Chapter 12

“I always paid for everything those families needed—”

“Grandma!”

She practically jumped out of her skin.

“You can’t buy someone’s life. Oh my God.” Lucian swayed as his head suddenly swirled and he began to shake. He forced himself to sit back down before his knees gave out.

“Lucian, are you all right?”

Lucian never heard her move. She was suddenly standing next to his seat.

“Don’t touch me,” he snapped when he saw her reach for him. “Is that what you meant to do? You planned this the whole time?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Why you called me home. Why you wanted me to take over the company. It’s not because you care about me or about what happened to me and Payton. No. You want to get away and leave me to take care of everything.”

Lucian barely knew what happened next. White-hot pain exploded on his face, and his left cheek felt hot to touch. His sight blurred with sudden tears.

His grandmother stood there, her hand clamped over her mouth.