That had to be it. Otherwise, why would she go through the trouble? She was mad that he’d been with Lisandra and was trying to get back at him. In his head, that was the only reason she'd go to such lengths. Upon reaching that conclusion, another realization struck him. His wife wasn't seeing anyone. Which meant he could pursue her. He didn't have to worry about other men because they didn't exist. Moving away from the window, he left the study, heading upstairs. He had plans, some of which included gaining Emilia's affection and trust. But on the landing, he stopped when he saw his mother's bedroom door open. It hit him then that he hadn't seen much of her ever since Gwen's engagement party. Striding towards her room, he knocked. "Mom?" Max called out, even though he knew he wouldn't get a response. In the nine years his mother had been in that wheelchair, she hadn't spoken a single word. The doctors had said that her paralysis hadn't affected her ability to talk. He'd looked for t
"Where do you think you’re going? I’m still talking to you""I’m not doing this with you right now," Emilia hastened her steps, hoping she could get away from her mother-in-law. She was scared and had spent the last two days hiding from her. Making sure they didn’t cross paths. Normally, she would face Genevieve Carter and have it out with her, but the doctor told her to take care of herself. She had to be careful."No one walks away from me. Do you understand?""We'll talk later when... Aaah! " she screamed when Genevieve grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her to a stop."You will learn to respect me little girl or I will teach you how it's done""Let go of me, Genevieve. You're hurting me""It is Mrs. Carter to trash like you. Now listen carefully. This is the last time I will tell you to leave my son alone. He doesn't deserve to be married to the likes of you""And what is wrong with me? What does Lisandra have that I don’t?" She asked, tears pricking her eyes. If on
She was on her way out of her bedroom when she almost bumped into Mel "Hey are you okay? It’s too early to look like that""I'm fine Mel. Where are you going?""I just came from Genevieve’s room. Have you spoken to her?""No. Why would I go anywhere near her?" she asked, confused. Not seeing each other for years didn't erase their history."It's okay Em. She can't do anything now. You don't have to be afraid of her""I'm not afraid""Then talk to her. I think it's time you two had a conversation. Although I can't guarantee she would talk to you, but you can get some things off your chest""What's the use?""You'll unburden yourself. It's good for the soul," she said, patting her arm, then left. Emilia wondered if Mel could read her mind. Would talking to Genevieve give her some kind of closure?Squaring her shoulders, Emilia walked toward her mother-in-law’s room. Knocking once before entering. The place hadn't changed. The bed, the decor, even the woman lying in bed, hadn't changed.
"What?""Instead of painting me as the bad guy, why don’t you find out what the truth is""You're saying that because you know my mother can't defend herself? You know she can't talk, so you're using her to manipulate me""Wouldn't you like that?" She spat out, taking a step toward him, “In your eyes, I'm the bad guy. Have been for the past nine years and since you're a coward and don't want to face the truth, you want to keep thinking that I am the villain. Right?""I am not a coward. You fucking ran to avoid criminal charges.""Fine. Since you don't believe me, why don't you ask Mel what happened? She was there, she saw everything, and she was the one who took me to the hospital," Emilia told him, then left. Max stared at her, and for the hundredth time, he wondered who she was.True, his mother didn't approve of her as his wife, but she wouldn't go as far as to push Emilia down the stairs. Not when she knew his wife was pregnant. It was a lie. They were all lies. "Max...""N
On his way to find Emilia, Max bumped into Zander. “Good morning”“Where is mom? She wasn’t in the bedroom”“She has her own room now,” He responded, hoping the child was too young to understand the meaning. No such luck.“Did you make her angry again? Aunt Thea says I’m the only person who can get away with that”“Any tips on what I should do to make her forgive me?”“Flowers and diamonds. Girls like shiny things”Max couldn’t help feeling proud. His son gave better advice than his best friend. He couldn’t wait to rub it in Nash’s face.“Have Mel make you breakfast. Tell her I said you could eat whatever you want”Zander nodded, then left. He moved to the guest bedroom and stopped in front of the door. In the past, whenever Emilia got angry, all he had to do was corner her and ask for forgiveness. Was it still the same, or had she changed? Pushing the door open, he went inside. Emilia was curled up in bed, reminding him of the time he’d brought her back all those years ago. He’d come
Emilia watched as Max pulled Lisandra to the study and locked them inside, wondering if he had taken her advice about going back to that witch. She'd told him they were done, but for him to actually do as she said? Was he serious? He was never going to learn. It didn't matter whether she was around or not, that crazy woman had him wrapped around her fingers.From the first day Emilia had met her, she'd known what kind of woman Lisandra was. Sly, opportunist, social climber with a heart as black as coal. She was the kind of person who would go to any lengths to get what she wanted. It wouldn’t be a surprise if she had actual bones in her closet. It was clear she didn't love Max or she wouldn't be having an affair with Gwen's fiancé. This raised a question that had never occurred to anyone in the Carter family: What exactly did she want from them? If she wasn't fighting to stay in that family for love, then what was it? Any other woman in her position would have left, especially after
"Who knew Lisandra was such a vengeful bitch? Oh wait, the question should be who didn't know so the answer could be Max Carter," Preston said sarcastically."Very mature Nash. I also remember you believing those lies""Yeah but I wasn't sleeping with her. You should ask yourself why you're so gullible sometimes. When it comes to women, it’s like your brain decides to take a backseat""You're not any better than I am" the only difference between them was that Nash didn’t involve his feelings when it came to dealing with them. Unlike him, his friend could walk away from women without feeling guilty. He, on the other hand, couldn’t shut down his protective instincts. Lisandra had been like a younger sister to him. Growing up, he shielded her from the guys he thought didn’t deserve her. And since she was an only child, he couldn’t help wanting to play big brother. But after Emilia left, he'd come to see her in a completely new light. She was a chameleon that changed her colors acc
After Nash had left, Max called Davis and asked him to recommend a bodyguard for Emilia. Davis told him to expect someone at his house the next morning. Just as he was hanging up the phone, the door opened and Zander walked in "Hey, fancy seeing you here. What’s up?""Mom said I have to spend time with you if I want to know you"Max reared his head back surprised "She did?""Yeah. I don't like it so you just sit there and do whatever it is you do in here and I'll sit over there and read my comics. Cool?" he said moving to the couch in the corner. Max wondered why Emilia was helping him when she'd clearly said she wouldn’t help him bond with Zander. Had she changed her mind?"Not cool. Let's do something fun""No thanks""You don't even know what I was about to suggest""Coming from someone like you, I'm pretty sure it's something boring""Why? We are supposed to be bonding Zander. That means that you have to get to know me. You can't jump to conclusions""Hendrix says old people are