by Alina Jacobs
"You hate me!" Wes yelled. "You ruined my life."
Hank seemed taken aback. "I just came to see how you were doing."
Wes dragged his father inside. He didn't want to air their dirty laundry for everyone.
Hank gazed at Wes. He didn't say anything, and Wes was uncomfortable with the scrutiny. "I heard about your revenge scheme from Dana," Hank said finally.
"So, you're here to gloat," Wes said. "Right."
"I'm here to apologize," Hank said. "I was caught up in the desire for revenge, and you were hurt. I'm sorry."
"Sorry," Wes hissed. "Sorry doesn't erase everything you did. You know, maybe if you had been a better father, I wouldn't have gone off with the Holbrooks."
"You're right," Hank said. "I know you're expecting a fight, but I admit I wasn't the best father. I think my entire life I wanted to push blame on other people. But I was the one who made your childhood miserable. I was the one who drank. I was the one who was too proud to go find a job after I was laid off."
"It wasn't your fault," Wes said. "The company owners wanted bigger bonuses, and they laid you off. I remember how horrible it was for you. That's why I needed revenge on the Holbrooks for what they did. I had to fight for people like you."
Hank help up a hand. "Yes, it was horrible, but the way I handled it is on me, just like the way you handled the situation with Liz and the Holbrooks is on you. The drinking, the anger—that was my choice. I wasn't a good father then, but I will be now. I'm setting a good example for you. I forgive Walter Holbrook, and I forgive your mother. You should do the same thing."
"It's too late," Wes said bitterly. "I destroyed everything. I thought I had no choice. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was fighting for my employees. But," he ran a hand through his dirty hair, "the Holbrooks were looking out for my employees after all. So not only am I an evil person, I'm clearly an idiot too."
"You're only an idiot if you don't try to make amends," Hank said.
"I don't know if I can," Wes said.
Hank patted him on the shoulder. "I'm leaving," his father said. "I have the money, and I need to go clear my head. One of my old Vietnam buddies lives on a ranch in Texas. I'm going to stay there and lay low for a bit. You should come out to Texas when you have a free moment. I'm serious."
"I'll think about it," Wes said.
Wes slumped on the floor in his town house. He wasn't a big drinker, but the bottles of liquor sitting on the small bar cart in his living room were starting to look more and more appealing.
"Is this how it starts?" Wes wondered.
There was a knock on his door. Kal growled. The fur on the back of his neck raised. Wes had a feeling he knew who was there.
"I should kill you," he snarled at Robert when he opened the door. "Was kidnapping Liz part of the plan? I should tell the Holbrooks everything."
Robert smirked. "You aren't going to say a word. Don't forget, Rhonda still has copies of all the videos. If you care about Liz, you'll keep your mouth shut. Rhonda and I will have our revenge for the wrongs the Holbrooks committed against us. Just because you're too weak to follow through doesn't mean you can ruin it for the rest of us."
Wes slammed the door before Kal could lunge at his COO. Robert hovered on the porch for a few minutes then left. Wes didn't know what to do. He couldn't hurt Liz.
When he was in Manhattan for a meeting with Svensson Investment a few days later, he could barely concentrate.
Greg Svensson snapped his fingers in front of Wes's face. "I thought you would be a little happier now that Brayden is out of the picture," he said.
"He's dead," Wes replied.
"The drugs killed him, not you," Greg said.
"It's my fault he hurt Liz," Wes replied.
"Yes, he mentioned your little revenge scheme."
Wes winced. "I think I need to resign as CEO."
"You're not resigning," Greg said. "Look. After the funeral, take a break. Go on a road trip. Clear your head. There are rumors about what you did, but nothing is official. If you lay low, this will all clear up. Your company can weather this."
"Liz hates me," Wes said.
"I thought that was the point," Greg replied.
"It was," Wes said, looking out the window at the gray winter sky.
"Holy smokes, you fell in love with her," Greg said with a slight laugh.
"Shut up," Wes said.
"You made your choices," Greg told him. "Just like Brayden made his, and he paid for it." Greg stood up, signaling that the meeting was over. "I'll see you at the funeral tomorrow."
At Brayden's funeral the next day, Wes sat with the Svenssons. When he walked into the church, he saw them all huddled together, a big group of broad-shouldered blond men. There was one dark-haired woman with them.
"Hi, Dana," he said to his sister.
"It must suck knowing your child is a psychopathic stalker who ruins people's lives," Dana said as they watched Greg Svensson talk to Brayden's parents. Brayden was from a more affluent neighborhood in Connecticut, and his parents looked appalled and upset.
"Is that supposed to make me feel bad?" Wes asked.
"I'm sure you're doing just fine on your own."
Wes was barely listening to his twin because he was watching Liz. Why had she come to the funeral? He desperately wanted to talk to her.
"Don't even think about it," Dana told him.
67
Liz
"You don't have to go," Allie said when Liz met her at the Holbrook estate to attend the funeral for Brayden.
"I know, but I feel obligated." Liz had on a black hat with a veil. Allie had on an even bigger hat, and she fussed with it.
"I think our escorts are ready," Allie said wryly. Eric and Carter walked outside, and Eric slipped on his sunglasses.
"For the record, I think this is a terrible idea." Ginny followed them out of the house and ran to Liz, hugging her. "I know you just want to see Wes," Ginny whispered to her.
It was true. Liz barely recalled him rescuing her in the chapel, and she needed to see him. She needed the closure.
The funeral was sparsely attended. It looked like it was mainly a handful of family members and some coworkers from Svensson Investment. And Wes.
He was dressed in a black suit with a black tie and pearl cufflinks. His dark hair stood in stark contrast to the number of tall blond men he sat with.
"They're the Svensson brothers," Ginny said. "They're all wealthy and good-looking. Maybe you could snag one of them."
Liz felt like she was going to cry. "I just want Wes," she said softly.
She felt his eyes on her through the entire funeral.
The service was short. The speakers and the pastor all ignored the fact that Brayden had kidnapped someone. His mother stood up and talked about how wonderful her son was, and Greg Svensson talked about what a great employee Brayden had been.
Wes caught up to Liz after the funeral. "Are you okay?" he asked, reaching for her.
"Stay away from him, Liz," Carter said, physically putting himself between her and Wes.
"You come near my sister, I'll kill you," Eric hissed at Wes. Wes didn't say anything. He just looked miserable.
"You don't have to be so mean to him," Liz said to her brother as they walked out to the car. "He did save my life."
"That doesn't excuse his behavior," Allie said.
"No, but maybe it makes us even," Liz said. "I just want to talk to him."
"Don't spend any time with Wes, and don't waste any more energy on him," Ginny said. "Think about the baby shower. That will help take your mind off things."
"I just need to talk to him," Liz pleaded.
"When I was a bartender," Allie said, "I dealt with a lot of crazy men and the women who flocked around them. You're addicted to the drama. You need to find a nice stable guy. It will help you detox from Wes."
68
Wes
Seeing Liz at the funeral had been too much.
We
s wanted to talk to her, to make her understand. He laughed bitterly. Now he was starting to sound like Brayden. The grief and the shame squeezed him, and he needed to cut off all contact with Liz. For her own comfort, it was the right thing to do. There was no future for them, and it was his own fault.
He requested a meeting with Grant.
Don't come to Manhattan, I'll come to see you
Grant met him in his office in Connecticut.
"What do you want?" Grant asked.
"I want to say I'm sorry," Wes said. "And I'd like to give up my board seat and my position as CEO. Not because I want Liz back, though I do, but because I'm not making her comfort contingent on me, and I don't want her to have to rearrange her life on my account."
"How noble of you," Grant sneered. "Unfortunately, I will not be accepting your resignation. The Svenssons already warned me you would try something like this, and they agree with me that we cannot afford the scandal right now after what happened with Brayden and your father."
Wes crossed his arms and looked out the window.
"We still have the issue of the blackmail," Grant stated.
"I told you I didn't send it," Wes said.
"I know," Grant said.
"You do?" Wes looked at his half brother in shock.
"Mark and his cyber forensic experts traced the email back to Brayden. Somehow he bounced it through your device."
Wes was shocked. "Brayden?" Rhonda and Robert must have had something to do with that. What were they playing at?
"We still haven't found the originals, but Mark is looking through Brayden's files right now," Grant said.
After Grant left, Wes texted Rhonda.
I need to see you
He expected her to ignore him, but she replied within a few minutes.
At the Holbrook estate
Wes drove over, trying to stay under the speed limit. He was fed up with Rhonda and her scheming.
"Why did you make it look like Brayden sent the blackmail message?" he demanded when he found Rhonda in the third-floor ballroom at the estate, sketching in her notebook.
"I didn't do it," Rhonda said. "It was Brayden this whole time. Who knew?"
He grabbed her and shook her slightly. "Don't play games with me," Wes growled.
"I love it when you act all alpha," Rhonda purred.
Wes immediately released her.
"Even if I did know what you were talking about, there's no way to prove anything," she said. "I've ingratiated myself with the Holbrooks. See?" She held up her notepad. "I'm even planning the baby shower. It's too late, Wes. You cannot stop what's coming."
"But I already did," he said. "Brayden is dead, and your plan is ruined."
Rhonda laughed. "I have a better plan," she said.
"Tell me," Wes demanded.
"You'll see," she purred, cupping his cheek with her hand. "It involves wedding bells in your future."
He glared at her.
"Don't get too cocky," she said, slipping her hand down his chest to cup the slight bulge in his pants. "Those pictures are still out there."
Wes removed her hand, and Rhonda pretended to pout.
"I heard the Svenssons recommended you take a trip," she said.
Wes nodded.
"Good," Rhonda said. "You won't hear from me for a little bit, but when I call, pick up. If you still love Liz, you'll cooperate."
Wes knew Rhonda was planning something terrible, but he didn't know how to catch her. He knew Rhonda was thinking ten steps ahead. It was hopeless.
"Rhonda, I'm having a late dinner ordered in. I don't know how far along you are—" Wes heard Walter say. "Oh," his birthfather said when he walked into the ballroom. Walter looked at Wes like he was some sort of rotting carcass. "You have two minutes to say your piece," Walter said to Wes.
"I just… I'm sorry I guess."
"You guess."
"I don't know what else to say. I tried to resign. Grant wouldn't let me."
"We are all beholden to shareholders," Walter said.
"I recommended that Wes go away for a little bit," Rhonda said. "That will help clear the air."
"I think that's a good idea," Walter told him.
After leaving the Holbrook estate, Wes drove to the Davenports' house. He stepped out of his car and looked up at the house, the soft lights on their driveway barely illuminating his car.
"What are you doing?" he asked himself. "It's over. You ruined it. You have no one to blame but yourself."
He wondered if Liz was up in her bedroom. He thought about climbing up to her window, then he chastised himself. He needed to let Liz go.
Wes still had the address his father gave him for the Texas ranch. Maybe he would take a trip.
69
Liz
In the weeks leading up to Brandy's baby shower, Liz was determined to throw herself into the party planning and forget about Wes. After the funeral, Liz settled into the routine of working at the office then going to Carter and Allie's apartment to plan the baby shower.
It felt strange not to spend her evenings with Wes. She would pass his building on the way to and from the office, but she never saw him.
"He's not welcome here anymore," Grant said when she asked him about Wes. "I told him to stay in Connecticut. We have the transition plan in place. Walsh Systech has a growth plan, and the SEC has approved the transfer of stock. There's no reason for him to be here anymore. You don't have to see him ever again."
But Wes haunted her thoughts and her dreams, and it was hard to completely escape him. Once, she woke up in the middle of the night thinking he was there beside her. Another night, she looked out her window and thought she saw his car, but when she looked again, it wasn't there. Maybe it was just her imagination.
"How are you holding up?" Rhonda asked, stroking Liz's arm. There were only a few days before the shower, and she and Rhonda were at Carter and Allie's condo, working out the last few details for the shower.
"I was so humiliated," Liz said. "And they still haven't found the original videos."
"Mark's working on that," Rhonda said. "I'm sure Wes and Brayden hid them somewhere."
"Mark said that Brayden sent the email and routed it through Wes's computer," Liz said. "I don't think Wes had anything to do with that."
"Wes must have planted the cameras," Rhonda said. "How else would they be in your and his apartment?"
"He just seemed so shocked about the videos," Liz said sadly. "Maybe I'm imagining things."
"Wes is a sociopath," Allie said. "You can't trust men like that. They'll lie to your face." She and Kate were helping to finish up the baby shower planning. Liz thought it was mainly so they could keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't do anything stupid like try to contact Wes.
"I booked the special cake artist," Rhonda said.
"Wonderful," Kate said. "Ginny said that Brandy has been complaining nonstop that her baby shower better not be ruined, especially after what happened at her wedding."
On the evening of the baby shower, Liz looked around the room with pride. There was no way Brandy wouldn't have the perfect evening.
"You've outdone yourself!" Nancy said to Liz.
"Thank for your help in tying it all together," Liz replied, giving Nancy a hug. The ballroom was draped in soft pink and gauzy-white drapes. Tiny fairy lights hidden in and around the drapes made them seem magical. There were large arrangements of lush green plants, giant flower arrangements, and tables heaped with food, drinks, and gifts.
All they needed was the cake.
"Where is it?" Liz asked Rhonda.
"Should be here soon. The caterer was running late," Rhonda replied. "It was a last-minute request, you know."
Liz made a disgusted noise. Brandy would not be happy when she figured out that there was a hitch in the planning.
The guest of honor was sitting at a table. Her large belly extended in front of her, and everyone was fawning over her. She looked at Liz and waved her over.
&nb
sp; "I should have known you couldn't handle this," Brandy said.
"The cake will be here shortly," Liz promised.
Rhonda poked her head around the doorway that led to the back staircase by kitchen.
"It looks like it's here," Liz told Brandy. "We'll be back in a bit."
"They just arrived with the cake," Rhonda said as Liz followed her downstairs. "I'm just going to see what the holdup is. Can you wait here? I'll need you to help me once we bring it inside."
Liz nodded and pulled out her phone to answer questions from Allie and Kate.
70
Wes
As Wes packed up to drive to Texas, all he could think about was seeing Liz one last time before he left. He knew he shouldn't.
Wes slammed the trunk shut and forced himself to think about the road trip instead of Liz. Hopefully, his Tesla 'wouldn't run out of battery power, but it would be an adventure.
Kal was excited to be going on a trip. The dog let out loud yips as Wes drove the car down the highway. He saw an exit sign saying he was close to the New Cardiff exit. His phone buzzed with a reminder for Brandy's baby shower.
"Don't do it," he told himself. But what did he have to lose? "You're going to be arrested," he growled at himself as he wrenched the wheel and just made the New Cardiff exit.
The guard at the gate of the Holbrook estate waved him through. They hadn't struck his name from the guest list—they probably assumed he would have enough sense not to show his face. Yet here he was. But what exactly was he hoping to achieve?
Wes parked the car at the edge of the stone-paved drive. Lights were shining from the top-floor ballroom. He could almost see the scene—the sumptuous decorations, the food, everyone trading snide comments about Brandy from behind their cocktails.
"Why did I give that up? What was I thinking?" he muttered to himself as he let Kal out to sniff around while he figured out how to come to his senses, turn around, and keep driving to Texas.
