Page 74

Wolfe
The grandiose entrance of my parents’ mansion loomed in front of me as I stepped out of the Merc and tossed the keys to the waiting valet. “My suitcase is in the back. Have it taken to my room, please.”
“Of course, sir.”
I ran my eyes over the house. Well, mansion. As if my parents would stoop to live in a mere house. Yeah, I sounded bitter, but that’s how I felt. The opulence was almost suffocating. Every detail was meticulously crafted to impress - the manicured gardens, the glistening fountain, even the towering, ornate, double doors that led inside.
The wide entry hall was probably as big as Esme’s entire house. In the lavish dining room, the table was set with our best dinnerware, golden cutlery, and crystal glasses. It made me think of Esme and how excited she’d been to get that worn, chipped table, because it meant they could all fit around it for meals. Such a small thing, but it had meant so much to her.
I buried the thought as I moved forward to meet my parents and brothers. They were all dressed impeccably, the men in formal suits and my mother in an elegant, silvery blue silk dress that shimmered in the candlelight. My father, Henry, had gone to the extra effort of wearing a three-piece suit that did nothing to hide his paunch.
“Ah, here’s my boy!” Dad boomed when he saw me. I barely resisted the urge to look over my shoulder, because I was so unused to my father being so happy to see me. Oh, that’s right. That stupid fucking land deal. He raised his glass high. “Here’s to Wolfe’s triumph! A true victory over Maxwell Ballantyne!”
“Cheers!” echoed the rest of my family, clinking glasses together in celebration.
“Tell me more about it, son,” Dad urged. I could feel the expectation weighing heavily on me, pressing into my chest like a vise. We moved to sit around the table, and I could barely look at anyone as I filled them in on how I’d finally closed the deal.
“Ah, well, you know how these things go,” I replied, taking a sip of my champagne. “We simply made the better offer and secured the prime piece of land.” Of course, it had been a little more complicated than that. But once I’d felt the driving need to get out of Esperance, a simple meeting with Maxwell Ballantyne, his father Edward, and the guy that owned the land sealed the deal. The guy had been withholding because he didn’t want to upset the Ballantynes. Apparently, Edward Ballantyne had a vision for the future of Esperance, and everyone around town knew it. The seller had been nervous about selling to us because I hadn’t made any assurances that whatever we did with the land would fit that vision. As soon as I’d promised to use only local tradespeople and workers on the new development, he caved. Of course, I stuck to the details of the deal, and didn’t bring up Esme, or the kids.
“Interesting,” Rhett chimed in, a sly grin on his face. “I heard there was more to the story than just a land deal. Something about a romantic entanglement in Esperance?”
The room went quiet as all eyes turned to me. I felt my cheeks flush, and I cursed myself for letting my emotions betray me.
“Really, Wolfe?” Christine’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Does this mean we could have a wedding to plan? Who’s the girl? Do we know her family? I can’t think of anyone I know over that way, since all of our set are closer to Raleigh.” My mother let out an ecstatic sigh and patted at her already impeccably neat hair. I can’t remember the last time her icy blue eyes were so happy. “Oh, how wonderful it would be to impress everyone with a grand wedding! We could have it right here, in the ballroom. Or if the weather’s good, in the garden!”
My heart squeezed so painfully I couldn’t speak for a moment. Finally, clearing my throat, I said, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” I forced a brittle smile, trying to regain control of the conversation. “It was nothing serious. Besides, we’re here to celebrate the land deal, aren’t we?”
“Of course, of course,” Dad agreed, waving a hand dismissively. “Still, can’t blame your mother for being curious. And just think of all the business dealings I could close at a family event like that.”
“Speaking of business,” I said, desperate to redirect the conversation once again. “What’s next on the horizon for Rivers Industries?”
“Ah, now that’s a question I’m happy to answer,” Dad replied. Then he launched into an enthusiastic discussion of upcoming projects and potential acquisitions.
As the meal began and the conversation turned to other topics, my thoughts kept drifting back to Esme. Her laughter was like music in the air, her touch like fire against my skin. I missed her fiercely, but I knew I couldn’t share that with my family. They wouldn’t understand; their world revolved around wealth and power, not love and sacrifice.
“I need a king, Wolfe…” she’d said, her beautiful eyes so sad, begging me for something I couldn’t give her.
The night wore on, all the conversation focused on business, plans for the future, and financial projections. I felt a hollow, dull ache in my chest and could barely focus.
“Your mother and I are so proud of you, Wolfe,” Dad said, raising his glass once more. “You’ve surpassed all our expectations with this business deal.”
For fuck’s sake, who cares about the business deal? “Thank you,” I bit out through gritted teeth, feeling the spotlight on me again.
“Speaking of surpassing expectations,” Mom chimed in, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “How about that romantic connection we discussed earlier? Surely, a man as successful as you must have someone special in his life?”
“Mom, I already said it was nothing serious.” I sighed, not wanting to go down this road, at all.
“Come now, Wolfe, surely there’s more to life than just work and acquisitions?” Rhett interjected playfully, his smirk letting me know he was just trying to stir up trouble.
Fuck you. “Maybe some other time.”
I felt Grayson’s eyes on me, and it took all the self-control I could muster to not squirm in my seat under his sharp-eyed scrutiny. Then he looked away, back to our father. “How about you tell us what we’re going to be doing with the land now that we’ve finally got it?”
“I haven’t quite decided,” Henry conceded.
We all stared at him, lost for words. We’d gone through all that and my father didn’t even have proper plans for it? The man who meticulously planned every business move right down to the last cent had just spent millions of dollars buying some land he didn’t know what to do with?
“Have you lost your mind?”