The restraint in Grayson was palpable, the veins on his neck and back of his hand throbbing. Then with a breath, he tore his grandfather off the ground and shoved him into the hands of the cops, who were all too ready to put him in cuffs.
“Weak,” Beryl spat at Grayson’s feet, as they led him away. “I’ll be out within the week.” Beryl laughed. “These charges won’t hold. You’ll never stop me, Grayson. Even if you could, there are monsters in this world much bigger than me.”
“They’ll hold, with sufficient motivation,” Grayson said. “Maybe I didn’t raze a country, but I destroyed you. You’ll never see those coins again. You’ll never see Crowne Hall again.”
“You?” That’s when Beryl lost his mind, absolutely raving as the police led him away. Yelling muddled angry gibberish.
It was the only time I’d ever seen him undone.
I thought I’d seen glimpses of humanity in Beryl, like when he’d visited his granddaughter every year for the Swan Swell—yet he threatened Tansy to an inch of her sanity, and he abandoned his granddaughter without a second thought
Was he a complete psychopath who enjoyed torturing people, or was he just a narcissist addicted to power, who didn’t care about the people he hurt?
At least, I wouldn’t have to think about Beryl Crowne anymore, because Beryl Crowne would have nothing to do with my favorite Crowne, or Crowne Hall, ever again.
Seventy-Two
STORY
Grayson’s eyes found mine across the police sirens and paparazzi flashes, zeroing, predatory—
“What about me, what will become of me, Charlotte?” Mrs. du Lac whined. “Your father is dead—”
“Lottie is welcome to stay, but you—” Grayson’s glare slashed from mine to Mrs. du Lac. “Get the fuck out.”
Lynette’s lips parted.
“Out of my house. Out of my town. Step foot in Crowne Point again—”
“Grayson, I’ve known you since you were a child.”
Grayson swiped the blood at his mouth. “Which is why I’m giving you a head start.”
“You!” Her wide eyes landed on me, narrowing. “You’re the reason for all of this. My daughter has been in love with Grayson Crowne since before she was a teenager. They summered together, holidayed together. Everything was perfect. And then you came—”
“Shut up, just shut up!” Lottie screamed.
Lynette gasped like she’d been stricken. “Charlotte Genevieve du Lac.”
“We all have rust on our hearts. We’re all chipped and flaking because of you. Do you know that I don’t even know what my favorite book is?” she yelled. “My favorite food? I tell everyone it’s Emma because you said proper girls read Austen. I tell everyone I like truffles because you said that they’re sweet and elegant and my food choices reflect on me. I like orchids because you said those were coveted and take work, and the man who marries me should know that.”
“I’m your mother, Charlotte.” Her mouth hung open. “I know what you like better than you do.”
“The things you told me to do…” She swallowed, looking away. “I listened to you. I trusted you.”
“Necessary things, Charlotte.”
“Necessary? I don’t know how I like to be touched because I spent all my time telling my husband to touch me the way someone else likes to be touched. I’m a mother and I have no idea who the fuck I am. You told me to be whomever he wants and I lost myself. I disappeared inside a dark shadow of someone else’s fantasy. I became pregnant by someone who can never love me because of you. I nearly ruined someone’s life. So forgive me if I don’t give a shit about what you think anymore.”
For the first time in my life, I saw Lynnette du Lac speechless. Her perfect, lilac matte lips parted.
Then she blinked, regained composure. “He would have ruined your life.”
“My life was already ruined, Mom. You just wanted to take them down with me.” She inhaled through her nostrils. “And I probably wanted it too.”
“You ruined this family, Charlotte. He’s going to leave you for her, you realize that, Lottie? He’ll leave you and your child. You’ll be nothing.”
“Not nothing! I will be free. You all used me as a pawn. For months. No, years. When I begged you not to make me marry him, you said I would ruin our family. I begged for a divorce and you told me to get a baby. When I told you I cheated on him, you said that if he found out it would destroy a centuries-long reconciliation. It was all lies.”