Page 77 of Billionaire's Desire
He looks at me, his face softening slightly. “I know,” he says, his voice gentler now. “I don’t blame you for what happened to Pen, not anymore. I just... I don’t know how to deal with this. It feels like a betrayal.”
He doesn’t blame me for what happened with Poppy anymore?What happened? What changed? Because the last time I heard from this man, he was willing and ready to sue me for everything I was worth.
As if sensing my line of thoughts, Finn finally delves into an explanation.
He tells me that he found the diary of Pen. And that he could not read it until recently.
I can see tears forming in his eyes.
“I had to read that she had an alcohol problem and was really struggling. It hurt so much. The feeling that I didn’t really know her.”
He tells me about hiring a private investigator to find me. I feel a knot forming in my stomach.
“He told me some things about you. About us suing you, your family bakery and then the temp agency…”
I realize that I don’t know what to expect from this meeting.
But as we continue talking, I feel that he deserved the truth.
I have been keeping it a secret so long, and it no longer protects her, or serves me to do so.
So, with a deep breath, I tell him that Penelope was driving drunk the night of the accident. It’s difficult to say the words out loud, and I feel a lump in my throat. I feel guilty of letting her drive.
Finn is shocked and hurt by the revelation and I can see the anger and pain in his eyes. But he also seems relieved to finally know the truth. I can’t blame him for feeling that way. He lost his fiancée and I lost my best friend. It’s only natural for him to want some kind of closure.
“I had no idea she was driving that night. Now things make more sense. How did I not know about her struggle with alcohol?”
“Honestly, neither did I, until it was way too late. I felt so bad that I dragged her to that party that night, that I knew the only way I could compensate for letting her down like that, was protecting her.”
“And then we prevented you from attending her funeral, and sought reparations for a crime you never even committed?” I can feel the pain and frustration in his voice.
“You didn’t know.”
“Does not excuse it. I am going to write you a check. You should get back all that you lost. It is not nearly enough, but it’s a start.”
As he offers to refund all the money I lost from the lawsuit, I’m taken aback. I didn’t expect that from him, but I know I can’t accept it. I don’t want his money. I don’t want anything from him. All I want is to move on and try to make peace with what happened.
“I appreciate your offer, Finn, but I can’t accept it,” I say firmly. “I don’t want your money. I just want to try and move forward from this.”
Finn nods understandingly, but I can see the disappointment in his eyes. I feel a pang of guilt for not being able to give him the closure he wanted, but I know that this is the best I can do. The truth is out there now, and we both have to find a way to deal with it.
We may never fully understand each other’s pain, but at least we can try to move forward and heal.
We say our goodbyes and as I leave, I feel a mix of emotions swirling inside me. Relief that the truth is finally out, sadness for what happened, and a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, we can both find some kind of peace in the aftermath.
And beneath all that lurks the pain of losing Max, too.
That accident took too much from me and all I can do is hope to heal.
Chapter 16
Max
I’msittinginmyhouse, staring blankly at the TV. The news is on, but I’m not really paying attention. My mind is consumed with thoughts of Maggie and the pain of losing her. The guilt and betrayal over Pen’s death weigh heavily on my shoulders and I can’t shake them off.
Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door and I hear Finn’s voice calling out to me. I get up and walk to the door, opening it to find my brother standing there with a serious expression on his face.
“Max, we need to talk,” he says, pushing past me into the house.
