The Heiress Who Refused the Family Key novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: The Paycheck

Rafe let himself into my apartment at half past seven, with a bag of groceries in one arm.

I was standing in the middle of the kitchen with my coat still on.

He looked at my face, and he put the bag on the counter very slowly.

"You were at the house," he said.

"I was at the study door."

He didn't ask what I'd heard.

That was how I knew it was all true.

"Say it," I said. "In your words, the way you'd say it if you'd never lied to me once."

"I'll say it." He stayed by the counter, with his hands at his sides. "Five years ago, Martin started putting money in an account in my name on the first of every month. He calls it a retainer."

"For what?"

"To tell him how you are."

"And you told him."

"Once a month. I said, 'She's well.' That was all of it."

I heard my own laugh, short and flat.

"Five years of 'she's well,' and five years of garden pictures, and I thought you were my friend."

"I was."

"You were on his payroll."

"I was on his payroll before you were born. My mother was, and then I was, and the house is the only job I've ever had." He took a step toward me and stopped. "The retainer is a different thing. I never touched it."

"Where is it?"

"In the bank. Every payment. I can show you the statements, the whole sixty months of them, tomorrow if you want."

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