Page 91 of Wrong Room, Right Billionaire

“They sound like amazing people,” I say.

“Yeah.” He smiles, his eyes somewhere else entirely. “They really were. They loved it all so much that when my dad inherited money he didn’t even know existed, he put it into a hotel. The one in–”

“San Diego,” I answer for him.

“You really did your homework,” he says and I blush.

“Sorry,”

“So I’m sure you know about the explosion of success.”

“Bale Resorts is the top in the industry and growing,” I say.

“Yeah. Even though its peak really was around the time I was starting working for the company. But that was also when things fell apart.”

I don’t say anything right away as Morgan takes a sip of his drink. I wait. Because this is where things get hairy. And if I had to guess, it’s a very, very difficult subject for you.

“You know it was my birthday?” he asks.

“What was your birthday?”

“The day they died. The day the plane crashed,” he answers.

“Oh my God…”

“Yeah. They were flying back from a resort to see me. To take me to dinner. I told them it seemed a bit over the top, flying last minute to take me to dinner. But they insisted. At the time, they were in Maui and I was in San Diego, working at the Pacifica, actually. Learning the ropes. And they wanted to fly back just for dinner. They were so determined that they ignored the weather warnings and the plane crashed,” he says, staring into the bottom of his glass.

“Oh, Morgan, I am so sorry,” I tell him.

“I am too. But it was years ago,”

“That doesn’t make it any easier. And also, it’s not your fault,” I tell him. “Whether it was your birthday or not. It’s not your fault.”

“I know,” he says. “I used to blame myself, but I don’t anymore. Honestly, birthday or not, they used to show up all the time to see Conrad and me. It never required a special occasion. That’s just who they were.”

“Still,” I say.

“Yeah,” he sighs. “I think that’s why I struggled for so long to visit the resorts. Every inch of them reminded me of my parents, and it just…was too much.”

“I’m sure.” I nod.

“It was easier to honor them by running the corporate part of things. And Conrad was always more of the travel guy anyways. So it worked. Until it didn’t,” he says. “He was always a bit careless with all of it. Didn’t pay attention to details. Treated it like a vacation.”

“You think maybe that was his coping mechanism?” I ask.

“I think Conrad doesn’t think about anyone but himself,” he says and there’s a bitterness in his voice, changing the tone of the conversation a little. “I think he’s just going to do whatever he wants without any regard for me or the company or what our parents would have said.”

“That’s a shame,” I tell him.

“It is,” he agrees. “But people don’t change.”

“I mean that your relationship with him is so strained. Do you think you’ll ever make up?” I ask, knowing full well that I am going out on a limb by even suggesting it.

“Considering the man is literally in the process of trying to take Bale Resorts from me? I’m going to have to play the safe card here and go with no,” he says, flagging the waitress down for another drink. “So what about you? What about your family?”

“Well. My parents are still alive. Still together. But they live completely separate lives, so that part of my life isn’t exactly romantic,” I tell him.

“Are they in love?” he asks.