Page 42 of Forty, Flirty & Framed

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago."I feel the familiar weight of the secrets I carry—the ones that not even Richard knows.

The real reason my heavy-fisted grandmother watches me with that combo of fierce protection and worry.

"Still."Her hand hovers near mine for a moment, then retreats."Sometimes the oldest wounds hurt the most."

The unexpected perceptiveness catches me off guard.

For a moment, I wonder what she would think if she knew the whole truth—about my mother, about my father, my family.

About why failure and abandonment are inextricably linked in my mind.

I clear my throat."Anyway.Duncan remembers what happened to my family.He was one of my father's creditors."

"So this is personal for both of you."

"For him, maybe.For me, it's business."

She gives me a look."And Richard?Where does he fit in all this?I always wondered why you kept him in such a senior position when he was clearly..."

"Out of his depth?"Tension creeps into my shoulders."He's family.And after everything that happened with our parents, I felt..."

I stop.

"Felt what?"she presses gently.

“To be honest?I felt…responsible.For preserving what was left."

Including the brother who has no idea what our mother actually did, I don't add.

Karina nods, those warm brown eyes lowering.“That's a heavy burden to carry alone…”

"Some burdens can't be shared."I turn back to the laptop.“Anyway…it’s probably a good time to talk about Connor's engagement party.”

“Connor's engagement party??”She pauses.“Ah, that’s right.I keep forgetting that you Richies Rich types use your personal events as networking opportunities, too.”

"Every major investor in the region will be there.I need to present a united corporate front, not a viral meme."I scratch the stubble that’s starting to form at my chin."If MacTavish wants to tank the acquisition, that event would be the perfect opportunity."

My phone buzzes with a calendar alert.I glance at it and groan.

"Problem?"Karina asks.

"The Emerald City Children's Foundation Gala.Tuesday evening."I toss the phone onto the table."Another opportunity for MacTavish to make me look ridiculous."

"You don't want to go?"

"I didn't even know I was attending until Alana added it to my calendar this morning."I frown."She and my grandmother have been conspiring.Apparently, I'm now a 'featured donor.'"

"That doesn't sound so terrible."

"Duncan will be there.So will half the tech CEOs in Seattle, all watching for the next viral moment."

Karina tilts her head."Alana's looking out for you, I think.These appearances help with the Guardian angle we've been discussing."

"Perhaps.She's surprisingly competent when she's not letting bagpipers into the lobby."

"She organized your entire calendar in color-coded tiers of importance," Karina notes."And rescheduled that board call so you could visit your grandmother at the airport."