Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Liam entered the room, and she smiled at him, getting to her feet and rushing to his side. “Hey,” she said.
“I missed the breakfast run, didn’t I?” he asked.
Alex didn’t actually get to drive the kids to school, Millie or one of her father’s guards often drove, but she was right in the vehicle to see them off to school. She was still taking lessons, and it was a process. She’d get there.
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
“How were they all?”
Her father, although he wouldn’t admit it, had fallen a little in love with the kids. They called him Grandpa, and she saw how happy that made him.
“Amazing. Tyler is kind of freaking out though. He wants to try out for the football squad. He was going to ask you about it when you stopped by.”
“Well, I’ll be picking them up this afternoon. What’s this?” Liam asked, glancing down at the table. “You’re looking for a job?”
“Yeah, I’ve got to learn to pay my way, you know. A job does that. It helps to bring in money.” She didn’t feel comfortable taking from her dad all the time.
“Sweetheart, you do know that with all of these being … Greco bloodline, that is where a great deal of money is coming from?”
“What?”
“Lucas didn’t set this all up for his men to get off easy. All of them have to provide, even those men where their kids have already been fostered. It creates an income all in itself.”
“Lucas has been paying for them?”
“Yes. I’ve also been providing, but when I went over the books, I realized Lucas made a donation into a bank account every month. It’s linked to this house.” Liam pulled a card out of his back pocket. “And I can honestly say, you deserve this.”
Alex took the bank card from him.
“There’s more than enough in there for you to change the place if you want, raise those kids, and to start some college funds.”
“I still need to get a job.” The money would be put to good use. She would make sure all of the kids had a college fund set up, which could either send them to college or at least assist them, or give them some money if they decided to leave. She had already started to make plans.
“I will support you, Alex. Always.”
“Dad, I’ve got to do this.”
“Sweetheart, you’re taking care of fifteen kids. It’s a full-time job by itself. You don’t need to worry about having some money. We can help take care of that.” Liam pointed down at the paper.
“Did he sign them?” she asked.
Roman kept refusing to sign the divorce papers, even though it was the best thing for both of them.
“No,” Liam asked.
She sighed.
“I’ve got to ask though, sweetheart, do you really want him to sign them?”
“Yes, of course, I do. It’s time that we cut each other out of our lives for good. I would have done it sooner, but, well, I didn’t think I was able to.”
“And not for any other reason?” he asked.
“What other reason could there be?”
“Oh, I don’t know, how about … you’re in love with him?”
Alex stared at her dad for several seconds, not even able to move. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She picked up her empty coffee cup and headed toward the kitchen, which was spotless.
She had to get started on dinner.
With so many mouths to feed, it was a lot of vegetables to plan ahead for.
Liam followed her into the kitchen. “I know you’re hurting.”
“Dad, I’m not in love with Roman.” The lie spilled easily from her lips.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Does it matter? He lied, and I want a divorce. I can’t trust him. Why are you even questioning this?”
“Because I want what is best for you.”
“And you think Roman Greco, liar and manipulator, is the best thing for me?” she asked.
“I think Roman Greco, the man who has fallen in love with my daughter, who arranged the adoption of fifteen children, and who refuses to sign divorce papers, has a right to be given a second chance. We all fuck up in this life, Alex.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this, from you of all people. You’re the one who says there is no chance for making mistakes or fucking up. You always say that.”
“And I could be wrong half the time, Alex.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to hear this.” Staring in the kitchen, she needed to get out and have some fresh air.
“He does love you, you know,” Liam said.
This made her turn around to look at him. “No, he doesn’t.”
“Roman Greco is a selfish little bastard. He did every single thing his father ordered him to, but he always made sure he was the one who came out on top. Always. He played hard, Alex, but the moment he got engaged to you, those women he was with before, they didn’t get a chance with him. They were gone.”