Michaela My head spins like a cyclone all the way to Rhys’s place. A thousand questions rattle in my brain. On numerous occasions I was tempted to call my father back because I didn’t have the patience to wait, but I refrained. Something tells me once I have this discussion with him, my world will never be the same. It’s like I’m a puppet on a string and I’ve lost all control. The ride back seemed interminable. LA traffic and all. Once I paid the cabbie, I slid out of the car and closed the door, the thumping sound as eerily scary as the lid of a coffin closing over me while I’m still alive. The moment I st epped into the main house to tell Keira I was back, she could tell something was wrong. There was no hiding it—stress was rolling off me. She had a thousand questions. I didn’t have answers. I only have bits and pieces of information, and none of it makes a lick of sense. I promised her I’d spill my guts once I talked to my father. Daddy, you have some explaining to do. With my head hanging low, I make my way to the guesthouse. I kick off my high heels and shrug out of my pink dress in favor of shorts and a tank top. With my phone clenched in my hands, I walk to the living room, plop myself on the sofa, and video call my father. When Daddy acc epts the call, his tired face fills the screen. His green eyes, darker than mine, hold my gaze before his lips part in a sad smile. My heart is beating so fast, I swear it’s going to jump right out of my rib cage and start running back to New York City. “I’m sorry, ladybug,” he says. I close my eyes. “Rip off the Band-Aid.” “You have to look at me for this conversation, ladybug,” he says. I do. He brings a glass to his lips and takes a sip of his red wine. Wow. If my father is drinking in the afternoon at the office, this is worse than I thought––worse than I’m
pr epared for. “The hotel has been on shaky legs for a while—” “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I don’t in volve you in the financial parts of the business because I don’t want you to worry. I’m supposed to take care of you.” “And you think I’m not worried right now? I’m going out of my mind with worry, Daddy. Fear has consumed me since we talked—” “It was never my intention to put you in this position—” “Perhaps you should’ve been honest with me from the beginning. I’m twenty-three years old. I’m a grown woman. I can handle whatever you’re dealing with.” I hope. “I thought I could handle it—” “How bad is it?” I cut to the chase. He doesn’t answer. “Daddy, talk to me. Tell me everything.” “It’s a colossal shit fest,” he says. Okay, not good. “The short answer is, I’m a hair away from bankruptcy.” I stare at my father in cold shock while my heart tries to painfully reboot. “Our loyal and dedicated employees count on me to put food on the table, pay their mortgages and send their kids to college,” he says. “We have multigenerational families working in our hotel.” Pride coats his words. “I couldn’t let these people down. I couldn’t let Mom down. Or you. I sunk every dime I had in my effort to ke ep from sinking––money from Mom’s life insurance, my life savings, and the house is mortgaged to the hilt.” He stares intently at me. “I even had to dip into the money Mom and I set aside for you. I had no choice if I wanted to cover the payroll.” Another long pause. “I can’t hold the staff responsible for my screw-ups.” “What about the house in the Hamptons? It’s worth several millions of dollars. Isn’t there a way to use some of the equity?” “I lied about the house in the Hamptons.” I flinch. “What do you mean?” “I wasn’t renting it on a long-term lease. I sold it four months ago to ke ep afloat.” I gasp in horror. “You sold it without telling me?” “I was drowning—back taxes, r epairs needed for the upke ep of a heritage building as per New York State codes, and an inspection that didn’t go too well.” His eyes shift to a distant point. “On top of that, I’m still paying for your college degree and the colossal bill
from my recent hospitalization, which are choking me.” He purses his lips. When his green eyes meet mine, I can only read resignation and sadness. “As much as it kills me to admit this, the sale from of the house in the Hamptons was a drop in the bucket. I was in way too de ep for it to turn things around.” Oh God. A lump forms in my throat at the thought of what I’m about to suggest, but I have to. What if it’s a lifeline? “What about Mom’s jewelry?” “No. Never.” Daddy shakes his head. He even adds a rapid finger wave. “That’s off the table. That’s yours.” “But, Daddy—” “I said no, Michaela. I’ve lost my dignity and all my money. I’ve done enough to disrespect your mother’s memory by nearly losing the family hotel. I refuse to pawn her jewelry. Those precious pieces are worth a fortune, and they’re irr eplaceable. Not to mention, many were your grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s. They’ll remain in the bank’s safe, unless you want to wear them. End of discussion.” I stare at him. His lips turn up in a lopsided smile, but his eyes are veiled with sadness. “Your mother was always the brains of the operation, Mikki. If she were still alive, none of this would’ve happened.” You would never have married Thana. “I’ve never been a numbers guy, which explains my predicament. I have nothing left to my name. I used every penny to save the hotel, but even that wasn’t enough.” Tears well in his eyes. “I thought I could dig myself out of this mess.” I suck in a shaky breath and lift my gaze to the ceiling. Dear God. “I’m sorry I failed you, ladybug.” My heart breaks at his words. “Oh, Daddy, you didn’t fail me. It’s business. I wish you would’ve confided in me instead of shutting me out.” “I’ve said everything I had to say on the subject.” His tone bodes no further discussion. “Given her position and knowledge, didn’t Thana try to do something to help?” He lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, she did something all right.” I frown my confusion. “What does that mean?” “Let me start from the beginning,” he says. “Please do.” “About five months ago, Thana started taking nighttime classes, claiming she
wanted to be proactive to better help us navigate the ups and downs of the hospitality business. I didn’t object. She knew things weren’t looking too good. I thought she had my best interests at heart. Then all of a sudden, she declared she had to go to an intensive weeklong training in Tucson that was going to propel us forward. Once again, I was all for it. She left on Thursday, even though the classes started on Monday, stating she wanted to avoid being jetlagged by arriving a few days early. She didn’t call much, but she sent a few text messages. I was too busy to make much of it. Monday morning rolls around, and my older brother barges into my office upon his return from a tech conference in San Diego, waving his phone, declaring he knew I had married a bitch, and he had proof she was twotiming me.” “What proof did Uncle Ian have?” “Thana wasn’t in Tucson. She was in San Diego with her lover.” “What?” “She was cheating on me.” “Are you sure? I’m not trying to defend Thana, but that’s a bold accusation.” “Ian caught her walking hand-in-hand with a man––” “What if it was someone else?” “Thana has a unique name. Furthermore, she’s five-eleven, a natural redhead with long hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Even with heavy makeup, it’s a struggle to hide her freckles. What are the odds it would be someone else?” Okay, he has a good point. Still, I find it hard to believe Thana would cheat on my father. After all, my st epmother loves to remind me I’m stuck with her forever because Daddy is the love of her life. “Your uncle didn’t want to jump to conclusions,” Daddy says. “It could’ve been a family friend. The guy’s much older than me. I’m going to guess he’s in his late sixties or early seventies.” “Wow.” Thana is thirty-five. Daddy is fifty-two. They’ve been married for a year and a half. They dated for five months before Daddy announced they were getting married. That was a dark day in my life. So much so, I went to Mom’s grave to talk to her. Daddy had his heart attack five months after marrying Thana. Coincidence? I think not. “Ian trailed behind the couple long enough to confirm his suspicions,”
Daddy says. “When the pair stopped and sat on a bench, Thana sat on the man’s lap, her arms laced around his neck.” “Good Lord.” “Ian didn’t think twice. He pulled out his phone and recorded what was unfolding in front of his eyes. He had barely pressed the button on his app, when the man planted an open mouth kiss on my wife’s lips. The video clip showed tongue action and...”—Daddy purses his lips in a tilt of disdain —“the man rubbing her private parts over her dress.” I’m dumbfounded. I don’t hate my st epmother because she was r eplacing my mom in my father’s life––well, that’s a big part of it, but it’s not the only reason. I can’t stand Thana because she isn’t trustworthy. She acts differently around my father than she does around everyone else. Especially the staff. Mom always treated employees with respect. Thana talks down to people and treats them like servants. When she took over running the hotel while Daddy was recovering from his heart attack, morale went way down. Since Daddy was battling for his life after a scary brush with death, I didn’t want to add to his burden, so I k ept my mouth shut. I always had visions of running the hotel side-by-side with my father, Thana’s arrival changed that. “Even though Uncle Ian was dying to expose her as the lying and cheating piece of shit she is, he didn’t feel it was the kind of conversation to have over the phone. He wanted to tell me face-to-face.” “Did you confront her when she got back from San Diego?” “I didn’t.” “Why not? She’s a cheater.” His green eyes turn stone cold. “She’s far more than that.” “I don’t understand.” “You know the saying, when it rains, it pours––” “She was cheating on you with several men?” “That wouldn’t have been as scandalous as what she did.” “Please don’t tell me she fired staff without your knowledge.” “Thana was embezzling money from the hotel.” My mouth drops open and my eyes bulge out of my skull. His loaded words are the equivalent of being pushed off the roof of a New York City skyscraper. I pick up my jaw from the floor. “Wh—what?” “She was skimming money from me and
lying to my face,” Daddy says. Hearing it a second time doesn’t soften the blow. “How?” “She had access to all the accounts and she had signing authority. Unknowingly, I had handed a coldhearted thief everything I owned on a silver platter. And the bitch took full advantage of it.” My eyes widen in shock. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” “I’m as serious as a heart attack—” “Daddy, don’t say things like that. That kind of talk frightens me.” “Sorry, ladybug, it’s a figure of speech.” “In your case, it isn’t.” “You’re right. To answer your question, no, I’m not kidding. Since Thana took over running the hotel after my heart attack, she had her filthy tentacles everywhere. By the time I recuperated and I was strong enough to get back to work, she had a nice little setup that allowed her to skim money from me practically undetected. She was good at covering her tracks.” “How did you find out?” “It turns out her cheating on me—and wanting to spend time with her lover—was a blessing in disguise.” “That doesn’t even make sense. How can a cheating wife be a blessing?” “After Uncle Ian left my office, it was a struggle to contain my rage and conduct business as usual. When I managed to regain my composure and lose myself in work, I received a phone call that unraveled my world.” “Who called you?” “A new bank manager was assigned to our account,” he says. “I thought it was a courtesy call, but it wasn’t. He was calling to inform me I was overdrawn on the business account and I wouldn’t be able to cover the employees’ direct d eposit wages and pre-authorize payments to vendors. I argued and told him he was mistaken. I explained I had d eposited money on the previous Friday. He told me a large sum had been transferred that morning to a foreign account. I practically laughed in his face. He stood his ground, stating he was looking at the transaction on his screen. Everything in my body was tingling. I requested an urgent meeting.” “And?” “I came back from the bank confused and angry. Things weren’t adding up. I confessed everything to Ian, and he suggested I hire an investigator. That was two strikes
against my wife, and he felt it was important to find out what other skeletons were hiding in her closet. Demanding an explanation from Thana was pointless. No way was she going to be forthcoming about the discr epancies in our bank accounts. I needed ammunition before confronting her.” “Private investigators are expensive. I thought the hotel was on shaky ground?” “Ian fronted me the money,” Daddy says. Uncle Ian manages all the computer technicians and the team responsible for preventing hackers from stealing students’ personal data at the NYU School of Law. No wonder he would know who to approach to secure the services of a r eputable PI. “Thank God Uncle Ian was able to help.” Daddy nods. “I’m not her only victim,” he says. “No way.” “The investigators tracked down three former employers she embezzled money from—” “Why didn’t those employers say anything when you called to check out her references?” “They’re all married men,” he says. “So?” “Thana manipulated them into having an affair, which she meticulously recorded as an insurance policy. She was blackmailing them. They paid her off to buy her silence. Since I was a widower, she used another tactic to steal from me.” “What an evil witch.” I’m raging with anger. “She conned her way into our family.” “She did, but I’m her last victim,” Daddy says. “What do you mean by that?” “By the time Thana came back from her little lovers’ getaway trip, the investigators had placed surveillance equipment in the hotel and at our house. There were detectors on all the electronic devices—phones, laptops, and computers. Extra cameras were installed in every blind spot of the hotel. And, they requested access to our archive of surveillance footage. My wife had no idea she was walking into a trap. We were ready for Thana Annunziata to hang herself. It didn’t take long for the truth to come out.” “What did they find out?” I’m eager to know how the bitch duped my father. “Hindsight is 20/20, but at the time, there was no reason for me to suspect my wife was backstabbing me. In her role as accountant, Thana had access to our
bank statements, and she was the front person for our vendor relationships. Giving her more signing authority made sense—we were married. I trusted her. As I was getting back on my feet, I never changed the signing authority on our accounts. I didn’t think I had to. According to the investigators’ findings, she started skimming money from the accounts while I was still in the hospital, recovering from the heart attack—” “What a lowlife.” Daddy smirks and nods. “A little more digging revealed she was also faking vendor payments and pocketing the money.” I let out a strangled grunt of anger. Not that I condone violence, but right now, I want to fly back to New York and kill the bitch. I rub a hand over my face and let out a long sigh. “I know, I know.” My father’s dejected expression says it all. “Thana was cooking the books, falsifying data to hide her treachery and theft. Since I was on shaky ground, this was the kiss of death for the hotel. She stole a lot of money from us. A lot.” “How could she?” “I’ve asked myself that question a million times, ladybug. I’m so angry with myself for being so blind. I admit, things weren’t looking great, but her treason did me in.” I knew the woman was two-faced, I didn’t know she was a criminal. “You’re going to press charges, right?” “Without the investigation, I wouldn’t have enough proof. But there’s a mountain of evidence against her. I’m going all the way. I want Thana to pay.” “I’m a hundred percent behind you. Is she still living at the house?” “When she got back from San Diego, I pretended like nothing had changed until the investigation was wrapped up. Since we hadn’t been intimate in a while... it didn’t change much—” I lift a hand to stop him. “I don’t need to know that part, Daddy.” “All that to say, it was a struggle to bite my tongue and not lash out at her, but I wasn’t going to do anything to cause her to become suspicious.” “Please tell me you’re going to ask for a divorce?” “I’m done with her. I served her with divorce papers this morning. I’m giving her until tomorrow night to pack her shit and get out of our lives.” “Good for you.” I nod my approval. “You’re too good
for her. She doesn’t deserve you.” “No, she doesn’t,” Daddy says. “I gather she didn’t take being served with divorce papers well.” “She came barging into my office, livid. She had the audacity to deny her wrongdoings. I promised myself I would ke ep my cool, but I lost it and it turned into World War III. That’s why you couldn’t get a hold of either of us this morning. When Thana started throwing lamps, chairs, and whatever she could get her hands on at me, my executive assistant called the police. I’m glad she did. God knows how things would’ve turned out. We were both so angry.” “At least it’s over,” I say. The news of my father kicking Thana to the curb and out of his life should make me want to celebrate. However, Daddy shared so much heavy stuff, it’s impossible to rejoice. “That’s why you said earlier it was the two of us against the world again.” “There’s more.” That’s not the answer I expected. “Daddy, your cheater of a wife was stealing money from you. How can there be more?” My father considers me for a long beat. “This is... pretty bad, ladybug.” “Daddy, you’re scaring me. Whatever it is, tell me.” “You know I’m behind this morning’s PR stunt.” “You’ve already confessed that much.” “But you don’t know why I did it.” “You’re going to tell, right?” “We no longer own the Villiers Grand.” Everything pointed to it, Phoenix alluded to it, and although not yet mentioned, it was implied in the conversation. Still, hearing my father say it without sugar coating it is like having my heart pierced by an arrow. “Phoenix König was willing to buy the hotel as is,” Daddy says. “As it stood, I would’ve had to put in money I didn’t have to get it up to par to secure the most from the sale.” He falls silent. “Phoenix is the only buyer I approached who was willing to acc ept all my terms––even the most outrageous ones.” Another pause. “It may seem like I sold you to a powerful billionaire to save the hotel, but I have my reasons—” “I’m not marrying that man. He’s a complete stranger. How could you, Daddy? This isn’t the early nineteen hundreds.” The floodgates open. “You can’t marry me off like
that. I’m not a commodity. How come I don’t have a say in this? Why would you do that to me? Is it that you don’t love me?” “I love you with every piece of me, ladybug. I did this for you—” “No. Just no.” I shake my head. “It’s the only way, ladybug.” “I am not marrying Phoenix König,” I say through clenched teeth like a pissed off three-year-old. “Listen to me, Michaela.” The sudden edge in Daddy’s voice causes my head to jerk back. “Phoenix agreed to one of my particular demands—one I was willing to die for to ensure it was part of the deal. If you back out, nothing—and I mean, nothing—will save the Villiers Grand. We can’t do that to Mom.” Good Lord. My father has never guilt tripped me before today.