Between visiting his father in the hospital and keeping in touch with Robert, he distracted himself with work, as he did when confronted with any other difficulty. He went in to the office early, stayed late, avoiding home until the latest hours of the evening, often returning with time for nothing more than falling into bed. Alone.
With Yvette apparently out of the picture and no further obstacles to the future of the company, he threw himself into projects that would push Morgan Enterprises to its highest level of achievements. After wanting control of the company so badly he could taste it, actually having it in his hands was a bitter victory. He took meetings, reviewed proposals, brainstormed with department heads, all to further the brand. When he was finished, every division of Morgan Enterprises would be the most profitable, most innovative leader each of their industries.
At home, alone, he sat in the dim light of the living room. Silence surrounded him as he focused on the rivulets of amber liquid trailing down the inside of his glass. Yvette’s discarded engagement ring sat on the table beside him, the facets catching light from the lamp. Everything else of hers was gone, completely erased from his home. She’d left the ring behind to send a message, but without knowing what happened, the meaning was lost on him. He wracked his brain trying to remember the last conversation they’d had, anything that could have caused her to turn tail and run. Misery settled into his bones, heavy, holding him down and keeping him from sitting up enough to even reach the glass to take another drink.
The front door opened and softly clicked closed and footsteps echoed down the hall coming closer, but Richard didn’t turn around at his brother’s greeting. Instead, he let his head fall against the back of the couch and let out a long, slow breath.
“Come on in.” With colossal effort, he waved a hand towards the stocked bar. “Grab yourself a drink.”
Robert smirked and shook his head as he poured himself a drink. “Don’t you think you’re being a little melodramatic?”
Richard groaned, sitting up enough to reach his drink. “You were there, man. The love of my life walked out on me, and she’s not coming back. She won’t even take my calls.”
“The love of your life? You’ve known her for what? A couple months?”
“A lot can happen in a few months.” Richard finished his drink, perversely enjoying the burning sensation the scotch trailed down his throat. He deserved it, and the burn was better than the nothingness he’d been living with since Yvette walked out. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Robert crossed the room and dropped onto a wingback chair, took a sip of his drink, and fixed Richard with a more sympathetic look. “Did you really want to get married again?”
“Yes. I wasn’t sure at first, I mean, you know I thought I was done with marriage, but things changed. Once I found out about the baby, something clicked, and after she moved in, everything fell into place.”
“I just think you might be romanticizing things a bit. I mean, you were dead set against marriage, and then you changed your mind just like that?” Robert snapped his fingers. “When you told me you were engaged, I couldn’t believe it. Once I heard about the deal Dad offered you, it made much more sense though.”
“I wasn’t going to take him up on the offer. I mean, seriously. I wanted the company, still do, but I wasn’t going to do it that way. It seemed crazy. This thing with Yvette just happened, with the baby, and her super conservative parents, and the next thing I knew, we were engaged.”
“You weren’t thinking of the deal when you proposed?” Robert raised an eyebrow.
Richard stared into his glass for a moment, disappointed that the first assumption was that he used a personal situation to strengthen his professional position. He couldn’t blame him, though, since it was the sad truth. “Of course I’d be lying if I said I never thought about the deal, but honestly that wasn’t my main motivator. Well—at first, I guess I was thinking about the deal, and maybe my reputation, you know? But once I spoke with her parents, I felt like it would be good for both of us if we at least got engaged.”
“What do her parents have to do with it?” Robert took a sip of his drink.
“She comes from a strict, conservative Catholic family, and her parents still have a lot of influence over her. Apparently in her family, as long as she’s a single woman, her father considers her under his protection. I really expected her to stand up to him, but they have a lot of influence over her.”
“Man, I wouldn’t have guessed she was that conservative. I mean, just from the little time I spent with her, she didn’t seem like the type.”
“Her dad sacrificed a lot for her when she was growing up, and she hated the idea of letting him down. She probably would’ve said no to me if it wasn’t for her parents.” He sipped his drink. “I thought she was completely focused on her career, actually kind of ruthless and always looking out for herself, but she was going to keep the baby regardless of what I did. Never even considered any alternatives. Turns out she really wants to be a mother and have a family of her own.”
“Rich, that sounds a lot like someone I know.” Robert offered the observation gently, his meaning clear.
Richard paused for a beat. “You’re right. I didn’t realize it before, but I think that’s why we’ve clashed so much, and why I’m so drawn to her.” He gulped. “I’m in love with her.”
He didn’t qualify it this time with a “maybe” or an “I think.” He knew it was true and it felt good to say it out loud.
“So now you want to make this a real engagement? A real marriage?” Robert joked, laughing.
His brother’s attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. “Hey, I think I could be a good husband. I certainly tried. ”
“Except for the part where you got engaged under false pretenses and kept a huge secret from your intended.” Robert’s sarcasm was obvious. “Other than that, I’m sure you were a really good partner.”
Richard set his glass on a table and stood, getting angry. “Yeah, sure, Dad offered that deal, but the thing with Yvette just happened! It was completely separate from Dad’s offer. It all went down so fast, and everything fell into place. I wasn’t trying to trick her or use her to keep the company. It just … happened like that.” It sounded incriminating—or at least awfully convenient—even to himself.
Robert waved a hand dismissively. “I’m just giving you a hard time. And hey, Dad told me he offered you the company—no strings attached. I think he was trying to give me one more chance to claim my birthright and join you two.” He shook his head. “Couldn’t pay me enough. Oh, and don’t worry about Yvette. She never has to know.”
He fell back onto the couch. “It doesn’t matter. She’s not talking to me anyway, and I don’t even know why. I really thought things were progressing with us, that my past, Chelsea, none of that mattered. I thought she would be different.”
“She’s not different?” He sounded skeptical.
“Maybe I wanted things to be different with her, wanted them to work out. I don’t know, but we met because she wanted to negotiate a buyout. I don’t know that she ever stopped wanting that. I’m afraid that once she figured it would be impossible, you know, with Dad out of the picture, she didn’t have use for me.”
The amusement disappeared from Robert’s face, and he leaned forward on his knees. “Seriously? That’d be pretty cold, but you know her best. So you think she was using you to get the deal?”
Richard scraped a hand across his face and looked towards the ceiling. “I don’t know. I guess she’s trying to make a clean break or something, but we can’t go on like this forever. We have to talk some time, you know, for the baby’s sake.”
“True. If nothing else, you’ll get your chance to see her when the baby is born. I hope you get this settled before then, though, or you’re in for a long wait.”
“There’s no way I’m waiting that long. If she wants to end things with me, that’s her choice, but I won’t let her play me for a fool. T
his ends tomorrow. One way or another, we’re going to talk.” Even if she did leave to reassess her business strategy, he was in love with Yvette and wanted her back. They’d find a way to make it work. There was simply no other option.
• • •
Yvette refused to take his calls, so Richard took a page out of her playbook, and hopped in his car to confront the situation head on. Surely she would give him a moment to plead his case when he showed up at her office door. She’d done the same thing to him. With any luck, she’d appreciate the irony and his willingness to take a chance. He left his car in the parking garage at Saffron Sweets, and jingled his car keys in his pocket as he rushed to the elevator. His footsteps echoed in the concrete structure, reminding him how alone he was.
The journey from the parking garage to Yvette’s office seemed interminable, until he finally reached the correct floor and approached her office. Her assistant sat at a desk outside her door, apparently prepared to keep her safe from unwanted visitors, such as the father of her child. The young man smiled up at Richard pleasantly and asked how he could help.
Richard looked down at the name plate sitting at the front of the desk and gave him his most disarming smile. “Good afternoon, Tate. Richard Morgan to see Ms. Cruz.”
Tate turned to his computer screen, brow furrowed. “Mr. Morgan, I don’t have an appointment for you, and Ms. Cruz is not receiving visitors right now. May I tell her you stopped by?”
He gave the assistant a smile he hoped would put him at ease, a smile that smacked of camaraderie, and leaned closer. “I know she told you to refuse me, but I really need to see her. Is there any way we can work this out?”
Tate sat back in his chair and met Richard’s gaze. “Ms. Cruz isn’t receiving visitors.”
He put his hands up and took a step back. “Okay, I get it. She’s your boss and I’m just someone you’re supposed to keep out. Would you mind letting her know that I’m here? That way she can decide for herself whether or not to see me, and you stay out of trouble.”
“Mr. Morgan, I can see that you really want this, but Ms. Cruz mentioned your name specifically when giving me my instructions. She will not see you. She was very clear on that matter, and I’m sorry, but I will not go against her wishes.” Tate raised the receiver on his phone, his eyes never leaving Richard’s, as though he were prepared to contact security.
“Then I’m very sorry to have to do this.” Richard rushed past the desk, ignoring the look of confusion on the young man’s face, and threw open Yvette’s office door.
She whipped her head up then gasped, her eyes wide as he stood in the doorway. She looked guilty … trapped. Trapped by her betrayal, by her callous mistreatment of what they’d shared. When he’d arrived at Saffron, he was ready to forgive her on the spot, anything to get back to the way things were before. One thought of how she’d left him in the hospital, how she was so quick to use the situation to her advantage, and he couldn’t let it go. Not here in the office where it all began, at least.
A confrontation had to happen; there was no way around it. Steeled against the emotions that threatened to derail his plan, an icy calm washed over him and he finally spoke. “You’ve avoided me and refused to talk about any of this, and I’ve indulged you, for the baby’s sake, but now I’m done. We will have a child together, and only last week we were planning a life together. You don’t get to simply flit off whenever it suits you.”
She swallowed hard, but lifted her chin. “Maybe I’m done, too.”
That was rich. He’d come to her to air their problems and forgive her so they could move on. “You can be done, if that’s what you want, but today, right now, I need you to tell me why you left me at the hospital, mere hours after my father had a heart attack, without a word, without explanation.” A bit of the anger faded, and his voice softened. “I think you owe me that much. We deserve that much.”
“Fine.” She said tightly, looking as miserable as he felt. “Come in and sit down.”
He took a seat across the desk from her. “Why did you leave? Is this about my father?”
“Yes, I suppose it is.”
His head dropped, and his shoulders fell. Hearing it confirmed shot through his gut. “I was afraid of that, but it doesn’t make it any easier to take. You’re not the woman I thought you were, the woman I’d hoped you were.”
“I’m not the woman you thought I was?”
He ignored her, continuing on. “I guess there’s not much left to do but decide how to proceed.”
“How to proceed?” She sounded confused. Did she really think he would walk away from his child?
“I can’t lie to you; this is bad. It hurts, worse than anything I can imagine. But I still want to be with you, to raise our child together. It’ll take some time, but I will forgive you and we can move on.”
She tipped her head back, her brows knitted together. “What the hell are you talking about? I don’t need you to forgive me, because we’re done.”
“Wow. Well, even if you and I aren’t together, we need a plan for how we’re going to manage the custody of the baby. I still intend to be involved in his life, so we are most certainly not done.”
“So that’s it?” She asked, her temper finally piquing. “You want to make custody arrangements? Wow. You know, not so long ago, I thought we had a chance, that things had changed between us. I might have even thought we could fall in love.” She scoffed, displaying the fire and fury that was missing earlier. “What a joke. Only you, Richard, could betray me, lie right to my face, and then simply discard the relationship without so much as an apology. I’m glad I uncovered your true colors when I did. Obviously, I saved myself a lot of heartache down the road.”
His laugh was harsh, surprised. “What do you mean? I didn’t betray you. You’re the one who left when my father was too ill to negotiate a deal with you and your company. Once you figured out that I would be in charge, you knew that there was no way you’d make any headway on the merger.”
“Is that what you think? Unbelievable!” Her voice rose, but she quickly caught herself and reverted to an unflappable professional persona. “You’ve got half of it right. I did leave you because you gained control of your company.”
“I still can’t believe it.” He spit out the words, furious but wanting badly for it not to be true.
“I left because of how you gained control of Morgan Confectioners. I heard everything that night in the hospital, Richard—everything. I know why you proposed, and it makes me sick. Your father offered you control of the company if you got married, and you took the deal.”
He felt the blood drain from his head, and for a moment he was speechless. “Oh God, Yvette, you don’t have the whole story. That’s not how it is at all. I can explain everything.”
“What’s to explain? Did your father offer you control of the company if you got married or not?”
“Yes.” Richard almost whispered. Her face fell, and she tilted back in her chair.
“But that’s not why I proposed! I never accepted his offer, and my feelings for you are genuine. I never considered using you to get what I wanted.” He sat forward, wishing he could get closer but knowing she would rebuff him. “Yvette, I have been falling in love with you.”
“You—” she paused, seething. “You have been lying to my face. To my face, Richard! Why did you even want me to stay here if you thought so little of me? If you thought I was the kind of person who would leave because I didn’t get what I wanted in business?”
“Yes, I thought that you left for selfish reasons, but I put that aside for the sake of your health. Yours and the baby’s. That’s all I was thinking of.”
“How very noble of you. You know, I thought my job was getting in the way of your heart’s desire, that I was responsible for threatening your legacy. I felt horrible, like I shouldn’t be doing it.” Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard. “Now I just feel like a fool.”
“No, don’t. You’re not a fool. I am. I ca
n’t believe I let it go this far.” He reached across the desk to touch her hand, but she snatched it away.
“Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to let my feelings for you dictate what I did at work? I had to face losing the chance at becoming vice president for you, Richard. Vice president! But I almost did it for you, for your happiness.” The anger was deflating from her voice, turning into sadness, finality. “All along, you knew it didn’t matter what I did, and you just let me suffer. You let me worry about it, about you. Turns out you’re just fine without me.”
“I’m not, though. I’m so sorry about everything, and if I could take it back or do things differently I would.” Richard shook his head. “I need you, Yvette. I need you in my life.”
“I can’t believe a word you say. Everything that we’ve shared in the last month has been a lie.” Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears, but she held her head high.
“I know it sounds bad right now, but please, I’m begging you, let me explain.” He pleaded with her, knowing he sounded desperate but unable to care.
“What is there to explain? Even if I could get past the deal you made with Michael, could believe that it had nothing to do with your proposal, am I supposed to be okay with the fact that you still thought so little of me that you believed I left you the night your father could have died because of something I had to do for work? I think that says more about you and your attachment to your precious company than anything about me. It’s time you took a long look in the mirror, Richard. You really thought that my professional ambition was strong enough that nothing else mattered to me. If you think so little of me, why would you want me to stay?”
Love Connection Page 13