‘Sasha, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,’ said Carole, putting a hand on her arm. ‘His wife is here.’
She stopped and looked at her mother sharply.
‘I guess you messed up again, Sasha.’
‘What?’ She felt like she had been slapped. ‘I messed up?’ she repeated.
‘Well, it didn’t work out with Miles, did it?’ said Carole with a smug expression. ‘And now you’ve been caught out with his father. You never could close the deal, could you?’
‘Deals?’ she hissed. ‘Relationships are not deals, Mother.’
Carole laughed cynically. ‘Well, perhaps you take after me more than I thought.’
At this moment, the idea of inheriting anything from her mother was a revolting thought. ‘How on earth can you think we share anything?’ she spat.
‘Three years ago I was going to leave your father,’ said Carole, a wistful look in her eyes. ‘I met someone at the tennis club. Eddie owns Kingly Haulage and he has a beautiful house on the St George’s Hill estate. He kept asking me to leave your father, but I put it off. First it was his birthday, then it was Christmas. And then he had the stroke. And of course I can’t leave him now.’
Sasha snorted. ‘I wouldn’t put anything past you.’
She shuffled around the bed, heading towards the door.
‘I only hope he’s provided for you,’ said Carole.
Sasha stopped. ‘What do you mean “provided”?’
‘In his will, of course.’
Sasha shook her head in disbelief. ‘Just go, Mother.’
She walked down the corridor, feeling the aching in her chest and her legs. There was a livid green bruise on the back of her right hand and her wrist was in plaster. She desperately tried to remember what had happened, but all she could see was an image of a line of trees coming towards her. She turned a corner and at once she knew that Robert was in the room in front of her. A man in a grey suit was sitting in a chair outside reading a magazine. She had no idea who he was. An exec from Ash Corp. waiting for a meeting? Connie Ashford’s driver? Her heart beat faster – was she still in there? The man stood up and walked towards her, his hands held up to stop her.
‘I’m sorry, Ms Sinclair, you can’t go in there.’
Sasha tried to dodge around him, but she was in no shape to get very far. ‘I have to see him,’ she said desperately, craning her neck to see in the window, but the blinds were down. ‘Please, you don’t understand,’ she said. ‘I was with him in the car. I have to see him.’
The man looked sympathetic, but he still shook his head and turned her around. ‘His family don’t want anyone near him. Especially you.’
‘I’ll be back,’ she said defiantly, but allowed herself to be taken back to her bed. She lay down, feeling weak and shaky, squeezing her eyes shut to prevent the tears coming out. I won’t cry, she thought to herself. She couldn’t let them get to her, they couldn’t keep her away from him for ever.
When she opened her eyes, she gasped. Miles was standing at her door.
‘Don’t you think you’ve done enough?’ he said, his eyes cold.
Shame and fear rushed over her and she shivered. ‘I love him,’ she said quietly, only now daring to say the words she had never admitted to herself or Robert.
‘Like you loved me?’ he sneered. ‘You were only interested in the money. You’re just a cheap social-climbing whore.’
‘I care for him!’ she said, sticking her chin out. ‘And he looked after me!’
‘Oh, I’ll bet he did,’ said Miles, his tone mocking. ‘But don’t pretend you cared for him, you little slut. You have only ever cared about yourself.’ He moved towards her, his hands curled into fists.
Terrified, Sasha leant over and grabbed the emergency alert button, yanking it out of the wall. An alarm began to sound.
‘Help!’ she shouted. ‘Nurse!’
Miles smiled, his face full of cruel fury. ‘Don’t think this is over,’ he said as he backed towards the door. ‘You can kiss that precious little business of yours goodbye.’
‘Get out!’ screamed Sasha. ‘Get out before I have you thrown out!’