"Sir Collins." Robery Collins looked up at the woman standing at the door and gestured for her to co in as he closed the folder in front of him with finality.
"lanie. Thank you for coming in at my invitation." He sighed wearily then, as if troubled by a thousand thoughts and gestured toward the chair in front of him, silently urging her to take a seat.
He saw her hesitate for a fraction of a second before settling down, her posture composed, her expression unreadable. He was a man of experience and could judge a person in a few looks but lanie seed to be puzzling him.
He studied her for a mont, then finally spoke. "lanie, about yesterday..." He trailed off, deliberately leaving space for her to interject, to offer so explanation or excuse about how she ca to be with Adam. But she did no such thing. Instead, she simply t his gaze with an unwavering calmness as if she had nothing to say.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded her, but she didn't waver.
Letting out another sigh, he leaned back in his chair. "lanie, even though we only t yesterday, I know more about you than you might think." His voice was asured, thoughtful. "So of it cos from my late wife—she was quite fond of you, as you know. She spoke of you often." He paused, watching for a reaction, but lanie remained still, her features betraying nothing. Not even a smile for the older woman who had left her an inheritance to match that of her own grandsons.
"A little of what I know cos from Spencer," he continued, his tone darkening at the ntion of the na. "But mostly, it cos from my own years of experience. An old man learns to see beyond words, beyond what people choose to show."
He paused, as if carefully weighing his next words. "I have no way to express just how disappointed I am in Spencer, nor do I have the words to describe how much of a fool I think he is. But you..." He exhaled sharply. "You, I thought you were a smart girl."
This ti, he deliberately stopped speaking, leaving the room heavy with expectation. He wanted to see how she would respond, how she would defend herself.
But lanie didn't rush to fill the silence. She simply sat there, composed and unruffled, as though she had all the ti in the world.
Sir Collins realized, with reluctant admiration, that she was remarkably skilled at controlling her emotions. Which ant that she was going to be a difficult opponent...
Finally, when she did speak, her response was entirely out of what he would expect.
"Sir Collins, from the way you speak, it seems you no longer think I'm smart." lanie asked with a challenging smile.
He regarded her for a mont before shaking his head with a small, knowing smile. "No, I still think you're smart," he admitted. "But intelligence doesn't always stop people from making foolish choices—especially when they're in pain. And you, my dear, are hurting."
This ti she was about to speak up but he raised his hand and continued "And when people hurt, they often act out. It's only natural. To want to make the one who hurt you feel the sa kind of suffering you endured. And since Spencer is the one who wounded you so deeply, you want to strike back at him. That much is clear."
He leaned forward slowly, "And what better way to do that than by taking from him the thing he values most? His inheritance." He let the words settle between them, and smiled inwardly when he saw the guilt flash in her eyes. Good. His words had indeed hit the mark.
"So," he continued, in a voice tinged with disappointnt, "you've decided to accomplish that through Adam, haven't you? I never would have thought that you would be this unscrupulous, lanie. I had believed you were better than that. My wife had believed you were better than that! Or else she never would have phrased her will like that!"
lanie smiled. If Sir Collins had been hoping for an imdiate reaction of guilt or reassurance that she was not doing it for revenge, he was bound to be disappointed. She took her ti answering him. There was no need to hurry, after all.
"Your wife was a kind woman, Sir Collins. I will always be grateful for her generosity." She paused. Letting him know that her generosity and Spencer were two very difference matters. And then continued, "But you assu too much."
Sir Collins arched a brow at that. "Do I?"
lanie nodded, "You believe this is about Spencer. About revenge. About wanting to hurt him in the way he hurt . But have you considered that maybe, just maybe, this isn't about Spencer at all?"
Sir Collins' eyes narrowed at this. "Then enlighten . If this is not about Spencer, are you saying that you are in love with Adam now? That you want to marry him for that? After beaig a dutiful wife to Spencer for three years, your love for him has evaporated into thin air? Poof? If your love was that weak, then you would not have been so willing to wait for him all these years!"
"You are indeed correct. I am not in love with Adam. But, love cos slowly. I will simply treat this as an arranged match, take our ti getting to know each other. And like grandmother stated, we'll be together for the next three years."
"I see that you don't deny that you are also doing this for revenge!"
"You wouldn't believe even if I denied it outright. So, if that is all, I need to go out..."
Sir Collins banged his hand on the table," No! That is not all! lanie! If you are really not interested in revenge, then why not take the last option! Refuse to marry both of them! That way the inheritance will be divided three ways, and you will not suffer. You are like my granddaughter and I don't want to see you wasting the next three years of your life as well!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)