I lean into him, the biggest smile on my face. It’s strange to be here, in the same place we met, so many years later. Life nearly tore us apart, but we made it. Through adversity, we made it.
“Dad,” Silas says, his tone regretful. “When you passed away, I made you a promise. I told you that I’d take care of Ryan in your stead, that I’d protect him from Mona, and that no harm would come to him.” He inhales shakily and runs a hand through his hair. “I’m going to have to break that promise. I hope you’ll forgive me. I’ve done my best, Dad. I’ve given him as many chances as I could, but I’m done. I can’t save him when he’s the one that’s knowingly and willingly walking down this path. I’m sorry.”
Silas wraps his arm around me, and I look up at him. The pain I see in his gaze tears me apart, even more so because I know I played a part in it too. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to make up for everything he’s had to endure. That’s the tricky thing about memories. The ones we most want to forget will forever haunt us, and the ones we want to hang onto fade day by day.
“What are you going to do?”
Silas inhales deeply and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. “What I should have done long ago.”
Chapter Eighty-One
Silas
I suspected this day would come, but I’ve done everything in my power to keep it from happening. I was even willing to overlook the harm his mother did me, letting the lawyer walk instead of detaining him, but I should have known better.
I should have realized that Ryan needs to learn how to handle the consequences of his actions, the way I had to. Shielding him from everything the way I did only allowed his mother to bury her claws into him that much deeper, taking him beyond salvation.
I stand by the choice I’m making today, but that doesn’t make it any easier. I glance at the police officer next to me and nod, standing back as he knocks on Mona’s door.
Ryan opens the door, and regret hits me hard. I know this is going to hurt him, but I’m done burying the truth for his benefit. “Silas? What is the meaning of this?”
Mona appears behind him and Officer Davis glances at me. He and I have worked together on cases Sinclair Security has provided consultancy services for, but today is more of a personal favor. I nod at him, and he straightens.
“Mona Wright, you are under arrest on account of forgery of your husband’s will.” Ryan’s eyes widen as Officer Davis reads out her rights to her, and she sends her son a panicked look, but Ryan is looking at me.
“It’s really true?” he asks, his voice breaking.
I nod. “You know it is.”
“Ryan! Do something! Please, tell your brother to stop this. It’s all part of his vendetta against us. He’s just doing this to hurt us, Ry. This is what he’s like. Please, talk some sense into him. Don’t let him do this to me.”
He glances at his mother and takes a step back. Mona freezes in surprise, her gaze moving toward me. “What did you tell him?” she asks, her tone harsh.
“Nothing. I didn’t have to, Mona. You did this all by yourself. I would’ve let it go, you know? For Ryan, I would have spared you. You fucked up when you touched Alanna. Even then, I let it go, knowing Ryan wasn’t in on it. You should’ve counted your lucky stars and let it be once she came back to me. You never should have tried to use her to get to my assets. If you’d stayed away from her, you’d have been left with the money I paid you to acquire what you lost. Now? Now you’ll lose everything, the way I once did.”
Officer Davis leads her away, and Ryan watches her without a word. “We have the lawyer’s taped confession, but he’s told me he kept evidence too, in case she didn’t pay him his share after the deed was done. He’s willing to turn it in to lessen his own forgery sentence. She’s going to jail, Ryan.”
He nods and looks down at his feet. “I’m sorry, Silas. I didn’t see it at the time. I didn’t realize that my own mother was manipulating me to hurt you. Even when you pointed it out, I refused to acknowledge it and continued to hurt you. I know what I’ve done to you, to Alanna.” He runs a hand through his hair and stares up at the sky. “After I ripped up the papers you signed, I confronted my mother, and she told me the report she’d given me was false. I should’ve known then that she must have lied about more than just that. It doesn’t make anything right, but I truly thought I was protecting Alanna by warning her against you. The reports were just so… I guess it was convenient for me to believe it. It was easier than believing that she simply chose you over me, that I’d lost the one girl I’ve ever loved. But you were right when you told me that she was never mine. I see it now, and nothing I do or say will ever make up for the pain I’ve caused.”