Page 24 of Pretend it’s Forever

“I thought I was the cute one,” Aston said with a growl.

“You’re the cutest.” She leaned down, kissed his cheek, and waved before heading out to her office.

I shook my head and tapped my pen on the table. “What’s it like working with your family, your wife, your brothers, sisters?”

“I’ve always worked with my family. We’ve just added more over the years.”

“Have you ever looked to see if you have any other half-siblings?” I asked softly.

Aston nodded. “We did. Couldn’t find any. And frankly, if our dad did have other kids, he probably would’ve put them in the will to try to break all of us. I don’t think there’re any more surprises.”

Aston leaned forward and knocked on the mahogany table. “Just in case I put that out in the universe. We don’t need to jinx ourselves.”

“Damn straight,” I said after a moment.

We went over the contracts one more time, before my team came back, then we signed everything electronically. By the time we were done, we had a good partnership going. Another step to the Cage and Woods legacy, one where I would ensure that my sister and her family—the one that she made over time—would have a secure financial life. My sister might not work for my company, but I would never let her go for wanting. Her wife took care of her, they both took care of each other, and were damn brilliant at their jobs. But I was going to make sure that she was even more secure. That way our father couldn’t be the one to try to break her.

After our meeting, I sent a quick text off to my sister, knowing I would see her soon, and went to my house to change.

I could have probably shown up in the same suit for the club, but I didn’t feel like wearing a tie tonight.

Instead of the black suit I had worn, I changed into a slightly more casual stone gray one, sans tie, and used my driver to get to the club. I wanted a couple of drinks, and I wasn’t about to get behind the wheel.

My phone buzzed as we made our way downtown, and I answered, hating myself for doing so.

“It’s about time you answer your phone.”

“Father.”

My usual driver looked up at the rearview mirror, and I shook my head.

No, I didn’t need to pull over or pretend we were going in a tunnel. I would deal with this.

“I’ve been busy. You know how it is.”

“Busy poaching clients.”

I held back a smirk at that. My father loved playing the victim but he never was one. “It’s what you were good at. I learned from the best.”

“Stop being such a fucking recluse and do what you’re told. I hear that you are letting this wedding continue. It’s a monstrosity is what it is.”

I leaned forward, trying to collect my temper. “You don’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to her. We both know this.”

“I gave in when she decided to be a lesbian.”

“You don’t decide to be a lesbian, you asshole. But we both know this.”

“I gave in. But why does she need to make it legal? To flaunt it in front of our society.”

I didn’t want to get into the logistics of finding someone that you loved and wanted to spend your life with. While I had never done that, the fact that my sister could was a triumph considering how we were raised. Our father didn’t love our mother. But their families had wanted a merger that went beyond paperwork, and they had been perfect for each other in that evil, corrupt way.

I didn’t want to get into the concept of marriage, and the fact that my sister being legally able to marry when it was still newly lawful these days. He would never understand who my sister was, or what she deserved. Because she deserved the world.

“You do not have a say in it. Frankly, I’m glad that you said you wouldn’t be coming.”

“Of course we aren’t. We’re not going to allow this to happen.”

“Stay away from her. Stay away from her fiancée. And stay away from me. We’re not your family anymore. You made your choices, and now you have to deal with the consequences. You don’t have a line. You don’t have a legacy. You just have hatred. If you come near her again, I will end you. If you try to hurt this wedding, I will end you. And believe me, I have enough anger within me to make it happen permanently.”