“No! I want answers!”
He popped a K-Cup into his single coffee brewer and turned to face her. “It was a damn good article. Did you read it?”
“Oh my God.” It was like dealing with her father but on steroids. Christopher heard and did what he wanted, and his son was no different, except Spencer left severe damage in his wake. “Let’s take this one thing at a time. Why did you steal the subject of my article?”
“You snooze, you lose.” The coffeemaker let out a hiss of steam, and Spencer turned to add milk to his cup. He swung back to her and raised his cup in a mock toast. “To me. Because you wouldn’t have hit on the important points. You’d have extolled the virtues of the gardener’s kid and ignored where he came from and the family scandal. In other words, all the good stuff.”
It was obvious she wasn’t going to get anywhere with him on the subject of poaching her article, so she turned to truthfulness instead. “Marie didn’t steal from Mom.”
Spencer took a sip of coffee. “What makes you so sure?”
“Because my gut tells me so. I trust her. I knew her and so did you! She was there for us growing up.”
“Sit down, Cassie. I’m going to explain the facts of life to you,” he said in a cool, condescending tone.
She blinked, taken off guard by his change in tone. She lowered herself into a chair at his table, listening only because she needed the information. Not because he’d told her what to do. “I’m listening.”
“You’re a Storms. He’s nothing. Your loyalty is to your family, something you seem to have forgotten. I’m going to make sure you don’t.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Ignoring the elitist crap in what you said, what’s your point?”
He shook his head. “So what if she didn’t steal? She played an important role in protecting me. I took Mom’s necklace. Dad jumped to the conclusion that it was Marie, and it was easier to let him believe it than to explain I’d pawned it.”
Her mouth grew dry at his cavalier explanation. “Why? We have trust funds! Why would you need to steal from your mother?”
Spencer had the grace to look sheepish, his cheeks red. “I burned through it. I knew Dad would have a fit, so I took the necklace. Mom called from her trip and asked him to have it fixed, but it was missing Dad blamed Marie. Mom believed she’d misplaced it.”
Cassie blinked. And blinked again, certain she was in an alternate universe. “And you let him,” she whispered, horrified.
But then she remembered Derek’s information on what Spencer had been up to while he was abroad, and his entire ugly existence was confirmed.
He was a selfish narcissist who believed he could do no wrong. That was the only explanation for Spencer’s behavior. And as for her father, he hadn’t deliberately framed an innocent woman, he’d believed his own actions to be justified.
“Why did Dad let me and Mom think they quit?” she asked.
“Because you and Mom have soft hearts. He said you would be devastated if you knew the truth, so he wove a lie you’d fall for.” Spencer shook his head. “But Dad’s way is not my way. I’m happy to tell you the truth now.”
She pressed her pounding temples. “So you were against me seeing Derek because—”
“The same reasons I said. He’s beneath you. You’re a Storms.”
“And he’s a constant reminder of what you did. You’re also jealous because he’s successful and you’re a sycophant who lives off of others,” she said in disgust.
Spencer didn’t seem the least fazed by her description. He didn’t care how he succeeded as long as he did.
She pushed herself to her feet, anger pulsing through her. “I’m through. Dad and Mom need to know the truth.”
At least her mother did. Cassie wouldn’t let her mom go on believing her husband had deliberately destroyed the lives of the West family. She’d looked broken when Cassie had told her. Defeated. At the very least, Cassie could restore her faith.
And maybe get Spencer out of his position of authority at Storms Consolidated while she was at it. Christopher had often covered for his son, but this was extreme. And Cassie had to believe he’d throw her brother out on his entitled ass once he knew.
“Dad won’t care,” Spencer said, full of confidence, contradicting her hopes. “He put me in charge. He wants me to succeed.”
Yep. Narcissistic and a lot crazy. Cassie ignored him. Even if her father chose to ignore the past, the board would care. Somehow, someway, she’d save her grandfather’s company from Spencer’s destructive hands.
She had to. Because after today, the company might be all she had left.
* * *