Page 81 of Best Kept Vows

“Lia is a fiercely independent woman.” I stroked her cheek with a finger, feeling my heart fill with love for her. “I don’tlether do anything. She does what she wants. It’s just one of the things I love about her.”

Silence fell at the table until Dad began to cough. After he drank some water, he looked at me. “Let’s…get…this done.”

Hendrix nodded at me, letting me know that Dad was getting too tired to stay here, probably both emotionally and physically.

I took a deep breath and held Lia’s hand on the table. I needed her support and her strength. I was fortunate she was giving it to me since I didn’t deserve one damn thing from her.

“Dad and I have decided to sell Boone Metals.”

The table went silent.

Dolly’s fork clattered against her plate. “Excuse me?”

Coco blinked. “Wait—what?”

Bryce, predictably, smirked. “So, you’re finally admitting that you failed as CEO.” He looked at Dad with revulsion. “I told you to make me the CEO, and you wouldn’t listen. Look what happened.”

Dad waved a hand and muttered something that sounded a lot likefucking useless prick.

I kept my eyes on my mother. She was the one who was going to be impacted the most by this. Well, Bryce, too, since he wouldn’t have a job, but Coco would get her portion of her inheritance once the company sold, as would I.

Mama would have to accept her financial situation and make appropriate changes. “The company is bleeding money. It’s time to cut our losses.”

Mama’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You arenotselling Boone Metals.”

“Not…your…company,” Dad croaked out.

“I’ll declare you incompetent. Won’t take much, Abraham,” Mama threatened.

Dad laughed; it sounded like a cackle, and then began to cough. Hendrix got up to help him.

“Nigel has a power of attorney for personal finances, Mama, so declaring Dad incompetent gets you nothing,” I informed her. “So, yes, we’re selling the company.”

She slammed her napkin on the table. “You’re a disgrace! That company is your legacy, Sebastian.”

“Mama, it’s dying. It’s been dying for a while. If Dad had sold it ten years ago, we’d have made good money.Now…we get what we get. The longer we wait and hold on to it, the less it’s going to be worth.”

Mama turned on Lia. “This isyourinfluence.”

My wife squeezed my hand to let me know she was fine. “Dolly, he’s done running himself into the ground trying to save a sinking ship.”

Abraham exhaled a slow, tired breath. “Dolly…done deal.”

Dolly snapped her head toward him, shocked. “What?”

My father’s voice was weak, but he pushed through. “The company is…a weight. Drowned me…drown him.”

Mama threw him a venomous look. “If you’re so determined to be a coward, then Bryce should take over.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “Bryce has zero experience running a company.”

“I think you’re just scared he’ll succeed,” Coco snapped.

“Exactly,” Mama chimed in. “I have faith in him, never had it in you.”

Her words came from anger and bitterness, but that didn’t change how much they stung. She was my mother, and I’d spent my life trying to make her happy. That seemed to be just as much a fruitless exercise as the one of showing my father I was good enough for Boone Metals.

Lia visibly tensed beside me, her fingers curling into her napkin.