. Wait a second. You’re in here tearing my head off because your parents got mad at you for a party you held in secret years ago?”
“Yes, and while it might seem trivial to you, it’s not to me. I rely on my parents a lot. I never gave them a reason not to trust me, and this revelation blew a huge hole in our relationship.”
Ashiya scoffed and rolled her eyes. Russell put a hand on her shoulder. He appreciated her willingness to fight for him. Maybe more than he should, but like the three words she’d uttered a few days ago, he wasn’t going to get into that or explore his feelings more. Right now, he had to deal with Melissa.
“Look,” he said, trying to sound somewhat empathetic even though he didn’t give a damn about Melissa’s relationship with her parents. “I’m sorry about what’s going on with you and your parents, but I’m not going to stop my investigation into finding out what happened to my brother. I’m going to keep digging and ask a hundred thousand times if I have to. You have a rift that can be fixed because your parents are still here for you to work things out. The rift in my family can never be repaired as we don’t know what happened to my brother.”
Melissa let out a huff. “Fine. I can’t stop you from looking. I get that. Just remember that when you go digging up the past, you may also cause problems for others.”
“I don’t give a damn about those problems. I only care about finding out what happened to Rodrick,” he said, his voice unflinching and his gaze unwavering from hers.
Her lips pressed into a tight line. Something flashed in her eyes. Maybe a challenge. He had a feeling all pretense of being nice and professional with him was gone after today.
“And also remember,” Ashiya said smugly, “that while Levi is still the CEO, I’m majority shareholder of the company you work for. Levi may be able to shelter you some, but if you ever come at me like that again, I will not only fire your ass, but I’ll make sure you never work for any major corporation in this state.”
Ashiya’s voice turned cold and calculating, her eyes hard with challenge. The quirk of her brow dared Melissa to argue back. If anyone on the Robidoux side of the family thought Ashiya hadn’t picked up on their ruthlessness, then seeing her now would prove them all wrong. Seeing her so enmeshed in her role as the owner of the company poked the emotion he was ignoring in his chest and made him want to kick Melissa and Brianna out the room, put Ashiya on the conference table, and fuck her until they were both breathless.
Melissa’s eyes widened, and her shoulders straightened. His declaration had made her mad, but Ashiya’s words reminded her of her position. She nodded stiffly. “You’re right. I apologize.”
“I suggest you get back to work,” Ashiya said haughtily.
Levi came to the door then, his brow furrowed and confusion in his eyes. “What going on? Did I miss something?”
Brianna shook her head and let out a humorless chuckle. “Now you show up.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
AFTER DEALING WITH Melissa’s meltdown, interrogating employees at the Legacy Group, and tap-dancing around the issue of where her relationship with Russell stood, Ashiya was more than happy to go home and be around the family she was familiar with. She didn’t have to return for the fundraiser for one of the organizations her cousin Byron supported as the mayor of Jackson Falls, but Ashiya needed the break and the reassuring dose of being surrounded by people who cared for her.
The party was the usual thing. All the most important people in Jackson Falls along with clients and business partners from the state enjoying delicious food and expensive liquor at the sprawling Robidoux estate. Even though each one of her Uncle Grant’s children had their own place, when it came time to raise money or show off their influence, the event would be held on the grounds of the estate the family had built to show how they’d turned a sharecropping legacy into a massive empire.
Ashiya mingled with the crowd and accepted the condolences that were quickly given before the person changed the subject to the real reason they suddenly decided to pay attention to her. Her inheritance. She’d expected some curiosity, but not the way almost everyone at the party wanted a piece of her. She’d intentionally tried to be the least influential Robidoux family member, and in one quick twist of fate, she was now the one most talked about. Even Elaina, who had warmed up to her a bit in the past few years but was by no means her bestie, made a point to slip her arms through Ashiya’s and introduce her to several business associates.
An hour and a half into things and Ashiya was ready to go home.
She spotted India crossing the decorated backyard toward the back of the house and made her way to her cousin and best friend.
Ashiya slid up next to India and took her hand in hers. “Where are you going? Please tell me it’s someplace quiet and away from all this.”
India grinned and laughed. Her cousin looked radiant in a teal cocktail dress. The sleeveless floral lace bodice and flowing skirt that stopped above her knees looked flirty and comfortable.
“Tired already?” India asked with a teasing smile. “I thought you’d like to be the belle of the ball.”
Ashiya shook her head. “Not at all. I miss my store, my own bed, and being known as Elizabeth Waters’s daughter at these things. Now everyone wants to gawk at the newly interesting member of the Robidoux family.”
“You’re the owner of a Fortune 500 corporation now. Get used to the attention.”
That was just it. Everything in her life had changed, and it all was happening way too fast for her. She wasn’t so much worried about running the company anymore. The more she worked with Levi, the more she realized the two of them could make the Legacy Group even more successful. She was starting to like being tied to the company her dad was denied and reconnecting with the family she’d never known. What made her nervous now was seeing the way people suddenly found respect for her just because of what she had. She wasn’t ready to deal with that.
“I don’t think I’l
l ever get used to the attention.” She glanced across the yard. Elaina, who stood next to a guy Ashiya didn’t recognize, pointed in their direction. She was about to be introduced to someone else she didn’t want to know. “Where are we going? I’d love a moment of quiet to catch up.”
India glanced toward the back of the house, then at Ashiya. She bit the corner of her lip. “Well... I was going to the upstairs family room.”
“Good. I’ll go with you. There’s so much I need to tell you.” Ashiya pulled India in that direction.
India hesitated long enough to stop her. “Um... Travis is waiting for me up there. He promised to rub my feet. I may not be pregnant anymore, but my feet still swell up and hut whenever I wear heels.”
Ashiya looked down at India’s feet in cute but practical black pumps. Disappointment and, she hated to admit, a hint of jealousy twisted around her stomach. She and Russell and barely spoken at the party.
“Oh...well, I don’t want to intrude,” she said.
“Oh no, you won’t be intruding. Come on. As long as you don’t mind talking while he massages my feet. I know he won’t mind.” India headed toward the house and pulled Ashiya along.
Ashiya reluctantly followed. She did mind. She wanted to talk to India alone. She needed to talk to someone about everything going on with her. Especially about what to do with Russell. India didn’t know about her relationship with Russell, or how terribly it ended. She wouldn’t judge Ashiya, but she would tell her honestly if she was being stupid for sleeping with him again without defining what they were doing.
Russell had attended the party, and just like before, they’d pretended not to be together. Other than a quick hello when they were in the same group, there was nothing else. No secret glances. No stolen kisses in the shadows. No accidental touches as they walked by each other. Before, when she’d insisted they didn’t do any of that when they were around her family, it was because she hadn’t wanted to deal with the judgment of her family when she and Stephen ultimately reconciled. Now it made her stomach twist into a dozen knots. She’d treated Russell so badly when they were together.
Inside the house, Ashiya spotted her mom going toward the kitchen. She let go of India’s hand and pointed in her mom’s direction when India gave her a curious look.
“I’ll come up in a minute. I need to ask Mom something,” she said.
“Sure. See you in a bit,” India said before hurrying toward the stairs to the private rooms of the family.
India didn’t give her a backwards glance. Ashiya didn’t have anything to ask her mom. She just didn’t want to be the around a happy couple when she was in a dubious relationship.
Her mom spotted her and extricated herself from a group with Camille Ferguson and her mother to cross the room to Ashiya.
“Ashiya, come with me. There’s something I need to show you,” her mom said as if she’d been waiting weeks to talk with Ashiya.
“Sure.” Ashiya glanced at Camille eyeing them with interest before quickly following her mom out of the sitting area to the quieter, empty study.
As soon as the door was closed, her mom sighed and rolled her eyes. “That Camille is just as aggravating as her mother. I thought I’d have to stab myself in the eye with a fork to finally get them to let me loose.”
Ashiya chuckled and plopped down in the leather sofa. “I needed a break, too. If Elaina shows me off to one more business associate I just have to know, I’m going to be joining you in the fork eye assault.”
Elizabeth shook a finger and crossed the room to Ashiya. The light in the room sparkled off the sequins on her mom’s navy sheath dress, making Elizabeth look both elegant and dazzling at the same time. “What Elaina is doing is different. I told you years ago that you needed to cultivate your network. If you’d done that before instead of focusing on that little store, you wouldn’t be bothered tonight.”
The moment of camaraderie with her mom withered away. Ashiya pressed a hand to her forehead and took a fortifying breath. “My little store is the one thing that gave me sanity in the middle of all this Robidoux pomp and circumstance. Not only that, but I turned it into a very profitable business. Lindsey even mentioned the possibility of opening another location.”
Ashiya checked in with Lindsey weekly to see how things were going. Not surprisingly, the store continued to run smoothly in Ashiya’s absence. She’d known Lindsey was capable, but it was a huge relief to not have to worry about Piece Together while she learned the ropes at the Legacy Group.
“Why bother?” Elizabeth said as if expanding the store was one of the most outlandish things she’d heard all night. “You’re the head of the Legacy Group now. I can understand you might care because you started there, but don’t let what’s-her-name distract you from the big picture.”
“Her name is Lindsey, and she’s worked there with me from the start. You’ve met her dozens of times, and she even came to one of these ridiculous functions with me.” Irritation filled Ashiya’s tone. Her teeth clenched, and her fist pressed into the cushion next to her.
“Don’t get so upset, Ashiya. I know the girl’s name. I like her, and I like her loyalty to you even more. That’s something you can buy but not necessarily keep.”
“Everything is about buying and selling and loyalty with you.”
Elizabeth gave her a so-what brow raise. “You know that. Why are you getting upset about it now?”
“Because you talk about that and using every advantage given to you, but you don’t play by the same rules.”
Her mom crossed her arms and eyed Ashiya skeptically. “For example?” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Instead of defending herself, her mom always pushed Ashiya to come with evidence. And recent evidence at that. If she stuttered or didn’t have a comeback, then her mom moved on and ignored the original complaint.
Ashiya stood and placed her hands on her hips. Her mom’s dismissive expression and tone snapped something deep inside Ashiya. Something she’d held back for years because she didn’t want to make things messy for others, even though keeping her thoughts inside made things messier for her.
“For example, if you really believed that, then you wouldn’t have kept me from my grandmother when she wanted to get to know me. Why would you do that when you wanted the connection with the Legacy Group so bad you even married Dad when you didn’t love him?”
Elizabeth watched her for ten long seconds before she finally answered. “Because she disrespected me and didn’t deserve you.”
Ashiya’s arms dropped to her sides. Her lips parted with her surprised gasp. “Say what?”
Elizabeth continued in a defensive tone. “Your grandmother. She called me a gold digging whore who bewitched her son. I didn’t like that.”
Ashiya couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mother’s mouth. “You’re the one who told me that if I wanted to get more, I sometimes had to deal with people I didn’t like. Letting me get to know her would have gotten you the Legacy Group.”
“Keeping you away from her prevented her from turning you against me, and you still got the Legacy Group. I don’t see what the problem is,” Elizabeth said as if this conversation wasn’t even worth having.
Ashiya stared at her mom. As much trouble as her mom put her dad through, and all of the fighting and instilling into Ashiya that her dad’s family had deprived her of what she deserved, her mom had only used those words to manipulate her and her father. Pride over being called out on her very real transgressions had kept Elizabeth from accepting any chance of a reconciliation when Gloria Waters was still alive.
“She was my family,” Ashiya said in a raised voice. “I would have liked to know my dad’s family.”
Elizabeth waved a hand and shrugged. “You’re getting to know them now. Again, what is the problem?”
Ashiya scoffed and shook her head, disbelief growing into anger
with each what’s-wrong-with-you look from her mom. “No, you never do. You and Dad fight and ignore each other, and if I’m caught in the crossfire, then oh well. It doesn’t matter.”
“Crossfire? Ashiya, please.”
Ashiya pointed at her mom. “It’s the truth and you know it. As long as you both continue to keep your pride, you don’t care if I’m hurt in the process. Or left behind.”
Elizabeth’s lips pressed together. Her nostrils flared with a deep breath as frustration glazed over her eyes. “Is that what this is about? The time we forgot you at that house.” Her mom sounded incredulous.
Ashiya’s hands balled into fists. “Don’t say it as if you left me for a few hours. You left me for three days, Mom! I was locked in a basement in a strange house, alone, for two days. All because you and Dad were too busy ignoring each other to ask about your kid.”
Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder quickly at the closed door. When she turned back to Ashiya, there was a hint of guilt in her eyes. “It wasn’t like that,” her mom snapped back.
Ashiya’s anger only grew. Her mom was still more concerned about who might overhear them than Ashiya’s feelings. “Then what was it like? Because I remember being down there, in the dark, and scared for those two days.”
“Your dad insisted on taking you—”
“And you insisted that he just come home and stay with us for the night. But instead of getting on the same page, you both ignored me.”
Elizabeth’s jaw trembled. She shook her head in a jerky motion. “No! I wanted to give him what he wanted. I tried to make things work with your dad. I hoped he would see that, but...”
“But you both were too prideful to actually talk things out and make sure one of you actually knew what your daughter was doing.” Ashiya scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I took every single emotional hit from you two. I tried to be independent and successful and happy so you wouldn’t have to worry about me. I hid all the pain and took any scrap of love or affection as the standard because all I got from you and Dad was posturing and being used to hurt each other.”
Foolish Hearts Page 20