Chapter <b>57 </b>
After Ben hung up, he just sat <b>there </b>on the couch,pletely silent.
Zoey came in, phone still in her hand. She’d just finished a call with an investor, and the things he’d said were enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.
She was about to talk strategy with Ben–figure out what to do next–but when she saw him, the words caught in her throat. He looked furious, his face dark and unreadable.
“What happened?” she asked.
Ben didn’t look at her. “Call your brother. Tell him toe home.”
Nina didn’t dare ask questions. She pulled out her phone and dialed Joseph. He picked up right away he was just leaving the wine shop and heading home.
Less than thirty minutester, Joseph walked into the living room.
He barely made it through the door before Ben hurled a book at him. It hit him square in the forehead, and blood instantly began to trickle down his face. The pain made his head spin. “Dad?” he managed.
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“Do you even know who Patricia’s uncle is?” Ben demanded.
Joseph just shrugged, lookingpletely unconcerned. “Isn’t he with the Parsons family? Who else?” Honestly, if the Parsons really cared about her, would they have let her marry Theo? She was just an orphan–why would they go out of their way for her?
“Isn’t he just-“Ben’s voice exploded, cutting Joseph off. His eyes shed with anger.
“Atticus was your father’smander,” Zoey said quietly, stepping in. She looked at Joseph, her disappointment obvious. He was ambitious, smart–maybe too smart for his own good–but he never learned to hold back.
“When your father left the service, we didn’t have enough for your grandma’s medical bills. It was Atticus who gave us two hundred thousand. He saved her life.” Zoey’s voice shook, just a little. “And when your dad made it, tried to pay him back, Atticus wouldn’t take a penny.” You can’t ever really repay someone for saving your mother.
If it weren’t for Atticus, there wouldn’t even be a Miller family now.
Zoey’s tone turned steely. “You might look down on Patricia. Maybe your fights didn’t mean much to the Parsons. But this time, you crossed a line. You grabbed her by the throat in public, pulled her out of her wheelchair. How do you think her family’s going to take that?”
Joseph was silent, hand pressed to his bleeding forehead.
“Tomorrow, you’reing with me to apologize. And you’ll do it properly.”
The next morning at ten, Atticus’s flightnded at Riverdale International Airport. Jackson spotted him right away and hurried over.
Atticus had barely said hello when a voice called out from across the terminal: “Mr. Parsons!” He looked up–it was Ben, and Joseph was with him.
13:27
Jackson muttered under his breath, “They’ve got some nerve showing up.” He nced at Atticus. “Want me to wait nearby?”
“No need. Let’s go,” Atticus replied, not bothering to hide hisck of interest in chatting with the <fncbbe> Get full chapters from find(?)ovel</fncbbe>
Millers.
Jackson drove Atticus straight to the hotel they’d already booked. Once they’d checked in, Atticus frowned. “You’re not taking me home<b>?</b>”
“Miss said the hotel would be easier,” Jackson exined, though the truth was, there wasn’t much left at the house anymore. Besides, they’d all be leaving in four days anyway.
Lunchtime rolled around before long.
Patricia had reserved a private room at a Riverdale restaurant nearby.
The ce was big, but only Chelsea was there with her.
“I’ve told you a million times, you should’ve left Riverdale when you had the chance. But you never listen,” Chelsea said.
Patricia poured tea for her uncle and sighed, helpless. “Uncle, even if I’d left, I’d still be thinking about this ce.”
“If you’re stuck on the past, it doesn’t matter where you go. You’ll still be carrying the weight,” Atticus said gently. “Sometimes it’s better to face things head–on.”
Before he could say more, Chelsea jumped in. “Why are you lecturing her? It’s not like she can’t make her own decisions.”