THE BILLIONAIRE'S CRYBABY
Chapter 170: TRUTHS AND THREATS

Chapter 170: TRUTHS AND THREATS

"You talk as if your brother did nothing for the company. Sure, you did all of that and more, but do you know the difference? He was able to chase his passion whilst handling the company. He never compromised the growth of the company for his selfish gains. He’s your twin, and you should know this!"

"Bullshit! Bull fucking crap! He did it more than once. You forgave him over and over again. When aunt Valeria said he couldn’t marry that woman because of the scandal it would cause, you stood by him. You’ve always supported him!" She pointed an accusatory finger, panting like a rabid dog.

"Like I do all my children, God damnit!" The matriarch slapped her table in frustration.

"No. Not all your children. If you did, I would be the president of Spades right now."

"There are a hundred other businesses the Atticus family has, for heaven’s sake! Why can’t you pick one of the others to head? Why Spades? And you deserving it isn’t going to cut it."

"I want our legacy. I don’t want the hundred other businesses. The other children and grandchildren can handle them. I just want Spades."

"Well you’re never going to have it, I’m sorry to break it to you. It’s going to remain in Ace’s hand, and he’s going to pass it to his heir, who will pass it to their heir."

"Which of the heirs is it going to be? One from his wife who he is going to toss to the side soon, or from the woman currently pregnant for him?" she threw snidely, whilst scoffing.

"And that brings me to my original suspicion. You’re working with Reign. To what end?"

"You’re working with Fay, to what end?" She fired back.

"Don’t ask me, so we can stop dancing around in circles. You know what your brother did to that girl’s parents. Because of him, she’s an orphan!" She dropped the bomb in annoyance.

It had been eating her up since the day she made the connection. On seeing Fay for the first time, the red hair had gotten her attention. Not because of the colour, but because of how rare that particular shade was.

Her resemblance to the woman she hoped would help take glams to the next level had also been uncanny.

She didn’t want to draw any conclusions, until she started her investigations. The discovery she made still rattled her to date.

Celine snickered. "That’s exactly why you’re going to sit back and do nothing. You know what you did when you found out. Like the coward you are, you hid the truth."

"I punished him in my own way," she replied defensively.

Celine burst into a feat of mocking laughter. "You call that punishment? You sent the boy to a parish so he could do what? Throw some money on the nuns that secretly want to fulfil their lustful desires? What did he learn? Please don’t crack me up," she cackled.

"What exactly are you doing right now? Are you threatening me, Celine?"

The laughter disappeared out of her eyes, as she took purposeful steps forward. She stopped in front of the desk, and leaned forward so she was levelled with her mother.

"Maybe I haven’t made myself clear enough. Your last son—-"

"The brother you use to do your dirty work," the matriarch interrupted.

"Say it whichever you deem fit. It still won’t change the facts. Your precious last son fell in love with a married woman, who happened to be good friends with your daughter in-law. When she refused his advances, he arranged for an accident that took the life of an entire family. To save face, you hid the real cause of the death, and sent the boy to a parish as his punishment. What kind of monster does that make you? And how low do you think Spades would fall if the truth ever gets out?" she breathed the last part out for a much more dramatic effect.

"You won’t dare tell. You want Spades. if you expose the truth, you could never lay your hand on what would be remaining of it," she said in a shaky voice.

She was chilled to her bones, because she didn’t know what crazy Celine would do.

"Do you want to make a bet? I’d much rather Spades burn if I can’t have it. And what would Fay think of you? How would she feel when she finds out that the only reason you’ve been drawing her close is so she never finds out the truth about her family? Isn’t it better that she leaves our life for good? You used to think a lot better than you do now."

"Get out of my office, Celine!" The matriarch pointed at the door.

"Don’t get angry at me because of your poor choices, mummy. And I didn’t plan on staying this long anyway."

She straightened her body, glad her message had been passed.

"You’re my biggest regret, Celine. Because of your obsession, Spades will suffer," she said, unable to hide the disappointment in her face.

Unconcerned by her declaration, Celine only smiled. "Let me be the judge of that. Remember, stay out of Ace’s decision. That’s all I ask for."

She turned around, and walked out of the room.

As soon as the matriarch heard the door close, she grabbed her phone and began to make a call.

It didn’t go through the first three times. "Goddamn!" She hit the table, and tried again.

The door opened, and Gabrielle walked in with haste.

"I saw Celine coming from this direction on my way here? What the hell happened?" She asked, seated on the chair across the matriarchs.

She looked up defeatedly. She had thought she would be able to get Fay to escape. Thank God the call didn’t go through. Celine would have just found a way to silence her for good.

"She knows," she said in a voice filled with misery.

"She knows what?" Gabrielle’s face twisted in confusion.

"She knows Fay is your best friend’s daughter."

Gabrielle gasped. "No." She shook her head.

"She has threatened me to stay quiet, and not influence Ace’s decision. But how can I sit back and do nothing when I know everything the child is being accused of is a blatant lie? Especially after how I handled that situation. What have I done, Gabby?"

She began to shiver, but she absolutely refused to cry. The last time she did was the day her first son died. That day, something died in her. Not even a single tear was shared on the day of her husband’s burial.

Gabby leaped from her seat, and went to her. She wrapped a hand around the woman, and offered comforting words to her.

For the longest, she had hated the matriarch because of that singular act.

She hated that she couldn’t get to the girl before it was said that a woman took her away.

For years, she had tried and failed to find the sister who her best friend had been so excited to reconnect with. The same sister who was said to have taken the child.

The first time she saw Fay, she knew it was her. When she went with her suspicion to the matriarch, they had dug deep and found it truly was her.

Although many years had passed and she finally understood why the matriarch covered up the crime, she still felt disgusted every time she remembered she couldn’t get justice for her best friend.

"I shouldn’t have protected my son. Do you know how heartbroken I was when he tried to take advantage of Fay? The daughter of the woman he ordered a death sentence on? I knew prison was too merciful an institution for him, and that was why I sent him to the psychiatric hospital, where he’d live the rest of his life being injected like the crazy person he is. How did I fail so much in raising my children, Gabby?" She questioned in a dazed voice, her body shaking more violently.

"You did the best you could. It’s not your fault that two out of all your other children turned out to be horrible people. It’s not your fault you wanted to save your last son because you thought he could be redeemed. Remember, I was her best friend, and I could do nothing to save her." She burst into tears.

"We’re in such a mess. Fay is going to be humiliated by the man she has fallen in love with all because of a lie I can’t counter. What am I going to do, Gabby? Help me!"

That was the closest to tears the matriarch had come to in a while. She was desperately asking for help. Something she would never do.

"I don’t know for now, but we’re going to figure it out, I promise you," she sniffed, as her eyes began to dry out. "Fay is not going to suffer the same fate her mother did. Over my dead body will I allow it to happen. Even if this time, it means going against Celine."