Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 48

Vincent glared at Alicia from across the office, his brow furrowed in clear anger. "Who got you that spot? Tyrone? Do you have any idea that Tyrone Lynch has an agenda with you?"

Alicia met his gaze, voice sharp. "Who doesn't have an agenda around me? When you pulled me out of school all those years ago, wasn't that for your own reasons? Weren't you just protecting Lawson & Co.'s reputation, trying to quiet my anger, to keep me from going to the police and tarnishing your image?"

Vincent looked away, suddenly uneasy. "Alicia, do you really have to keep holding on to the past? I've done everything I can to make it up to you these years. Have I really treated you so badly?"

Alicia let out a laugh. "You really think you've been good to me? If I'd gone to the police back then, Mira, Henry, and Cecilia would have faced criminal charges. I lost hearing in my left ear forever, I had multiple broken bones, and I nearly went blind! You know exactly how many years in prison they would've gotten."

All those years—Vincent's payments for her rent, tuition, a bit of living money—didn't even add up to what she should have received in damages.

"Tell me, Vincent," Alicia pressed, "would you really let Mira go to jail? I heard she smashed a bottle over some rich girl's head at a bar, and you spent nearly a million and handed over a major project just to buy the other family's forgiveness. Am I not worth that much to you?"

She'd been easy prey—a teenage orphan with no real experience, dazzled by a slice of cake and a bouquet of flowers. It had been so easy for Vincent to win her over.

Even now, whenever he bothered to visit, he'd show up with a little cake, some ice cream, a few flowers. Not that those gifts were bad. The problem was that Vincent never really put any heart into them.

"So what, you think I'm upset because you didn't give me enough?" Vincent shot back, his own temper rising. He yanked her closer by the arm. "And what about Tyrone? What did he promise you? Are you so desperate that you'd just throw yourself at him to be his mistress?"

Alicia tried to wrench free, glaring at him. "Yes, I'm that ‘desperate.' Tyrone promised me three million a year. Can you?"