Her lips fell open, and she glanced around the restaurant. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Love … can hurt a lot of people. You don’t need to hunt for it. Ignore what you think the world expects of you. What I’m offering you is a future that no one else can. I’m a Bennett. I rule this world, and whatever you want, I can give it you.”
Adora’s eyes glazed over with a sheen of tears. “I want love, Tobias, and apparently that’s one thing you can’t give me.”
“I thought it was you.” They were both pulled out of their conversation by William’s presence. Sitting back, Tobias didn’t allow his annoyance to show. The Bennetts didn’t need someone like Hamilton, but again, his parents would bitch and moan at him if he caused a scene. He always had to be perfect. There was never any wriggle room.
“Hamilton, Katerina, what a surprise to see you both,” he said.
“Not that much of a surprise, I believe. This place is just lovely as you well know.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Adora wanted to be anywhere but at the table. If it was possible, it appeared like she was trying to shrink away.
“We wondered if you and your date would care to join us?” Hamilton said.
Adora stared at him and gave a shake of her head. He saw the pleading in her eyes.
“I want her all to myself tonight, Hamilton. Thank you for the invite.”
Hamilton finally looked at her. “Maria?”
Now this made Tobias tense up as Adora closed her eyes for a few seconds, and looked up at him. He didn’t know what it was, but he suddenly saw a little of Hamilton in her features, and everything made sense. Maria had been cleaning for him roughly around the time that Adora was conceived.
Not only that, her determination not to join the Hamilton Program now made sense.
Staring at the man, then at the girl, then at the man again, Tobias knew that he was looking at her father. Not only that, her father was finally staring at the girl he clearly denied.
Adora turned toward him. “I need to use the bathroom. Is there one here?”
“I can show it to you,” Katerina said.
Before he had a chance to dispute the two women leaving, they were gone. His anger started to build, especially knowing that she was about to be the mother of his child, and by right, she should inherit part of the Hamilton fortune. The man himself only had sons.
His parents would fucking kill to have a foot in the family, and right now, he was courting one of those chances, seeing as they didn’t have a daughter to send off to marry.
Hamilton watched Adora leave.
The man looked positively pale, and everything seemed to become clear to Tobias. “You’re a fucking asshole, you know that, right?” Tobias said, glaring at the man before him.
“Excuse me?”
“You know exactly what I mean. You fuck the cleaner, knock her up, and dump her on her ass.” He snorted. “I always knew that you didn’t own up to all of your shit, and Adora is one of them.”
“You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” Hamilton said.
“I know this is the first time you’ve ever seen your daughter.” Tobias laughed. “Wow, you know what? I want you to leave my table right now because when I look at that woman, and I think of all the shit she’s been through, I don’t like what I feel, or what I’m tempted to do.” He stared at the man who he once respected. Sure, Hamilton was a bastard, but right now, it was glaringly obvious the guy fucked up, and instead of dealing with it, he just brushed it aside.
He thought about Maria and her lack of English, her innocence being taken advantage of, and struggling to raise a daughter alone.
Hamilton left the table, and seconds later Adora joined him. Her cheeks were red, and she stared at him. “You really know how to pick women,” she said.
“Katerina is an ex. She’s a whore who gives favors to men.” He took a sip of his wine, her nerves palpable. “And William Hamilton is your father, which is why you don’t want to work for him. On your birth certificate it states the father is unknown.”
“How do you know that?”
“You’re going to be the mother of my child. Don’t you think I’d learn everything there is to know about you?”
She licked her lips, and the waiter came out with their food. Thanking him, he kept his attention on Adora.