“I don’t believe you. The timing is too perfect and you...”
Harper swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to keep her emotions under control. He’d admitted he was a jet-setting playboy. He’d discussed how relationships weren’t his thing, yet he’d been the one to propose. Baby or no baby, she should’ve paid attention to that red flag waving around.
But she didn’t have all of the information, from either side. She needed, no, deserved, to know the full truth before making any rash decisions. She just wasn’t sure that she could believe anything she heard right now.
“Oh, now, don’t be mad at Ethan,” Robert chimed in. “He just wants to blackmail me into giving his resort back. I never stole it, by the way. He was underage and couldn’t do anything with it at the time. I had every right to do as I saw fit. Same with the Montana resort, which I let go a few years ago. It’s all business.”
Ethan fisted his hands and slammed them onto the table. “I’ll ruin you,” he threatened. “Is that what you want?”
Robert narrowed his eyes. “You would’ve turned me in anyway,” he accused. “And if I’m going down, I’m sure as hell taking you with me.”
There were too many threats flying around based on things she knew nothing about. Her head spun, her heart ached and she couldn’t stomach sitting at this table another second.
The two men she wanted most in her life had ruined every shred of happiness she’d built up just moments ago. She was sorely tempted to just get up and walk away from them both.
But she had questions and she wanted answers.
“You’re turning him in?” she asked. “To the cops, I assume? For what?”
“The feds,” Ethan confirmed. “Your father has been laundering money for years, and I’m sure the IRS would find his taxes more than interesting.”
Her head started to spin, and her stomach felt queasy. Harper smoothed a hand over her abdomen and closed her eyes to gather her thoughts and will herself not to be sick after hearing all of this.
“What’s wrong?” Ethan demanded, sliding his hand over hers. “The baby?”
Before she could answer, the waiter brought back their drinks and a basket of fresh bread, and suddenly Harper wasn’t in the mood for food
at all. She wanted out of here, but, unfortunately, she was owed the truth and had to wait so she could hear both men.
Granted, they were both probably still lying, but there was too much at stake for her to just storm out of here in a fit.
When the waiter asked about taking their orders, Harper forced a smile and asked for another few minutes.
Once they were alone again, she pushed Ethan’s hand away.
“I’m fine,” she stated. “Don’t touch me.”
“Are you seriously having his child?” Robert demanded in a low whisper. Apparently, her bout of queasiness was what it took to make the situation real to him.
“I am,” she confirmed, but the idea of a liar being the father of her baby wasn’t helping her worries.
How had she been such a bad judge of character?
Was it just because she’d wanted to believe, wanted to cling to the hope and dream of a family? Was that why she’d foolishly thought he cared for her?
“Do you just set out to ruin lives or is that a default setting?” Ethan growled.
Robert curled his hand around his stemless wineglass. “I had no idea she was expecting your baby. That’s hardly my fault.”
“Would knowing she was pregnant have made a difference?” Ethan demanded. “You ruined my life once. I sure as hell won’t let you do it again, and I won’t let you touch Harper’s or our child’s lives.”
“I can speak for myself,” she ground out, then glanced to Robert. “Did you really do all of those awful things to Ethan and his brother when their mother died?”
“I did what I thought was best,” Robert stated with confidence. “I have no regrets.”
“Because you don’t have a damn soul,” Ethan threw out.
Harper had heard enough. Neither man denied lying, neither man apologized to her for being deceitful and she was tired of all the anger and hate surrounding her.