Chapter 150

Aria’s POV

“There’s no need to look so shocked,” Markus said. “Surely, after all this time, you wouldn’t turn away a visit from your father-in-law.”

I could only gape at him for a moment. He was here, the man of Liam’s nightmares, the one who made his waking life hell.

He wasn’t what I expected, even having seen his picture. That photo must have been taken some time ago, before his illnesses started to creep in. Now, he was thinner, frailer. I wondered if he was staying in the car as a slight against me, or if he physically lacked the strength to leave it.

For this reason, I didn’t take offense to this potential insult. From what Liam had told me about his father, I knew plenty more insults would soon follow anyway.

“This talk between us is long overdue,” Markus said. “I should have approached you long ago, when I realized the effect you had on my son. Such a slight thing you are… So very plain.” He glanced down the length of me and back again. “I have no idea how you’ve manage to gain so much power over my son.”

“It’s not power,” I said. “I care about him.” From what I heard, that was more than Markus could say. While I was irritated by his comments against my appearance and the implication that I had some manipulative influence over Liam, I wasn’t angry enough to snap back at a dying man. Not yet, anyway.

“Charming,” Markus said, frowning. “But that won’t pay the bills when they come due. Money is the only truly important thing in this world, Aria. Love is fleeting. Looks come and go. Money brings security and safety. It also makes legends out of men.”

“You can’t take money with you when you meet the end,” I said.

“Perhaps not,” Markus agreed. “But because of it, I will leave behind a legacy of wealth and power. My name will be remembered for long after I’m gone. Future generations will know that I was a successful, intelligent businessman.”

But a lousy father, I kept myself from saying, biting down on my bottom lip. Unfortunately, there was some truth to what Markus said. His legacy could remember him as a ruthless yet successful businessman. How he treated his family would be left only as a footnote. That wouldn’t bother a man like Markus, who place so much stock in money and legacy – and only in that.

“I have something for you,” Markus said. “Something that should help smooth this transition for you.”

Transition? I didn’t like the sound of that.

Markus looked away for a moment, searching for something beside him on the seat. When he found it, he reached out and handed it to me. Accepting it, I looked down at it and frowned.

This was a check. A check with a lot of zeros.

A check for $5 million dollars, made out to me.

“What is this?” I asked, because it didn’t seem real. But Markus wouldn’t give me a fake check, not with his reputation and his wealth. This had to be real.

“Let’s call it compensation,” Markus said. “You married Liam and gave him Joe. You deserve something in return.”

“I can’t accept this,” I said, trying to give it back. He held up his hands refusing to accept it.

“Don’t be ridiculous, girl. The check will clear. You won’t get into any trouble.”

Was that why he thought I wanted to return it? He couldn’t imagine the reason was because I just didn’t want it?

$5 million was an excessive amount. It would set me for life.

But I knew there was a cost attached to this money, and that cost was likely Liam. $5 million wasn’t nearly enough to make me want to give up my husband and the father of my children.

Markus was only here because he thought he could buy me out and make all of his problems disappear. He didn’t realize that I was only part of his problem. What he really hated was that Liam was an adult man who could make his own decisions, and those decisions directly countered Markus’s plans for him.

“If you truly love Liam, and I can tell that you do,” Markus said, “Then you will take the money and divorce my son. I’m not asking you to let nothing go but the title of being his wife.”

I knew it. I knew he would ask me to leave Liam – except… what was that last thing he said?

“I don’t understand.”

“Liam will marry Joanna,” Markus said, as if it was all so simple. To him, maybe it was. “But you cannot believe their marriage, while of vital importance, would be built on love. My son, and his foolish heart, can remain yours.”

Slowly, the pieces started to fall into place. “You want me to be Liam’s mistress.”

“Publically, he will have to appear to events and the like with Joanna on his arm, but there is no reason that you cannot keep his bed warm at night.”

Disgust rose, hot and acidic, within me. Coupled with my rage, I grabbed that check with both hands and ripped it up into five million tiny pieces.

Markus’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “What have you done? Why on earth would you do that?”

“I don’t want your money,” I told him. “I don’t need $5 million dollars. Who I need is Liam, and his kids need him too.”

“The kids would go with him, of course,” Markus said. “That was never a question.”

“Now you want me to part with my kids as well?”

“You don’t have to part with anything but the title of wife,” Markus said, his voice growing icy with impatience. “As I previously discussed.”

“The answer is no,” I snapped. “A thousand times, no.”

With a sigh, Markus shook his head lightly. “I should have known you’d be as unreasonable as him.” Markus turned back toward the seat of the car. Through the window, I watched as he lifted a checkbook onto his lap and opened it. As simple as can be.

A $5 million check, written as easily as anything.

He tore the new check out of his checkbook and handed it over to me.

“Don’t waste this one, and don’t be hasty,” he said. “You should take your time to decide. Give it one week to clear your mind. If, after a week, you still wish to remain married to Liam and deny this money, then you can return it to me.”

I stared at the check like the blight it was. I didn’t want anything to do with it, or have it in my life in any way. $5 million dollars would mean that Joe and William wouldn’t have to want for anything. They could go to any college they wanted. If something were to happen, we could cover any medical bills.

But the cost was still too high. Even for that peace of mind, I’d rather have Liam.

“One week to think it over,” Markus said. “That’s all I’m asking from you.”

Markus was a horrible man, I could see that now, with him offering me this temptation and pushing for me to consider it.

My heart was still hardened against accepting his request, but even so…

One week was not all that long. Then, after it was over, maybe Markus would finally see that Liam and I were for real and back off.

I took the check. “One week,” I said.