She grabbed the wedding binder and headed for her father’s office. Though her nerves were jittery from too much caffeine and too little food, she slowed her pace and took a few calming breaths. Under no circumstances could she break down and cry in front of her father. He’d respect her even less if she lost her composure.
No sooner had she entered his dark, miserable cave than her father pointed to the chair facing his desk. He didn’t mince words. “Ben called. He told me he fired the caterer last night for insubordination.”
Her shoulders tensed as she sat down.Deep breaths. “Insubordination? Is that what he’s calling it?”
“What else would you call it? The bastard threatened him. He’ll be lucky if Ben doesn’t sue.” Her father scowled. “You were there, weren’t you?”
Fury pooled inside of her, waiting to be unleashed, but she responded calmly. “I witnessed the whole thing. Ben’s full of shit.”
Her father raised his eyebrows but didn’t reprimand her.
She clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking. “You want to know whatreallyhappened? Ben showed up at the manor last night around ten thirty, and he was plastered. When he got handsy and tried to kiss me, Rafael told him to leave me alone. That’s all. He didn’t threaten Ben.”
“You’d stand up for Rafael, wouldn’t you?” His lip curled with distaste. “Ben told me about your little affair.”
A chill crept over her, prickling her arms with goose bumps. Her fatherknew.Even though she’d done exactly what Ben had asked of her, it wasn’t enough. He wanted to dig the knife in deeper.
“I’m extremely disappointed in your behavior,” her father said. “I thought you’d learned your lesson after Paris.”
Bringing up Paris was a low blow, but the reminder lit a fire inside of her. Her shame ebbed away, replaced by a slow-burning fury. “I’m a grown woman. Whom I spend my time with is none of your business.”
“Itismy business. Especially when it costs me a hundred thousand dollars.”
Did it really come down to the money? Or was it about control?
She blinked back tears of rage.“You’rethe one who insisted on paying off Henri. Not me. I was willing to let the photos go public, but you were too worried about our family’s reputation.”
“This is the gratitude I get for saving you from humiliation? You’re no better than your brother.”
Not this again. If her father started ranting about Connor’s betrayal, she’d never get him back on track. She softened her tone. “I’m sorry if I sound ungrateful. I appreciate what you did for me. But I’d appreciate it more if you stopped reminding me how much I owe you.”
“I don’t want you to make the same mistake again.” He huffed out a breath. “Which you obviously did. How could you jump into bed with the caterer, for God’s sake? The man’s beneath you.”
There it was. Her father wasn’t angry because she’d had a fling. Only because she’d done it with someonebeneathher.
“We don’t have time for this.” He waved her away as if she were an irritating fly. “You need to find a new caterer.”
She stayed put, refusing to let him dismiss her. “There’s no one available. Trust me, I’ve checked. Unless Ben changes his mind, we’re screwed.”
“That’s unacceptable. This is the highest-profile wedding of the holiday season.”
“I’m aware of that. What do you want me to do?”
He let out a grunt of frustration. “Call Ben and beg for his forgiveness. And tell Rafael he needs to apologize, too. That might do it.”
She stared at him in stunned silence. A normal father might feel sympathy or ask if she was all right, considering her ex had physically harassed her. Instead, Brian Blackwood, contender for asshole-father-of-the-decade, had asked her to debase herself by begging for her ex’s forgiveness. Even though she’d donenothingwrong.
“What are you waiting for?” he asked. “The clock’s ticking.”
Why was she letting him treat her like this? For years, he’d fed her a load of shit, and she’d been taking it.
No more. She was done.
She stood up. “Screw Ben. I quit.”
“What?”
Even though she was trembling in her heels, the horrified look on her father’s face was one hundred percent worth it.
