Page 116 of Merciless Heir

It’s the right thing, but right doesn’t stop pain.

“I want you to learn true worth, and making you jump through similar hoops to your brothers wouldn’t have cut it. You’re not sentimental like them.”

I snort. “Magnus?”

“He can be ruthless and cold in a different way to you, but, yes, you were the hardest one to crack.” She crosses her arms and taps one sleek shoe, like she’s the one who’s annoyed here, not me. “And you don’t know everything, you fool. I do have the balancing shares. I run Sinclairs, too. And it is all of yours, but you all need to be worthy to have it, otherwise what’s the point of it? You don’t believe in the heritage.”

“Lies.”

She sighs softly. “Only for what it can get you. And that’s wrong. It’s too like your father was. And I don’t want that for you. Don’t be like him.”

“You’re mad at him still?”

She looks away a moment. “You have a lot to learn about love.”

It hits me then. “You loved him.”

Faye laughs. “I never stopped loving him, and even now, I still do. I just got sick of him putting work first, putting the money ahead, the pursuit of power. I left him.”

“No, he had an affair.”

“That isn’t what happened. Not while we were married. He moved on, I didn’t. But each break up I was there because your father is and was my one true love. I just couldn’t live with the man anymore. Not until he changed. And he did, but it came too late. We were secretly back together when he got the news of his illness.”

A terrible sadness comes over her. “When he died, I decided to carry through with his plan…our plan. You see, your father finally saw you were all making your lives like his. And he finally got it, that happiness came from balance. Love and work. Big and little. I didn’t want you to keep making those mistakes. Any of you. I wanted you each to find love, and you, Kingston, you were the hardest. It would take someone not just special but someone who could stand up to you and make you laugh and anger you and hold her own. I found Sadie. But before I could do anything, so did you. She’s perfect.”

“Well, that’s neither here nor there, Mother,” I snap. “It didn’t work. Sadie and I aren’t made for each other.”

“She said she doesn’t love you.”

“Good.” The pain is almost unbearable when she says that, and she’s smiling. I think my mother might be some monster. “I don’t love her.”

“See? Utterly perfect.”

“I’m not discussing my private life with you. Go get your own if you want one. Or I hear those telenovelas offer you all the thrills and passion you could desire from the sidelines. Just keep out of my life. You’ve got the tiara, and now you’ve gone and done the pointless thing of handing it to me. You failed. I have this final jewel and the company is safe. So, if you don’t mind, I’ve got an actual empire to run.” I stalk up to my mother. “And I’m going to get this thing evaluated and sell it to the highest bidder.”

“Oh, Kingston, I’m not done, and neither are you. It’s a few days before your birthday, so I was hoping you’d sort your life before then, but you haven’t. So, here’s your task. Go to the girl, or get the damn thing evaluated and never know love.”

I shrug. “That’s simple. The company is safe, so you have no hold. You won’t do that to the others and we know it. Besides, that’s something you can never know.”

“This task is private for you, Kingston. You’ll know. And you promise me if you go to her, you don’t ever have it evaluated. You don’t sell it.”

I know what she’s asking. It’s trust and the one thing I hold close. My word. I could lie, but…I see what she’s saying. But she doesn’t get it yet. Sadie doesn’t want me. She let me go. Hell, we weren’t at a point where we had something. And me? Love isn’t a thing. My mother just proved it’s all transactional.

So, I give her what I want.

“Fine.”

“Kingston—”

“It’s real easy, Mother. I’ve chosen.”

She stares at me.

“Evaluation. Love doesn’t exist.” I know this, because as I say it, love can’t. And Sadie? She took my heart, stole it, and destroyed it. I saw her eyes when she said she used me. She meant it.

And even if it all is real, I can’t trust that kind of thing. There’s one thing I can trust. Money. “I’m getting it valued. It’s solid and real and money doesn’t lie.”

“Then you lose everything,” my mother says.