Fidelity (Infidelity #5)(100)
She convinced the board to move fast, letting them know that she would be filing charges with the State Bar Of Georgia to examine the legal practices of Hamilton and Porter. With the current state of affairs, it was in the corporation’s best interest to avoid another scandal.
In record time, Hamilton and Porter lost its biggest account. On the other hand, Preston, Madden, and Owen was hiring new associates.
Though I would have liked to have been at her side as she showed Savannah her strength, she opted for Alexandria. Together they spoke to the board. Afterward, with the help of Gwendolyn and Preston Richardson, Alton’s sister and brother-in-law, and Patrick, Alton’s nephew, they faced the mourners and accepted kind words of sympathy.
She and Alexandria held their heads high, despite the murmuring by the entire country.
After all, the whole nation had watched the train wreck—on social media—as Alexandria’s engagement party ended with her fiancé’s arrest through the arrest of her future mother-in-law for the murder of her stepfather. The world hadn’t known that her engagement to Edward Spencer had all been a sham. Calling Spencer or even Suzanna out on that, at this point, would only add fuel to the fire.
The reporters had only scratched the surface of how the tangled web of intrigue had at one time been orchestrated by the puppeteer strings held by the man in the coffin.
Though I wasn’t there, Lennox was. He stayed in the shadows and out of the spotlight. After everything was said and done, he refused to allow Alex to go back to Savannah without him. I couldn’t say as I blamed him.
Thankfully after the funeral, Adelaide decided to return to Westchester County, to the home in Rye. I hadn’t been sure she would. I’d been too anxious to ask. However, when she did, when she returned to me without the assistance of kidnapping, I couldn’t have been happier.
Her strength to face life’s challenges with her head high continued to amaze me. I was continually awestruck by the woman who shared my life, my bed, and even our future grandchild.
We hadn’t broached the subject of our future. Just knowing it held untold possibility was enough for us both.
Adelaide and I also both waited and hoped for news of our children’s wedding, but as of yet, neither Nox nor Alex had mentioned it. It wasn’t that we were old-fashioned. If they didn’t want to marry, that was their choice. Then again, maybe we were. I wanted the baby growing inside of Alex to be born a Demetri.
At this moment, standing upon the stoop of Vincent Costello’s home, the baby’s last name wasn’t my or Lennox’s biggest concern. In our long wool overcoats as the snow flurried about and landed in white flakes on my son’s dark hair, my skin prickled with anticipation as our breath materialized in soft white clouds.
The door opened to Bella’s bright smile. “Oren! Lennox!” she said, wrapping both of us in a warm hug as she ushered us inside. “When Vinny said you were coming to our house, I had to question his sanity. Just maybe it’s still intact,” she said with a wink. “You’re here. It’s so good to see you!”
“You too, Bella,” I said.
“Your home is beautiful,” Lennox complimented as we took in the lovely woodwork of the classic townhome.
“We couldn’t stay out in the suburbs. We both wanted to be close to Luca and Luisa.”
“How is Luisa?” I asked, genuinely interested. She’d been the prettiest little girl. “I still remember her first communion.”
“The party,” Vincent’s voice came booming as he walked toward us coming from a back hallway. “You didn’t attend the church service.”
The man had the memory of an elephant.
I nodded. “Yes, the party was wonderful. She looked like a princess.”
“She’s doing well. Very well,” Bella said as she turned to Lennox. “Like you, she decided to do the school thing. She just finished her bachelor’s degree and has started her graduate work in kinesiology.”
“There’s so much I don’t understand,” I admitted.
“It’s science, sports medicine, and physical therapy,” Vincent explained. “Obviously she gets her brains from Bella.”
“Luisa’s a smart one,” I said.
“It would be good to all get together,” Bella said. “Family shouldn’t spend so much time apart.”
“Come back to my office and we’ll have some privacy,” her husband offered.
I looked around for someone else, for Jimmy or Luca. No one else was there. It was almost as if instead of a business meeting, this was simply a family gathering. For some reason, that didn’t fill me with hope.
“Thank you, Bella,” I offered. “We’ll need to see.”
Once we were behind the closed door, Vincent said, “Oren, I didn’t know you’d be here. Didn’t we discuss apron strings?”
“I asked him to join us,” Lennox volunteered. “I’m here to thank you. Sincerely. This is new to me.”
“Showing gratitude is new?”
“No, sir. Asking for help.”
Vincent smiled as he nodded. “Take off your coats and have a seat. I meant what I said. You’re Angelina’s boy. You heard Bella; we would like to get to know you. Perhaps your girlfriend too?”
With our coats draped over a chair, Lennox and I found a seat on a sofa, as Vincent settled into a plush chair that reminded me of a throne. His office was regal, fitting of his title.