Wright with Benefits (Wright Series #8) - K.A. Linde Page 0,87
piece of paper. “And that’s the signature you forged, isn’t it?”
Ashleigh blustered, “Annie, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
But she didn’t say it the way that Chase had with any sincerity. She said it like she’d been caught and was trying to figure out a way to get out of this.
Julian blinked. “You tried to sabotage the winery?”
“No!” Ashleigh cried.
“All those times that I complained to you about how hard it was to get anything done at the winery. When I told you that I wanted to know who was doing this to us. I even suggested it was a ghost, and you latched on to that so quickly,” he said, as if putting all the pieces together. “You wanted it to be a ghost. That way, it wasn’t you all along.”
Ashleigh looked like a cornered dog. I didn’t know if she was going to roll over or bite.
“It was Daddy!” she said, tears bursting from her eyes, as if on cue. “That’s his signature. He wanted to do it.”
Chase jumped in. “Ashleigh, we both know that’s not Dad’s signature.”
“Why would you do this?” Julian asked. He looked half like he wanted to comfort her and half-horrified.
“I didn’t. I swear!” she gushed.
Julian shook his head. “Tell me the truth.”
He looked ready to shake her.
She wiped her eyes. Thank God for waterproof mascara. A hiccup and then, “I…I just wanted you to work for Daddy.”
Julian’s face was a mask of shock. “You…what?”
“You didn’t want to work for Wright,” she told him, reaching out for his hand. “You told me that so many times. You weren’t valued there. You weren’t your brother. I wanted you to have the winery when it was your idea! Then you brought your brother on, and suddenly, it wasn’t even your winery anymore. It was his. You were pushed to the side. I wanted you to have your own thing. Where you weren’t connected to your brother.”
“Where I was connected to you,” he said hollowly. “Beholden to you.”
“No, never!” she cried, reaching for him again.
He stepped back. “No, I think I understand perfectly, Ashleigh.”
Real tears fell this time when she suddenly saw what was happening. “Please, Julian. Please, I love you.”
“You took the venture I loved and cared about, the venture I invited my brother to be a part of, and then you tried to destroy it.”
“That’s not what happened!”
But it was.
“And you did it for selfish reasons. Because you’re selfish.” Julian shook his head and took another step back. “We’re done.”
“No,” Ashleigh gasped, falling to her knees before him and clutching him. “Julian, no, please. Please don’t say that. I love you. I only had your own interests at heart.”
It was painful to watch. Because she had deluded herself enough to believe the words coming out of her mouth.
Julian tugged back, releasing her grip on him. “I think you believe that, but it’s not true.”
Then he turned his back on her and walked out of the party. Chase knelt down next to his sister, but I didn’t have an ounce of pity for her. Not after the lengths she’d gone to try to hurt people I cared about.
I followed Julian out of the party and touched his arm. “Hey. Are you going to be okay?”
He looked up at the stars and shrugged. “I don’t know. Two years. Two years with her and then…” He splayed out his hands.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to lay this in your lap, but…”
“No, I’m glad you did. I need to tell Jordan and Hollin.”
I nodded. “I understand. That’s a good idea.”
“How are you getting home?” he asked.
“Uh…”
“I’ll drive you,” he said, pointing out his SUV down the block.
“I can catch an Uber. It’s fine.”
“Just get in, Annie. Jordan would kill me if you didn’t get home safe.”
“Are you…are you going to tell him I was here?” I asked as we walked over to his car.
Julian blew out a breath. “You don’t want him to know that you figured this out?”
“I just…I’m not ready to deal with him.”
Julian nodded, the weight of his latest breakup heavy on him. “I understand that. I can’t imagine talking to Ashleigh anytime soon.” He opened the passenger door for me. “Guess we’ll both have to deal.”
And wasn’t that the damn truth?
38
Jordan
“Jordan!” a voice called from the front door.
I pushed away from my desk in my office and strode into the living room, surprised to find my brother had let himself in. “Hey, what’s going on?”