“I don’t understand why you’re going through such trouble. It’s just Lindsey,” he snapped. From the moment he asked her over, he’s been in a foul mood.
Ava placed a hand on her hip with a crinkle in her nose. “We want her to feel comfortable. She won’t share what she knows if the environment is hostile.”
He grimaced and balled his fist. “I know she’s knee-deep in this secret arrangement involving our fathers.” He shook his head and frowned. “It’s no coincidence the same day of her appointment my dad comes here to see you. How did he know I was with her? I didn’t tell him!” He kicked the chair opposite of him from underneath the table. Ava jumped at the sound of the metal hitting the travertine tile. She remained frozen, not having the right words to console him. Justin picked up the chair from off the ground and slid it underneath the table. He reached for her hand and stroked it. “I’m sorry. This whole situation has turned me inside out. Between my dad’s betrayal and Lindsey’s deception, there’s one person left in my life that I know I can trust. That’s you.”
Ava cupped his cheek with her palm. “I will always have your back.”
He kissed the back of her hand. “Thanks for last night.”
“I wanted you to have an escape for your problems even if it was just for the moment.”
“Speaking of last night, I hope you didn’t feel ambushed when I brought up marriage.”
“No, not all.”
He stared at her and smiled. She thought he was about to lean in for a kiss, but he instead reached for his phone in his pocket. “She’s here,” he said.
Ava took a breath and followed him inside. From the window, she could see Lindsey’s white Porsche passing through the gates. “Remember to remain calm.”
Justin opened the door and waited for her to exit the car.
“Do you mind explaining why we had to meet so early in the morning?” Lindsey pushed past the front door with her Chanel tote bag bobbing against the bulge of her belly. “I have a company to run. I can’t drop everything because you called.”
Justin closed the door behind her. “Yet, here you are.”
Lindsey swung her blonde ringlets off her shoulders and turned to her right. “Hi, Ava.”
Ava responded with a wave of her hand.
“I asked you here because we need to have a serious talk,” said Justin.
“About?”
“The baby and my father.” His jawline tensed as his eyes narrowed.
Ava moved in closer. “It’s a lovely day, I think we should have this conversation outdoors. Lindsey, I have a pitcher of fresh-squeezed lemonade on the terrace.”
“I am rather parched.” Her false eyelashes fluttered as she spoke.
Ava led her outside, as Justin dragged behind. Lindsey sat on one side of the rectangular table as Justin sat opposite of her. After pouring them both a glass of lemonade, Ava sat at the head of the table as the self-appointed mediator.
“You and I share a five-year friendship, and we’ve always had a clear understanding of where we stood with one another.”
“What’s your point, Justin?” asked Lindsey.
“I would hate for lies to come between us. That’s why I’m giving you this opportunity, to be honest.”
“About what?” She sipped from her drink with her eyes on him.
Justin moved his glass aside and leaned forward. “Who’s the real father of your child because it isn’t me?”
She cocked her head with her eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about? Of course, you’re the father of my child.”
“Cut the bullshit, Lindsey! I know you’re only nine weeks along.”
Ava glared at Lindsey as she waited for her reaction. Lindsey pursed her lips like she was contemplating her next words. “Justin, you spoke with Dr. Calhoun yourself. You know how far along I am.”
“If you recall, the doctor forced me out of the room. However, I still managed to get the information I needed. I spoke with a nice young lady, and for some odd reason, she believed I was Christopher Harrington. Do you know what she told me?”
Lindsey shrugged and stared at Justin as if she were calling his bluff.
“She said you were nine weeks.” Justin paused and stared her down. When Lindsey didn’t respond, he continued. “Two questions. Why did you lie about being fifteen weeks when you’re actually nine? Why is my father’s name listed in your medical file?”
Lindsey cleared her throat and shifted in her chair. “I… I don’t know. Obviously, someone screwed up the paperwork.”
Justin slammed his fist onto the table.
Ava’s eyes shifted between him and Lindsey. She placed her hand on Justin’s arm in an attempt to keep him calm. “Lindsey, recent events have caused Justin to believe his father is withholding something from him. He only wants the truth, and you are the one person he feels who can give that to him.”
She twisted her collagen injected lips into a frown. She then straightened her posture before resting her eyes on Justin. “It’s true. I’m nine weeks pregnant. However, it was not my idea to lie to you. I swear I didn’t want to drag you into this.”
“What exactly is this and how is my father involved?”
“When the news hit, you had killed your stepfather. No one believed it, we all thought it was some sort of mistake. And Chris was beside himself with worry because he couldn’t reach you and the police were persistent in their pursuit of finding you. Everyone in the community rallied around him, but what he needed most was someone to lean on.”
“And that person was you, right?”
“Yes, but for obvious reasons, we had to remain private.”
“He’s the father of your child. Am I right?” Justin shook his head as if the thought had disgusted him.
“Yes, and we’re in love!” she blurted. “He wants to marry me.”
Justin turned towards Ava, and she could read his facial expression clearly. She could see he was moments away from losing his cool. He closed his eyes and raked his fingers through his hair. It upset her to witness such pain his eyes from their deception.
“Why would he ask you to lie and say I’m the father?”
“First, you need to understand something. I’ve always known you and I didn’t have a future together, because you made it clear you didn’t have time for anything real.” Her eyes swept towards Ava. “Chris is the first man I’ve been with in a very long time who isn’t afraid of love or a commitment. We’ve talked about being a family often.”
He appeared unmoved by her declaration. “You didn’t answer the question. Why all the lies about the baby?”
“It’s because of daddy,” she shrugged. “Chris doesn’t want to jeopardize the deal he has with him.”
Justin leaned forward in his chair. “What deal?”
Lindsey explained her father had accepted a committee position last year at the FDA. His sole job is to recommend drugs for approval. Chris has a new medication in the pipeline, and he offered Tom a kickback to ensure his committee approved it. Because the arrangement benefited both men, Chris felt if Tom knew about his relationship with Lindsey, it would cause a rift in their friendship and jeopardize their deal.
“Let me get this straight, are you saying my father willingly allowed me to believe I fathered a child with you and put my relationship with Ava at risk? In addition to that, he offered her money to leave so I could move you in and be a father to a child that is actually my sibling.”
“Look, I know nothing about paying her to leave! Chris never wanted you to raise his child. He said once they approved his latest round of drugs, we no longer had to lie. We then can go public with our relationship.”
Something wasn’t adding up for Ava. She had to jump in with a question. “It seems awful convenient your father happens to be part of a committee who is approving a drug for his closest friend. I mean, what are the odds?”
“Chris has many important people in his back pocket. Important enough to make whatever he wants happen
.” She beamed as if she was proud of that fact.
Ava wasn’t done with her line of questioning. “You said Chris has plans to announce your relationship after your father completes his end of the deal. Well, how can that be true? Wouldn’t there be more drugs needing approval?”
“Yes, but after this year, my father will no longer be a committee member. You guys need to understand why Chris did this. The company has experienced recent losses, and these new drugs are a game-changer. It will put Steele Pharmaceuticals back on top.”
“Who cares if you jeopardize your relationship with your son if you can add to your billion-dollar bottom line, right?” Ava spat in a tone laced with sarcasm.
Justin pushed his chair from the table and stormed into the house. Ava wanted to run after him but thought he needed time alone. Lindsey promptly rose from her chair. “Please tell him I’m sorry. I never wanted to mislead him.”
“But you did! You and his father intentionally tried to drive a wedge in our relationship. So, you can tell Chris it didn’t work and whatever happens next he deserves.”
She watched as Lindsey gathered her tote bag and huffed her way towards the terrace door. Before she could enter, Ava rushed beside her. She stood about an inch away from her ear. “You might want to ask Chris about the naked woman down on her knees in his office yesterday. Justin told me all about how he caught his father with his pants down. So much for him being in love.”
Lindsey didn’t respond to Ava’s statement as tears formed in her eyes. She instead, entered the home and rushed down the hall towards the front of the house without ever looking back.
Ava focused her attention on helping Justin through his additional turmoil. She found him swaying back and forth in the chair in his office. She stood in the doorway waiting for him to get whatever he needed to off his chest. “Is she gone?” He eventually asked.
“Yeah, I gave her a parting gift.”
“What sort of gift?” He halted his motion in his chair.
“Oh, I suggested she ask your father about the woman in his office on her knees while he had his pants down.”
He let out a small chuckle. “You didn’t.”
“I did, and I also told her whatever you do next he deserves.”
“I told her you were nice until she crosses you.”
“Considered me crossed. What’s our next move?”
“We have a sit down with Tom Meyers.”
Chapter Eighteen
Justin checked the time on his watch. He had less than an hour to meet with Tom. When he first spoke with him, he was reluctant to meet. Citing he had nothing to say to him unless it concerned his daughter. Once he assured him it was about Lindsey, he agreed to meet in a cafe a block away from Scripps Memorial Hospital.
“Hey, why aren’t you dressed?” he asked as Ava descended the stairs in a floral silk robe.
“I believe you should take this meeting alone. The conversation you need to have with Dr. Meyers has nothing to do with me. Besides, he doesn’t like me very much.”
“That’s more of a reason for us to present a united front.”
She closed the distance between them and placed a soft kiss on his lips. The scent of lavender delighted his senses. “Trust me. You’ll make more progress without me.”
He slipped his arm around her waist. “I know there are goals you wanted to pursue such as laying the groundwork for your new business venture. I promise once this is all over, I will dedicate one hundred percent of my time to helping you. I have some ideas of my own I would like to discuss.”
“Oh yeah, such as?”
“All in due time.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I have to run. I’ll call you after the meeting.”
Justin sat in the cafe no longer than fifteen minutes before Tom emerged through the double glass doors. He rushed towards him with a grim expression on his face. “Let’s make this quick,” he said, sliding into the booth across from Justin. “The only reason I’m entertaining this meeting is because of my daughter.”
He leaned forward on the table and looked Tom directly in the eye. “I’m not the father of Lindsey’s baby,” he said, lowering his voice. Besides, he and Tom, the only other customers in the cafe were a young couple seated at a table far on the opposite side.
“Are you shittin’ me?”
“No, I’m not. Lindsey confirmed it herself.”
Tom eyed him with skepticism. “Okay, I’ll bite. If it’s not you, then who impregnated my daughter?”
Justin moved his gaze towards the napkin holder on the table.
“Well…”
His eyes met Tom’s waiting deposition. “My father. He and Lindsey are involved.”
“Is this some sick joke?” he asked with a curl in his lip and a crinkle in his nose.
“Imagine how I felt when she told me.”
Tom allowed the weight of his body to fall against the booth. They both fell silent. He appeared to struggle with the thought of his friend and daughter together. “Are you absolutely sure about this?”
“I found out how far long Lindsey really is, so I confronted her about the lie. She admitted lying and revealed her relationship with my father.”
“Did she explained why she lied?”
“Because of you.”
Tom narrowed his eyes. “Me?”
“Yes, because of you and your FDA committee seat courtesy of my father.”
He sat devoid of any expression. Neither confirming nor denying Justin’s accusation.
“She and my father agreed to have everyone believe I fathered her child to keep you in line. We all know how protective you are of Lindsey, and I’m sure he assumed if you knew the truth, he would lose your support. When I returned home with Ava, that threw a wrench into his plan. So, he offered her money to return home to Georgia. All this, to guarantee his latest drug would be approved by the committee you sit on.”
“That’s quite an elaborate tale, Justin.”
With his hands clasped and a smirk on his face, Justin straightened his posture. “Tom, your reputation as a world-renowned heart surgeon made it effortless for my father to bribe whoever he had to, to get you on that committee. Your sole requirement was to convince your fellow members to approve his drugs regardless of clinical trial data.”
“Is there a question in there?”
“I know that Steele Pharmaceuticals has a new cardiac medication due to go before the committee in a matter of weeks. I’ll double whatever my father has paid you if you make sure it’s denied.”
“Denied?” His brow lifted before his eyes slowly narrowed. “Have you forgotten about your stake in the company?”
“I haven’t.”
“If it’s denied, stocks could plummet, sending the board into an uproar,” said Tom.
“My father crossed every line imaginable by having Lindsey lie about their baby, but the most unforgivable act was offering Ava one-million dollars to leave me.”
“So, now you want payback.”
“I’m certain it’s not a good feeling to have your twenty-five-year-old daughter pregnant by one of your closest friends. If it were me, I would want that friend to pay dearly.”
“Justin, keep your money.” He slid out of the booth and stood over him. “It will be my pleasure to take that bastard down. I’ll call you after the committee convenes.”
“Great, and you know what to do in the meantime.”
“Keep my composure and act my ass off.”
∞∞∞
Justin parked his car in the garage and exited. The rift between him and his father clouded his mind the entire drive home. It did not make him feel good to conspire with Tom, nor did it feel right knowing it was just the beginning of what he had planned. He does not consider himself a vindictive person, or one who sought revenge. He had to take action because of the disrespect has father had shown him and the woman he loved.
Justin entered the home through the back entrance. As he shut the door, he heard a loud thud against
the wall in the next room. He followed the sound and found Ava pacing the floor with her face contorted in frustration. He rushed to her side. “Hey, what’s the matter?”
She moved to the opposite side of the room and picked her phone up off the floor. “Sorry about the wall.” She brushed its back cover with her hand.
“Forget the wall. Tell me what happened.”
She placed a hand on her hip and turned towards him. “Do you remember Chief Richards from Atlanta?”
“How can I forget? His assistance was instrumental in Brandon’s arrest.”
“He just called. He wanted to give me the heads up that the DA’s office will soon reach out to me.”
“About?”
“You should sit down.” She stood with her arms crossed against her chest.
“Just rip the band-aid off.”
“As you know, Brandon pleaded guilty and faced life for murdering Phillip Ramsey. Also, he’s awaiting sentencing for what he has done to us. Well, he fired his public defender, and his family has hired a new attorney. That attorney has scheduled a hearing for Brandon to change his plea.”
Justin stood stunned. “He can do that?”
Ava shrugged. “Apparently.”
He placed her hand in his and walked her over to the couch. He sat facing her and swept a lock of hair behind her ear. “I know the idea of dealing with a trial is upsetting, but we’ll do whatever the district attorney asks to make sure he doesn’t see the light of day.”
She lowered her eyes and frowned. “This is Scott’s doing. He’s broken up about his role in Brandon’s arrest.”
“Are you saying, he believes Brandon shouldn’t serve time for committing multiple felonies?”
“I don’t know. I’m more concerned that Brandon hasn’t let go. He wanted to kill me because he couldn’t bear seeing us together. What if the judge grants him bail and he finds me?”
Deceived by You Page 10
