“Did my grandpa know?”
“He was sad, but understood. He wanted me to find happiness, even if it couldn't be with him.” She rested a hand on her belly. “But then one frigid December day, much like today, I learned that I had fallen pregnant.”
And that baby would obviously have been Emma, as she was the eldest child.
“You didn't know whose it was.”
“No, and I was terrified. Charles couldn't care for the baby even if it was his. Unfortunately, at that time his wife found us together and from that point on, vowed to make his life hell for cheating on her. He was not allowed to see me again; if he did, she threatened to shame him for his actions in public, and he couldn't have that.”
Asher gaped at her, shell-shocked. I felt much the same way. If not for this fake wedding, we'd never have heard the truth about any of it.
Although maybe not knowing the truth was really for the best.
“I was very sad, of course, but there was only one thing left for me to do. Randall, when he found out I was pregnant, offered to marry me. He raised the girl – Emma – as his own. Your mother was born a couple of years after.”
“But Emma was clearly Charles' daughter,” Asher added. “She looks so much like him.”
“I knew as soon as she was born whose child she was. I'm sure Randall was confused that she had none of his traits, but he was a gentleman and never said so.”
“Don't you think you should've told him at some point?” I asked.
“Yes, but I was afraid.” She clutched a pillow to her chest. “Not just that. To admit the truth would have wrecked both of our families, the wonderful life we'd built together. Telling Emma that the man she thought was her father really isn't... Do you know what that'd do to her?”
Asher couldn't look at her. He probably hadn't even thought of that, of the trauma revealing the scandal would cause for everyone. Uncover the scandal, he swore, and his dad's plans would be finished. He'd have the upper hand.
What would he do now?
Grandma grabbed my arm. Her frail, weathered hand was bony and cold, her gray eyes steely.
“This is important, Sarah. What I've told you today, I've said in confidence. None of it is to leave this room, do you hear me? You'll tell no one. Not your mom, and especially not aunt Emma.”
Or Lana, too. She might have been adopted, but finding out something like this was enough to upend someone's whole world.
“I promise I won't.”
“And Asher.” She exhaled and turned to him. “I trust you'll do the same.”
“Of course,” he said, but there was uncertainty in his eyes.
A nurse entered the room with medicine for grandma, so that was our cue to leave. Out we went into the lobby, both of us too stunned to say much. I found mom at the front desk, arguing with the poor teenage receptionist.
“She's only been here for two hours and the bill's already three thousand dollars? You must be kidding me!”
“I-I'm sorry, ma'am. I can give you an itemized list of charges if you'd like.”
I moved to go calm her down before she got us kicked out, but Asher ushered me away into a quiet hall.
“We need to talk.”
“Yeah, obviously. I mean, we suspected something like this was the case, but to actually hear her admit it...”
He didn't seem to be listening, instead staring at the floor tiles with a pained look on his face.
“We've got to call off the wedding.”
“What? But it's a week away; everything is already booked and ready to go. Besides, this is the only way we're going to save our stores.”
Maybe I protested a bit too much, but I couldn't help myself. To be honest, it wasn't just about the store anymore. It was him I didn't want to lose – if only I weren't too scared to admit it.
“Is this because of the mess between our families? As long as we keep it quiet, nobody's going to get hurt.”
“It's not about that. And getting married isn't the way to save your store. There's another option.”
He pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of his pocket. I didn't want to know what it said, but he told me anyway.
“My dad made me a new deal. Stop the wedding and he'll let you keep your store.”
I took the paper from him, but it was all a bunch of legalese I didn't understand – except for one part.
“But in exchange, I have to give up Slicker Image.”
“I don't get it. Why would you agree to that? When this all started, you refused to let your dad win. Slicker Image was yours, and you said you'd never allow him to have it.”
Wait a minute. Did he do this for me? He seriously gave up his store so I could keep mine? If that was true, if he really cared about me that much...
“Things aren't as simple as that. It's a little bit more complicated.”
I kept reading. Then I came to the sentence that made it all clear.
“Asher Carrington will also receive a stake of forty percent in the Galleria Mall and all related properties.”
“You weren't doing this for me,” I muttered, shoving the paper back at him. “You took the deal for money, because it'd make you rich.”
He glared. “Is that what you think this is about? Money?”
“Forty percent! When the mall is finished, you'll become a millionaire. Of course you'd accept that. Who in their right mind wouldn't?”
“You get to keep Curiosities. Isn't that what's most important?”
Yeah, of course it was, but... That Asher sold out, that he gave up the business he'd worked so hard
