Chapter 509

He stared at me, mouth slightly open. “I messaged you, Any. I emailed you, I called. But I was blocked.” He produced his phone, placing it on the table. He tapped the contacts, selecting my name. I retrieved my phone and waited.

“The customer you have called is unavailable.” My eyebrows shot up.

“That’s not right,” I said, putting down my phone. “We spoke when I was in the hospital.”

He nodded. “You called my office line, not my cell. It’s a desk phone I check daily. I could still call you from that number…” He looked at me with a pained expression. “But it’s not secure, and what I wanted to discuss was personal.” He looked away. “But,” he waved at his phone, “you blocked me.”

“But I didn’t!” I displayed my empty block list. “See?” I scrolled to his number and initiated a call.

“The customer you have called is unavailable.” The same message played, and I raised an eyebrow.

“You blocked me,” he said, shaking his head and mirroring my actions. He checked his block list; it was also empty. “How the fuck?” A soft click announced the opening of my door. My father entered, sheepish, phone in hand. My stomach dropped. “Daddy?” My voice was barely a whisper.

“You tell the truth, Gav, or I swear,” my mother’s angry voice boomed from his phone.

“Mom?” I looked at my dad. “Why are you here?” My father avoided my gaze. “What did you do this time?”

My mother scoffed. “Your father likes to play puppet master. What do you think he did?”

“Hey now,” he said, furrowing his brows.

“Gavin!” my mother yelled.

“Daddy?” I tilted my head. Rowan rose from his chair, still clutching his wine bottle.

My dad began to pace. “Look. Don’t get mad.” My stomach churned, the food threatening to reappear.

“Gavin,” Rowan called out. “What is going on?”

He swallowed, then squared his shoulders. “Amy didn’t block you,” he said, turning to me. “And Rowan didn’t block you.”

I sighed. “I called—”

“I know,” my dad said, raising his hands. “I did it.” My jaw dropped.

Chapter 510

“What did you just say?” I staggered back to my chair and slumped down.

He looked at me pleadingly. “Please understand. When Rowan called me about your heat…I panicked.”

“Daddy,” I whispered, watching him wince as he registered the hurt in my voice. “Why?”

“I needed you to be focused,” he said, avoiding my eyes.

I laughed. “You needed me to focus?” I shook my head. “Wow.”

Rowan clenched his fists. “I came to you for advice,” he said through clenched teeth. “I needed a friend, and you just…kept me away from your daughter?”

My dad stared at him. “I trusted you with her wellbeing, and she was bullied, almost killed by Brandon, of all people, and then you left her to burn through her heat alone.” My dad growled. “Why would I ever trust you with her?” He turned to me. “But Amy is an amazing young woman, smart enough to choose her own man.” He turned back to Rowan. “Even if it’s you.”

“Then why?” Rowan growled.

“I already told you why. I needed Amy to focus on Vince and Brandon. And I needed you focused on Verity and the council.”

“Why was that your choice?” I asked, still reeling.

“I’m your father,” he replied, surprised by my question.

“I’m the king,” Rowan growled. “It’s not up to you who I talk to or what I focus on.”

“I knew what needed to be done.”

My mother, whose presence on the phone I’d forgotten, blew a raspberry. “My Gavin is a meddler. He thinks he knows best and manipulates people. Like when he lied to me about cheating.”

“It’s not like that,” he interjected.

But I laughed. “It’s exactly like that.” I grabbed my wine and drank half the bottle.

“Baby girl. I love you.” He seemed hurt by my agreement with my mother.

“Just because you said it doesn’t mean it erases the pain you caused,” I said, leveling him with a look. “I was angry he left, but I understood. And after my heat, I even respected him for it.” My eyes flicked to Rowan. “But the silence afterward shattered me.” I turned back to my dad. “You shattered me and made me think it was Rowan.”