“You don’t know anything,” I say, hating his attitude. He’s behaving as though he’s superior, but what does he know about the history between me and Elizabeth?
“I know far more than you.” A corner of his mouth tilts up. “Do you think you built all this on your own? Do you think banks and investors conveniently appeared just in time to lend you money the few times you had cash problems? Do you honestly believe your sister just magically got all those scholarships and internships and opportunities so she could study what she wanted?”
My mind goes as blank as a sheet of paper. What the hell is Tolyan saying? My heart thunders as I try to process. I made my hatred clear ten years ago. If Tolyan’s right—no, there isn’t any if about it—why did Elizabeth do those things? And when I reappeared and reminded her of my intentions, why didn’t she say something?
She did try. But you hesitated.
Abruptly, I realize the cold and strange feeling I had at the time was fear.
Tolyan isn’t finished. “Both of you are little chicken shits, too proud and afraid to take what you want. At least she has a good reason—you’ve done enough. By now, she’s deleted you from her phone…and her life. Don’t contact her or come near her again. Or I’ll use your entrails for fish bait.” He takes a step closer, his eyes as flat as gravestones. “The Pacific is full of ravenous fish.”
“Wait—”
“A decade not enough to get the picture? Do I have to spell everything out?”
“You just threw a bomb in my face.”
“Should have been a Molotov cocktail.” Those dead eyes look around the condo appraisingly, then Tolyan walks out.
My legs unsteady, I stride toward the package and rip it open with my bare hands. The cardboard packing is exceptionally thick and tough, but it eventually falls apart under my ruthless fingers.
A portrait is unveiled before me. Elizabeth, younger and stunningly beautiful. As I knew her before. Her smile is so radiant, I’m drawn to it like a moth.
But her eyes…
They hold such tragedy—the heartbreaking, haunting tragedy.
I swallow, finally understanding. I misjudged her ten years ago. And I’ve continued to misjudge her. I’m the one who put that tragedy into her eyes.
Do you think you built all this on your own?
I run my gaze lovingly along her achingly beautiful face…the slightly stubborn line of her jaw…
I pause. Elizabeth isn’t the type to just give in. She told me more than once that she believed in making her own destiny.
Is this your way of dictating your fate, Elizabeth? Help me, give me the portrait that means so much to you, then walk away? If that’s the case, I reject your dictate. I’m going to create a new destiny for the two of us.
Elizabeth might’ve deleted me from her life. I haven’t deleted her from mine.
Nothing’s over until I say it’s over.
I pull out my phone and start texting instructions.
Chapter Forty-One
Dominic
Since Tolyan isn’t going to satisfy my curiosity, I go another route—Shirley Pryce’s old household staff.
The woman Antoine finds me is petite, with a friendly face and a pair of wide-set eyes the color of coal. She’s apparently a seamstress and the owner of an alteration shop where Elizabeth and her brother Ryder get their clothes adjusted.
“May I help you?” she asks, her words lightly accented.
“Yes. I’m here to speak to Yu-Jin.”
“Yes?” She tilts her head, looking up at me with curiosity.
I give her my friendliest grin. “If you don’t mind, I’ll like to speak to you about Elizabeth.”