“When’s the court date?” Graham asked.
Brooks rested his forearms on his neat, mahogany desk. “Two weeks. I’d rather have it moved up because, with Sutton’s health declining, I don’t want to take any chances.”
Sutton wasn’t doing well at all. The man was on his last leg and Graham wasn’t sorry the old bastard was fading. Sure, that sounded cold and harsh, but it was fitting for the man who was ruthless and conniving. The man had taken advantage of Graham’s mother, whether she would’ve admitted it or not. He’d gotten her pregnant, unbeknownst to him, but he’d still tossed Cynthia aside when he was done with her. Clearly his high-society wife was all he needed at the end of the day, though she’d ultimately ended up leaving him.
Graham’s own mother had recently died, too, which is how the paternity issues had come to light in the first place. But the loss was still too fresh, too heart wrenching, so he turned his focus back to Brooks. Letting the void in his heart consume him would be all too easy.
“What did Roman find out?”
The private investigator Brooks had hired to uncover Brooks and Graham’s paternity had been working diligently on the case, yet hadn’t come up with a name yet. They’d never known who their father was and, for a brief time, they feared Sutton was the one. Now that Roman Slater had found out that Sutton had fathered Carson and abandoned their mother, Brooks and Graham were out for blood. The only way to take Sutton down was to hit him where he’d feel it the most. Considering the man didn’t have a heart, Brooks and Graham were going after his finances on Carson’s behalf, and ultimately that would trickle down to his daughters. Graham ignored the guilt gnawing away at his chest. Business and sex were two areas where he never got emotionally attached.
“I’m waiting to find out, but he’s almost positive he’s uncovered more children Sutton fathered from his affairs. If that’s the case, I won’t hesitate to use it against him.”
Graham muttered a curse and stared out the floor-to-ceiling window behind Brooks. The Chicago skyline was one he never took for granted. He loved his city, loved working here and taking charge. The ambiance of such a powerful city gave him ammunition each day to fight his battles.
“If he uncovers too many, they’ll all want a share of Sutton’s assets.”
Graham crossed his ankle over his knee and raked a hand over the back of his neck. Maybe he should get a haircut. No. He liked Eve’s fingers running through his hair. He liked the way she toyed with the strands on his neck when...
Damn it. He was here for Brooks. How could he concentrate when Eve kept creeping to the forefront of his mind?
“I thought of that, too,” Brooks agreed. “Which is another reason I want this finalized before Sutton passes. So those subpoenas need to be delivered as soon as you can draw them up.”
Graham nodded. He might not want to do this, he might hate mixing this business with his personal life, but there was no other way. And Graham knew Brooks wasn’t usually this ruthless. But his twin was angry, hurt. They both were. With Sutton so hush-hush about what he knew, and right on the tail of their mother’s passing, there was just so much emotion and nowhere to put it all.
Sutton was a man who deserved to be destroyed, and if Eve and her sisters got in the Newports’ way, well...they better just cooperate because Graham would win this fight for Carson. Taking prisoners along the way wasn’t ideal, but he’d do so for the sake of his brothers. Family was everything, after all.
Two days had passed since the test. Two hours had passed since her doctor had done an exam and confirmed the pregnancy, assuring her everything looked fine. She’d held it together until she made it back to her car. In the quiet of the parking garage, she’d wept for the innocent life growing inside her and prayed she’d have the strength to make it through.
Just because children weren’t something she’d set her sights on for her future didn’t mean she didn’t want this baby. Years ago she’d been naive and unprepared for what life threw her way. Now Eve was ready to do anything and everything to keep her baby safe and secure. She’d started taking vitamins the day she took the home test. At this point all she could do was relax and attempt some sort of stress-free life...as much as was possible when she was planning global domination.
As president of Elite Industries, she was more than ready to broaden the scope of the company’s dealings. Her father had created a good foundation, but she wanted more. She wanted to prove to herself, and to her ailing father, that she could make this company even better. Before he passed, she wanted him to be proud of what she’d done.
Back at the office, Eve closed her eyes and tipped her head back against her leather office chair. Her father’s days were numbered, there was no denying the truth that faced them. Sliding a hand over her stomach, Eve wondered at what point she should tell him about this next generation. Would he be excited she was carrying on the name? But if she told him about the baby, she’d have to tell him about the baby’s father. Eve wasn’t ready to expose her child to this ugly war just yet.
Once she told Graham, then they could decide when to tell everyone else. He needed to know; she just had no idea how to go about telling him. Would he be angry? Would he blame her or would he embrace fatherhood? How on earth would they deal with shared parenting?
Questions whirled around inside her head as her office door burst open and slammed against the wall. Eve jerked upright, shocked to see Graham striding through, her assistant, Rebecca, right on his heels.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Winchester,” Rebecca stated nervously. “I tried to stop him.”
What was he doing here? Nobody knew about their affair and they’d purposely gone out of their way to avoid being seen together in public. His barging into her office could jeopardize everything.
“It’s fine.” Eve shot her assistant a smile and nodded in a silent dismissal. Once the door was closed, she glared at Graham. “What the hell are you thinking coming here? The last thing we need is gossip about your being in my office.”
Graham crossed to her desk and slammed a piece of paper down, the force sending other paperwork fluttering to the floor. “We need you to testify.”
Shocked, Eve came to her feet and braced her palms on the top of her desk, completely ignoring the paper. “What?”
“This is a subpoena regarding your father’s assets and Carson’s interest in them.”
Rage bubbled within her. This is why he’d come? Was this also the same reason he looked so angry? What was he thinking doing this to her, to her family?
“How dare you order me to testify against my father?”
The muscle in Graham’s jaw tightened, a tic she’d noticed when he was angry with himself. So, that was the real issue here. Why was he doing this if he didn’t want to?
What was going on and why was he doing this to her?
“You have to see what your father is, Eve.” Graham’s bright eyes held hers. Those same eyes that had devoured her body just yesterday now held so much anger, resentment. “Carson is entitled to his share of the inheritance. Plus, our PI has uncovered some other nasty facts regarding Sutton.”
As much as Eve wanted to close her eyes to battle the pain, she couldn’t. Her father may not be a popular man, but he was still her father and she wouldn’t let anyone stand in her office and throw ugly rumors