"You're still friends with him?"
Keen could hardly believe it. His daughter had never been one to socialize much within their circle. All she'd done was go on a single blind date with Lance-how did that suddenly make them friends?
"Doesn't it bother you that he went on a date with you even while he had feelings for someone else? Isn't that disrespectful to you?"
Mabel shrugged. "He didn't really have a choice, did he? He had no idea it was a setup; his mother arranged the whole thing."
"And from the very start, Lance told me he liked someone else. It's not like he strung me along or tried to mislead me."
"I think, all things considered, he handled it pretty well."
Hearing her explanation, Keen had to admit that made sense.
"Sweetheart, you don't you don't actually have feelings for him, do you?" Keen's stomach did a slow, uneasy flip; a sense of dread settled over him. It was one thing if his daughter fell for a poor boy, but falling for a man who was clearly in love with someone else? What good could come from that? The boy's family was already in trouble; what if he tried to use her somehow? She was their only child-if anyone had to compromise, wouldn't it be their family in the end?
Mabel couldn't help but laugh at the worried look on her father's face.
"Oh, Dad-where's your mind running off to?"
"I might call him a friend, but why would I fall for a guy whose heart already belongs to someone else?"
“I mean, sure, Lance has a great background and looks, but I'm not naïve."
"I'm your only daughter! Don't you think I need to be extra careful about who I end up with?"
"And honestly, I think having a child on my own sounds nice. Who says I have to get married to have a good life?"
Mabel knew that with her family's status, she'd always attract men looking for an easy inheritance. Why risk a marriage-risk betrayal or even worse when she could just have a child and keep her life simple?
Hearing that his daughter wasn't even interested in marriage, Keen felt a pang of disappointment.
"Well, you've still got your dad, don't you? Date whoever you want, marry whoever you like—Dad would never let you come to harm.”
Mabel hugged him reassuringly. “Don't worry. I'm not even interested in dating. Relationships are nothing but trouble. I love being free just like this."
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“And you can relax—I won't lose my head and ask you to help the James family out of their mess."
“What happens to the James family
doesn't really concern us. If
anything I'll just offer some empty pleasantries to keep up appearances."
Only then did Keen finally relax, his worries easing.
He had truly feared his daughter wouldn't see sense.
"This mess with the James family is complicated. They're clearly being targeted."
"Even the banks won't give them a loan—don't tell me nobody's pulling strings from the shadows."
"Someone out there is determined to crush the James family. Even if we stepped in now, what's to stop them from being targeted again? Another project, another disaster-what then?"
Keen had weighed every risk. At first, he'd been tempted to get a piece of the pie for himself, but now, he felt it best to stay clear.
In business, Keen wasn't afraid to make enemies but he wasn't about to pick a
fight for no reason, especially with people who played dirty.
"The James family will just have to find a way to protect themselves."
But how?
Across town, Odom and Latham sat together, trying to puzzle out exactly that.
"What if we can find someone to take this project off our hands right now and just pull our capital out?" Odom suggested, sounding defeated.
Latham shook his head. “All our money is wrapped up in this. Right now, the whole Apex business community knows our position."
"If we try to sell the project, they'll take advantage and lowball us.”
"And even if we're willing to back out, who would want to take on this train wreck?"