by Madyson Grey
He was devastated over the man’s death, but he wouldn’t let on to Mateo. He hadn’t realized that the loss of his company weighed so heavily on him. Rafael had pangs of guilt, realizing that some of his earlier actions had led to some financial loss when he was first learning the business. But the company had recovered, thanks to David Thornton’s business savvy. So why suicide? Was there something else going on in his life that Rafael wasn’t aware of? Such a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Just like his own father.
Rafael could safely assume that David had chosen to take his life because of marital struggles. He was aware that David had recently learned that his wife had been cheating on him for many years. But he was planning to divorce her quietly and just walk away. That was why Rafael had taken over the company.
Although Rafael had grown up in the shadow of his older brother’s hate for David Thornton, as he grew up and went to work for Thornton Enterprise, he came to realize that David Thornton was a good man and didn’t deserve the hatred that Mateo harbored for him. Rafael came to not only respect and like the man, but also to think of him as a father-like figure.
David had also taken to sharing details about his family with Rafael, especially his daughter Victoria. Victoria Thornton. He had been enthralled by the pictures of her. David bragged about his daughter’s beauty and her intelligence. And he didn’t brag in vain. Based on the photos, Rafael found her very beautiful indeed. The intelligence in her eyes was also evident. He remembered seeing Victoria as a girl coming into her father’s office and became infatuated with her when they were both just kids. All he knew about her now was that she had left Los Angeles years ago to study and was still living in Washington.
He found it strange that he couldn’t stop thinking about a woman he had never met. David hadn’t known of Rafael’s fascination, of course. He figured he would never meet Victoria Thornton. But it seemed that there was a chance of meeting her very soon. With her father’s death, she would surely run back to Los Angeles. She must be devastated, he thought. The way David spoke of her, it was clear he adored his daughter. She must love her father as well, since they spoke every day. Plenty of times David would cut their meetings short, claiming he had a date with his daughter. Rafael later found out that they video chatted just about every day.
Pulling himself from his deep thoughts, Rafael remembered that he was on the phone with his brother. “I find the news very unfortunate, Mateo. I will not rejoice in someone’s death, no matter my feeling for them. I have to go.”
He ended the call, tossing the phone on the bed as if it were a piece of junk. A deep scowl was etched into his face as he dressed.
Chapter Four
Seven years. Victoria stood before the lavish mansion that she called home for nineteen years of her life. The home that had been filled with happiness, thanks to her father and misery, thanks to her mother. It was the home that her father had killed himself in. No more happiness.
Victoria sighed. “I should stay in a hotel.”
Could she stomach staying in the house where her father had taken his own life? She glanced back just as the taxi sped off. Well, it looks like I’m staying. Shoulders dropping, she grasped the handle of her suitcase and pulled it toward the wrought iron gates. They swung open with a low creak. Victoria looked toward the camera she knew was hidden above the gate and smiled.
She walked up the long stone walkway feeling as if she was walking toward the gallows. Reaching the huge double doors, she stopped, not bothering to knock. Her presence on the property was already known, so she waited for the door to be opened.
“Miss Thornton!” A short, portly woman with a Swedish accent smiled brightly at Victoria.
“Oh my stars, Lena.” She walked into the woman’s embrace. Her father had told her their housekeeper was still there, but she hadn’t set eyes on the woman in years.
“Welcome home, my dear. Though, I wish it were a happier occasion.” Lena’s expression transformed from joyful to somber within seconds. “I’m sorry, Victoria.”
Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat. She refused to burst into tears on the front step of her father’s house. She would wait until she had privacy, then she would break down, again. She’s done nothing but weep since receiving the terrible news.
“Thank you, Lena. How are you?”
The woman sighed. “I could be better.” She stepped aside. “Come in, dear. I had your room prepared. I assumed you would want to stay in your old quarters.” She looked at Victoria expectantly.
“Uh, yes that’s fine, Lena. Thanks.” The housekeeper reached for the suitcase. “Oh, no I got it, Lena. I’ll show myself up.”
“All right. As soon as you get settled come down for lunch. You’re as thin as a pole, but still pretty.” Lena gave Victoria a gentle pinch on the cheek.
Despite the unrelenting ache in her heart, Victoria couldn’t help but smile. Lena had always tried to fatten her up. She’s received more love and affection from the housekeeper than her own mother.
“Okay, I’ll be down shortly.” She wasn’t hungry, hadn’t been for two days but she didn’t want to hurt Lena’ feelings. Maybe she could force something down.
“Good, good. It is so good to see you again after all these years. Oh, Mrs. Thornton is upstairs waiting.” Lena gave the younger woman a sympathetic look and walked off.
Great, she’s waiting, Victoria though sourly. Facing Marian was not something she was up for physically or emotionally at the moment. She’s hoped she would have some time alone before having to face the steamroller that was her mother. Exhaling heavily, she trudged up the spiral staircase.
Victoria couldn’t help noticing how quiet the place was. Where was everyone? She was used to the place being teamed with numerous indoor and outdoor staff. It just registered that the front yard was not immaculately manicured as usual. Her Mother was a stickler for appearance. And that meant her home was to be a flawless as she carried herself. She demanded that both the inside and outside of her home rival that of her neighbors. So, what had happened? Maybe Marian had changed over the seven years. Victoria snorted inwardly. I seriously doubt that. Instead of going to her room, she headed straight to her father’s office.
The door was closed, and she simply stood and stared. She wanted to go inside, but her feet remained glued to the floor. After several minutes, she was finally able to move. Victoria pushed the office door open and stepped in. The room was pitch black. Because she knew what had taken place in the room, it held an eerie feeling.
She switched on the light and drew in a breath. The room looked just as it did seven years ago. The towering bookshelves were still lined with books, volume after volume. Along with being a businessman, David had been an avid reader of just about all genres. That’s how she had fallen in love with art. She’d come across a book of great historical paintings and had fallen in love with the sheer beauty and detail of some of them. The massive oak desk still stood in the center of the room along with the leather wingback chair. The carpeting hadn’t been changed and the brown sofa that Victoria had spent hours reading while her father worked still remained.
The only thing indicating that something was amiss was the fact that the surface of her father’s desk was empty. His desk was never empty. It was always filled with stacks of paper, books and his open laptop because he worked endlessly.
“Daddy, you really are gone.” The familiar pierced her heart, but with a new intensity.
Standing in the office that was now void of David’s presence, really sent it home. Her father was gone for good. The tears that she had held back since leaving for the airport this morning began to fall. She walked forward to run her hands over her father’s desk.
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I should never have left. I should have been here for you.”
“There is nothing any of us could have done, child.”
Victoria gasped and whirled around. Her startled gaze flew to the door. Marian sauntered in, clad in a designer
dress and stilettos. Her chestnut hair twisted into an intricate chignon. Her hazel eyes held no hint of pain or grief. She was polished and poised as usual.
“Marian-Mother, hello.”
Victoria resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She hadn’t seen her mother for seven years and all she had to say was hi? In her defense, Marian didn’t seem too thrilled to see her either. She maintained her distance and regarded her daughter with coolness.
“Good to see you, Victoria.” Marian gave her the once over. “You look … well.”
A blush spread across Victoria’s cheeks. She knew she looked horrible, a rumpled mess. She hadn’t slept or eaten in days and she’d put no effort into her appearance this morning. Who had time to worry about how they looked when they were grieving? Certainly not her.
Standing under Marian’s assessing and judgmental gaze, though, she was starting to feel like she should have put herself together better. Maybe donned a nice dress instead of worn jeans and a ratty t-shirt. And perhaps do something stylish with her shoulder length hair than have it hanging in messy waves.
She cleared her throat lightly. “Right, thank you. You look great as always. How are you, Mother?”
Marian lifted one elegant shoulder. “I would be better if your father hadn’t been so selfish. Taking his life like that, how ridiculous. I should never have gotten him that gun for his birthday last year.” She studied a well-manicured nail. “Did you hear what I said before, dear?”
Victoria gaped at her mother. Was she being serious? Marian spoke as if she had no feelings for her deceased husband, as if what had happened would just blow over. Anger rose up inside Victoria, swirled like a black cauldron. The urge to strike her mother as she, Marian, had done to her many times in the past was overwhelming. Drawing in a deep breath, she shoved her fury down.
“Hear what?”
“I said there was nothing any of us could have done. It wouldn’t matter if you were here or not. The man who killed your father would have struck anyway.”
“W-hat are you talking about?” Victoria’s heart stilled. Her father’s death wasn’t by suicide? “What do you mean the man who killed him?”
Marian sighed. “I didn’t mean it literally, of course. Someone ruined David financially, that’s what led him to take his own life. A heartless man stole your father’s company right from under him. You know how hard David worked to build his empire. When he lost it he was devastated. He became this empty shell.”
“Daddy never told me anything. We talked every day. Why didn’t he tell me?”
“He was ashamed. He didn’t tell anyone, not even me. I just happened to stumble upon the information.”
Victoria’s eyes narrowed. “How did you happen to do that?”
“That’s neither here nor there, is it? What we need to do is get your father’s company back.”
Victoria huffed out a laugh. “How do you suppose we do that, Mother?” Her mind raced. She couldn’t believe that her father had kept such a secret from her. His company had been taken from him. That’s why he had seemed so stressed the past few times she’s spoken to him. David was a brilliant businessman. How could someone manage to take his company like that?
“The man who drove your father to ruin, his name is Rafael Rivera. He’s known in the business world as a cutthroat mercenary. He does whatever he has to do to get what he wants, even if that means taking underhanded measures. He blackmailed David. That’s how he got his hands on the company.”
Shaking her head, Victoria stepped toward the door and her Mother. “What could anyone have over Daddy to blackmail him? What secret did he have that was so bad? How do you know he was blackmailed? Suppose this Rafael Rivera brought the company fair and square. If Daddy was struggling, it may have been his choice to sell his company. I mean, I don’t know much about business, but I doubt someone else could just take someone else’s entire company.”
Marian glared. “You naïve fool. I know what happened because David held many meetings with Mr. Rivera right in here. I do have ears and eyes. Rivera didn’t have to take David’s company. He did it to take revenge.”
“For what?” She couldn’t imagine her father hurting anyone.
“That I don’t know. If we work together, we can find out. And we can get David’s business back in this family where it belongs. We can carry on his legacy just as he would have wanted.”
Victoria stared at her mother, silent. How would Marian know what her father wanted? From her experience she never cared much about him or her. She’d always been more interested in shopping, the latest fashion and the attending the biggest society soirees.
“I’m not interested, Mother.”
She sidestepped Marian, aimed for the open door.
“I’m going to get settled.”
Fingers wrapped around her upper arm, stopping her retreat. “Do it for your father, Victoria. The two of us can bring down Rafael Rivera. He’s destroyed so many others, not just your father. He uses his power and money to hurt people.”
“If this man is so powerful, how on earth do you expect us to bring him down?”
“We women can be resourceful, my dear. We have more power than men. We simply allow them to think they have control.”
Victoria snorted. Obviously her mother has been indulging a bit too much in the white wine she loved so much.
“If you want to go on this ridiculous mission of revenge, go right ahead. I want no part in it.”
Marian’s eyes flashed with outrage.
“Unhand me, Mother. I’m no longer the child who is afraid of you.”
Victoria forced herself to stand her ground, holding her mother’s gaze. She was afraid but she schooled her features so Marian wouldn’t see it.
Marian let out a breath and loosened her grip. Her features softened.
“There is no need for you to be afraid of me. Go and get settled in. We can talk again later after you’ve had time to think things over.”
Victoria didn’t bother to respond. She walked off and grabbed her suitcase. Glancing back at her mother, she scurried in the direction of her room. Luckily it was at another wing of the house, far from Marian. She scowled. Her time at home was to grieve and bury her father, not waste her time plotting revenge with Marian. She didn’t even know who this Rafael Rivera was. When she reached her room, she slammed the door and sagged against it.
“I wonder if I can avoid Marian for the entire week that I’m here.”
Why couldn’t she have a normal mother? One who held her while she cried over the death of her father. One who whispered words of love and encouragement.
“I should be so lucky,” she grumbled.
Victoria plopped down on the four-poster bed she had slept in so long. Exhaustion pushed its way forward. All she wanted to do now was curl into a ball and sleep. But, she had to go downstairs soon as she had promised Lena. As she sat, her mother’s words played in her head.
“I think I have heard the name Rivera before,” she mused out loud.
There was a vague memory of her father on the phone calling that name. He had been distressed at the time. She dug deep into her memories, to recall David’s words.
“My company is not up for sale, Rivera. Not to anybody.”
She remembered her father slamming down the phone on his desk.
Was Marian right? Did this mystery man indirectly cause her father’s death? She sighed. It didn’t matter. There was no way she was going to join her mother in her ridiculous ploy to get revenge. Although, it did warm her heart a bit to know that Marian cared enough about her husband to want to avenge him. But she still wanted no part of it. She was going to stay for one week, long enough to attend her father’s funeral, tie up any loose ends and get back to Seattle.
Chapter Five
Going through the motions of her father’s funeral nearly drove Victoria insane. She wanted nothing more than for the day to come to an end. Getting through the actual ceremony had been heart wrenching. Hours later,
there mansion was filled with friends and well-wishers. Forcing herself to smile and shake hands was a gruesome process. Marian had no difficulty whatsoever. Victoria watched her flit around like the social butterfly she was, chatting and laughing.
Laughing? How could she be laughing so joyfully mere days after her husband’s death? Victoria was absolutely miserable. She had stationed herself in a far corner away from the crowd. Starting to feel ill, she walked off and headed to the nearest exit. As she stepped into the backyard, she drew in a relieved breath. She was alone outside. Kicking off her heels, she plopped down onto a chair. At least, she could sulk in private. If Marian discovered that she wasn’t inside entertaining their guest, but outside, shoeless, she would have a fit. But, she simply couldn’t stomach being in a room full of pretentious individuals.
She doubted that her father even liked a majority of the people who milled around his living room, sipping from champagne glasses. Rolling her eyes, Victoria grunted. Leave it up to her mother to turn a tragedy into a party.
“Ridiculous!”
“It really is, isn’t it? The way they are all gathered in there as if they really care.”
The silky baritone echoed behind Victoria, startling her. She jumped from her seat with a yelp and whirled around. She was sure she was alone. Clutching her chest, her gaze searched until it landed on the owner of the voice.
The man stepped out of the shadows and Victoria nearly gasped. Oh my. If he wasn’t the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on. He wasn’t the kind of man she had grown up around, pampered and soft. No, he had a rugged edge to him. Instinctively she knew he wasn’t the entitled ‘trust fund’ young man like so many inside her father’s house at the moment.
He had to be among the rich, however. He wouldn’t be a part of Marian’s crowd if he wasn’t filthy rich. She took in his attire in a swift glance. Exquisitely tailored Armani suit, Louis Vuitton shoes and a Rolex wrapped around his wrist. Yes, definitely one of the rich. She had run from that world, but she still had an eye for all things expensive and name brand, thanks to Marian’s training during her teenage years.