Web of Deception

by Blake, Nina

  Daniel took to his feet. “No, Irwin got charged and taken to court. Not me. I testified against him but he was let off. I made a big mistake. That much is true. I trusted Rex Irwin when he was shonky from the start. I didn’t do my research on Irwin and I paid for it. Jane introduced us and I’d trusted her too. Another mistake.”

  Kate thought about her parents and how different their lives were from Daniel’s. They were in their sixties and still working because they couldn’t afford to retire. They didn’t have a flash Potts Point penthouse. Neither did rent a suite for the season at a five star hotel so they could go skiing when they wished.

  “You weren’t left for broke like my parents,” she said. “They’re stuck working full-time because they’ll never be able to afford to retire.”

  Daniel raked a hand through his hair. “You don’t know what happened to me so I’m going to tell you. I lost everything. I’ve already told you that Jane and I broke up because she found someone richer, more successful. That man was Rex Irwin, my ex-business partner. He got it all. The money and my girlfriend. Damn it, she was my fiancée. I was going to marry her. Spend the rest of my life with her. And I ended up with nothing because I stood by my principles.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I could have done what Irwin did. He hid behind a loophole in the law and refused to pay back a single cent to the investors. But I couldn’t do it. Simple as that. I could have had it all. If I’d been a different man. If I didn’t have any scruples. My father told me I was crazy but I did it anyway. I paid back the investors as best I could.”

  Kate shook her head. “That can’t be right. I know where the money didn’t go. To the little people like my parents.”

  “Those people didn’t get all their money back but they got most of it and that came straight out of my pocket. I paid them out everything I had. Irwin didn’t do that. He still had property and assets in the names of other companies but he didn’t sell them off. I did everything I could. I did my best, damn it.”

  Kate took to her feet too. It was time someone stood up to Daniel Webb.

  “It wasn’t enough,” she said. “My parents were ruined. They went back to square one after decades of working and saving. Innocent people suffered. I can’t be with someone who has done something like that.”

  Daniel pleaded with his hands. “Don’t you realise I lost out in every way. I had nothing. I had to get finance and set up a new business. Not to mention losing my fiancée. Talk about rubbing salt into the wound. As if the financial stress and scandal wasn’t enough, I had to lose the woman I loved. Yet you think I’m some kind of thief?”

  “I know what happened with Irwin Webb. It doesn’t make any difference if it was ten years ago or ten days. My parents lost everything.”

  Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “Ask Ray Price if you don’t believe me. He was there when this all happened and he stood by me. Not many people did. My partner was shonky, not me. I paid out as much money as I could. I did my best.”

  “You can’t lie to me. I know, Daniel. I’ve always known but I’ve been fooling myself that it didn’t matter.” Shaking her head, she added, “It was never going to work between us. It was never going to be more than a fling. A bit of fun. But it’s not fun any more.”

  “Do you really think I’m a liar? A con man? That I have no integrity.” He raised his voice. “Do you have any idea what an insult that is to me?”

  “I don’t know. Is it as insulting as asking me to be some second-rate mistress who’ll bear your children?”

  Daniel stepped backwards. “Damn it, ten years go I lost my fiancée because I didn’t keep the money for myself. And now I’m paying for it all over again. I’m going to lose you because it wasn’t enough. Nothing I do can be enough.”

  Kate lowered her gaze. “You should never have come tonight. You should have just left it.”

  His upper lip curled to a sneer. “Then I’d never have known exactly how little you think of me.”

  She heard his footsteps as he walked to the door but couldn’t bring herself to look up.

  “You were right,” he said. “This will never work.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Darling, I haven’t heard from you since you came back from your trip. How did the rest of the skiing go?” It was Kate’s mother on the phone.

  Her trip to the mountains with Daniel seemed like it had been long ago and so much had happened since then.

  Though Kate had downplayed the relationship to her mother, she knew she’d never be able to pull one over her mum. The woman had a way of sensing when something was wrong.

  “The trip was fabulous.” Kate dropped down onto the edge of the sofa in her living room, the phone in one hand. “Too good for words.”

  “And the young man?”

  “Not so good. I don’t think I’ll be seeing him again.”

  “Darling, it’ll all work out in the end. You’ll see. I was a bit worried about you going off with a new man for the weekend so soon after splitting up with Mark. But at least I knew that meant you weren’t pining after him.”

  Him? Her mother was talking about Mark, of course. Kate had barely given her ex-boyfriend a second thought since they’d broken up. That relationship was well and truly over.

  She felt a huge hole in her stomach like her insides had been taken out and twisted, but it had nothing to do with Mark.

  And everything to do with Daniel.

  “I’ve got no regrets where Mark was concerned,” Kate said.” I can see now that it was all wrong.”

  “I’m so glad you’ve said that. We never liked him much, your father and I.”

  Kate’s mouth fell open. This was the first time she’d heard anything like that. “Pardon?”

  “I didn’t mean it quite that way. Mark was a good man in lots of ways. Hardworking. Reliable. But he wasn’t the right man for you. There was no spark about him. Or between the two of you for that matter.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Because you were so certain he was the kind of man you wanted. Respectable, solid job, good future and all that. And you looked so happy when you talked about your future together. I couldn’t disappoint you.”

  “Mum, you’d never disappoint me…but I might have let you down.”

  “How’s that?”

  She didn’t want to tell her mother this, didn’t want to disillusion her, but it was time to stop lying to herself and come clean. The truth had a way of coming out one way or another and it was better to get it over sooner rather than later.

  “There’s something I didn’t tell you about the man I went to the ski fields with,” Kate said. “I didn’t tell you his full name. It’s Daniel Webb.”

  “I haven’t met him, have I?”

  “He’s the same man who was involved with Irwin Webb all those years ago.”

  “I thought the name was familiar. Didn’t you just say you weren’t seeing him any more?”

  Kate rested her forehead in one hand, her elbow perched on her knee. “That’s right. I shouldn’t have gone out with him in the first place. I knew who he was and what he did. I got involved too quickly. Let myself rush into things. It was wrong of me to start seeing someone who’d done something so terrible in the past. Especially where you and Dad were concerned.”

  “You’ve lost me, dear.”

  Kate’s mother wasn’t making this easy for her. She was going to have to spell it out for her.

  “It’s because of him that you and Dad lost all your money.”

  “No, it was that Irwin fellow who was at fault. It just took everyone a while to work it out.”

  Kate’s mouth fell open. Again. “Irwin?”

  “When we first lost the money, we thought it was the company and both men that were at fault. But Irwin was the one who had to go to court. He was cleared on a technicality but I’m sure he was guilty regardless. It definitely wasn’t Webb. There was some kind of enquiry and Daniel Webb cooperated completely, u
nlike that other fellow. Then, it took a couple of years for the money to come through because it was in some kind of trust.”

  Kate frowned. “What money?”

  “Webb put up the money for the investors to be partially paid back. It didn’t cover everything we lost, though it was a substantial amount. It’s just that when the company first went bust, it looked like we were going to lose everything. In the end, it was still bad, only not as bad as we’d first thought.”

  After everything she’d been through, Kate couldn’t believe it had come to this. Her mother had never mentioned anything like this before, never told her about money being returned to them. Whenever her parents had talked about Irwin Webb, they’d always said it was a crooked scheme designed to suck money out of small investors. For heavens sake, they’d nearly lost their house. That’s what they’d said at the time.

  Kate managed to get a few words out. “Mum, that’s not how I remember it.”

  “Because it took several years for it to get sorted and for the money to filter through. By that time, you’d finished university, moved out and you were living your own life. It might even have been sorted when you took that first backpacking trip.”

  Kate tried to think but her head was muddled and her stomach felt worse. “It doesn’t matter any more. I’m not seeing Daniel. I just wanted you to know.”

  “Darling, you’ll find the right man one day,” her mother said. “You’re a beautiful person. You’ve just got to trust your heart.”

  Kate straightened. “What did you say?”

  “You’ve got to trust your heart. You’ll know when it’s the right time and the right man. You’ll feel it inside.”

  That was the whole problem. She did feel it on the inside. She felt like her insides had been ripped out, her life torn apart.

  Her heart had led her astray so many times in the past that she didn’t know what to think or do any more. She’d chosen Mark because he was solid and reliable. Because of her past, she hadn’t wanted to take any more risks so she’d decided to use her head.

  It wasn’t her head with which she’d chosen Daniel, however.

  But, then, she hadn’t really chosen at all.

  She’d fallen.

  Head over heels.

  Her love for him wasn’t doing her any good. Not when he didn’t have the same feelings. She could apologise and explain her mistakes to him, but she couldn’t make him love her.

  God, she was going round and round in circles in her head and whichever way she looked at it, the relationship was never going to work.

  “I’ve got some news.” It was her mother’s voice.

  Kate had to get a grip. “And what’s that?”

  “I was thrilled when you called me from the ski fields. I can’t tell you how much. I told Dad all about it and I think that’s what finally did it for him. He’s finally agreed to take that trip to Italy that we’ve talking about all these years. I’ve finally convinced him that going during the school holidays for the European winter is the right time. I think the snow was the clincher.”

  Kate knew how much her mother had longed for this holiday. “Mum, that’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you. So there’s no talk of retirement yet.”

  “Darling, I don’t know why you keep going on about that. We don’t want to retire.”

  “But you were both going to take early retirements ten years ago and then you lost all you money and then you couldn’t.”

  “That’s true but now we’re both glad we didn’t retire back then. For a while, we both begrudged losing so much money and the change in plans but in the end, it’s all worked out. We’d have been bored retiring so early with all those years still ahead of us.”

  “So you both want to keep working?”

  “For now, yes. I’m going part-time next year and I think that’ll make a big difference. It will suit us both better.”

  “Mum, I’ve had it all wrong. I thought you only kept working because of Irwin Webb and all the money you lost.”

  “You were partly right. It started off that way. We did lose a lot of money and that was a horrible time for us. But, as I said, it all worked out for the best. We’re never going to be rich and that doesn’t matter. Your father and you girls make me happier than anything in the world.”

  “I’m glad you and Dad are happy. Really, I am. And I’m glad you’re finally taking that big trip.” It took all her strength to say it. “Europe in the winter will be lovely.”

  She’d made such a mess of everything. She’d misunderstood her parents, though at least with them she could make amends.

  Whereas with Daniel, it was finished.

  Well and truly.

  * * *

  “And to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?” Roger Webb asked.

  Daniel couldn’t believe it. He was calling his own father. It wasn’t as though he needed a reason.

  Granted, his father usually insisted on email. So much more efficient. He didn’t believe the phone was for chatting. It was making arrangements.

  “I don’t need a reason to call you.” Daniel rested his elbow on his office desk, the phone in one hand. “But, as it happens, I do have something to tell you.”

  “Another one of your business coups?”

  Daniel wanted his father to be the first to know. Win or lose, this was a new phase in his life and he was turning over a new leaf.

  “No, it’s nothing to do with Webb Corp.,” Daniel said. “This is personal.”

  Roger laughed. “Another woman! I can’t keep up with you. You just keep on reeling them in.”

  “No, not another woman. The same one you met in the mountains. Kate.”

  Only a few days ago, she’d insulted his integrity and it had cut him to the bone. But it wasn’t her lack of belief in him that stood between them. It was his pride, his arrogance, the shock that Kate could possibly think ill of him.

  Still, if it came to a choice between his pride and the rest of his life, there was no competition.

  “Are you trying to tell me you’re in love?” Roger asked.

  Daniel felt strangely nervous even though he knew he was doing the right thing. Ever since he’d met Kate he’d been telling himself he didn’t want to get married. Now that he’d finally stopped lying to himself, he felt free, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

  It was time to be honest with himself.

  From the first moment he’d seen her on the balcony at his apartment, his gut had told him one thing and his mind had told him another.

  Then, asking Kate live with him and have his children had been a lie. She’d been right to turn him down. He hadn’t realised it at the time but he was just avoiding his feelings, avoiding thinking too far into the future.

  Daniel didn’t want her to move in for a while. As a temporary arrangement. Because it was convenient.

  He wanted her with him every day and, damn it, now he wanted the whole world to know it.

  His father should be happy for him. After all, he’d finally found his way in life, found the one thing that would complete him.

  “That’s right, Dad,” he said. “I’m in love.”

  “You’re not going to tell me you’re getting married, are you?”

  Daniel had always known it would come to this but, right now, his father was the least of his worries.

  “I’ve found the right woman and I love her and if she’ll have me, I am definitely going to marry her.”

  “Of course, she’ll have you. Daniel, you’re rich and successful. What kind of woman would turn you down? She’d have to be completely crazy.”

  But Kate had turned him down. She refused to take second best.

  “It’s not what you think,” he said. “She’s not interested in the money.”

  “Don’t be stupid. They’re all interested in the money and, mark my words, she’ll take you for everything you’re worth. This will cost you. Millions, if she’s smart. Is she worth it? Do you really know what y
ou’re doing?”

  More confident than ever, Daniel leaned back in his chair. “Actually, Dad, for the first time in my life, I know exactly what I’m doing.”

  “Think this through. It’s not too late, especially if you haven’t even asked her yet. Remember Jane? Remember what happened last time?”

  “Do you really think I’m going into this so lightly? I’m talking about the rest of my life, the woman I want to marry, live with, have children with, if she’ll have me.”

  His father got progressively louder at the other end of the phone. “What do you mean ‘if she’ll have you’? You talk about it like she’d be doing you an honour when it’s the other way round. Listen to me, you’re better than this.”

  “Dad, that’s way out of line– ”

  “No, you can’t ruin your life. You’re better than this. You always have been. You’re different from the other kids, different from everyone else. You’re so driven. That’s something you got from me. Something I gave you.”

  “I’m not a kid any more.”

  Roger spoke quickly, like he couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “In some ways, you’ll always be that same kid. Remember after I left your mother, I gave the girls that money, just to see what you’d do.”

  Daniel stiffened. “Slow down. What are you talking about?”

  “I gave your sisters enough money to set them up for life and after that they didn’t need to worry about anything. But you were different. You were like me. You were only a child but I waited to see what you’d do. I knew you’d come to me, asking for your share, and rightfully so.”

  Anger flickered in Daniel’s stomach. “So what?”

  “I did you a huge favour. I gave you a fraction of what I gave them. To see what you’d do. And, I’ve got to say, you exceeded my expectations. You were only a child but you invested it and then you didn’t let it rest. You kept going. You made your first million while you were still a teenager and that was just the beginning.”

  Daniel felt a furrow form in his brow yet that was nothing compared to the crater he felt in the pit of his stomach.