It’s Cade. Call me.
There were three texts total from him. One each day since Monday, and they all said the same thing—to call him.
I frowned at my screen.
…He couldn’t even say please?
family ties
. . .
Cade
Five Days Earlier…
I was on a jet to Tokyo within an hour of dropping off Ellie’s phone.
Once we landed, I headed straight to the office despite it being a weekend. Others were there working too, and they gave me a wide berth. I threw all my focus into tweaks and negotiations for the deal—taking advantage of the distraction. I worked until I couldn’t keep my eyes open, then caught a few hours of sleep on a couch in the office instead of going to my hotel.
Beds reminded me too much of Ellie.
On the second day of my trip, my mother strolled into my temporary office in Tokyo.
I glanced up from my laptop before doing a double take. “What are you doing here?”
“You weren’t returning my calls.” She eyed the big art piece taking up most of one wall. “Or texts.”
My jaw tightened. “So you flew to Tokyo?”
She sat across from me and smoothed her already pristine skirt. “It’s important.”
I straightened, imagining the worst. “Is Grandfather all right? You could’ve had Nate get me?—”
“Relax. Everyone’s fine.” She waved me off, setting her tiny purse on my desk before leaning back in the leather seat. She eyed me for a long moment. “Have you spoken to her since we docked?”
She couldn’t have caught me more off guard if she tried, and I went still. “You flew all the way here to talk about Ellie.”
It wasn’t a question. There wasn’t anyone elsehercould mean.
My mother pursed her lips. “If you let her get away, it’ll be the most foolish mistake of your life. And I didn’t raise a fool, Caden.”
I snorted. “Youdidn’t raise me. Grandfather did.”
Her subtle flinch almost made me regret saying it.
“We all fell apart after your father died, but you and Harrison pulled it together faster than I ever could,” she said, avoiding my gaze. “He was my everything. I didn’t feel like part of the family without him. I’d married into theWestbrooks, and it was terrifying without Everett by my side. I didn’t want to be found wanting or blamed for raising you wrong. So, I acted out. Sending you to Tobias was for the best.”
It wasn’t, but I didn’t want to argue, and this wasn’t why she’d come.
“What does this have to do with Ellie?” I leaned back and crossed my arms. “You treated her like shit, but now you want me to go after her? I don’t buy it.”
My mother sniffed delicately, taking her time looking out the windows instead of answering.
“I was wrong,” she finally admitted, nose wrinkling like she didn’t like the taste of the words on her tongue. “Dr. Lovejoy helped me realize I was projecting my own insecurities onto Ellie.”
I stared. Lovejoy? …Lovejoy?After all the money my mother had thrown at therapy over the years, it was the fraud who’d finally gotten through to her?
I dragged a hand over my face, struggling to believe it.