Chapter 14 - CALEB’S SECRET DEALMaris confronted Caleb at a café after his scheduled visit with Eden.
He arrived late.
Again.
Eden was with a sitter Maris trusted.
She wanted no child in the room for this conversation.
Caleb sat.
“What?”
“You asked my father for half a million dollars to leave me.”
His face changed.
“Who told you?”
She laughed.
“So it’s true.”
“Maris—”
“How much did you think I was worth?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Then make it like something.”
Caleb rubbed his face.
“We were fighting.”
“We were engaged.”
“I was scared.”
“Of marriage?”
“Of your world.”
“So you asked my father to pay you.”
“I wanted to see what he’d do.”
Maris stared.
“That is the stupidest sentence you have ever said, and you once told me cryptocurrency was a retirement plan.”
Caleb flushed.
“He hated me.”
“Yes.”
“I knew he’d pay to get rid of me.”
“He didn’t.”
“No.”
“And you stayed.”
“I loved you.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
Maris’s eyes hardened.
“Or did refusing his money make staying feel more valuable?”
Caleb looked away.
She had hit something.
“Then after Eden was born you went back.”
“I needed capital.”
“You used my exhaustion as a pitch.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No?”
She leaned forward.
“You told him I was struggling.”
“You were.”
“You tried to become the middleman between me and my father.”
“I was trying to build something.”
“You were always building something.”
Her voice became quieter.
“Except a family.”
Caleb looked wounded.
“I love Eden.”
“Then show up.”
“I want more time.”
“You want leverage.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then why now?”
Silence.
“Why after the gala?”
He looked away.
Maris nodded.
“There.”
Caleb leaned back.
“You’re going to inherit billions.”
“I might inherit nothing.”
“You think August is going to leave Eden out?”
“That is none of your business.”
“She is my daughter.”
“Yes.”
“So her financial future is my business.”
“No.”
Maris’s voice became cold.
“Her emotional future is your business.”
She stood.
“Start there.”
Caleb grabbed his coffee.
“Genevieve was right about one thing.”
Maris stopped.
Slowly turned.
“What did you say?”
His face betrayed him.
Too late.
“You talked to her.”
Caleb said nothing.
Maris’s pulse quickened.
“What did you tell Genevieve?”
“Nothing private.”
“Caleb.”
“She contacted me.”
“Lie.”
He looked down.
“You contacted her.”
Silence.
Maris felt something settle.
Not panic.
Clarity.
“Good.”
Caleb frowned.
“Good?”
“Yes.”
She picked up her purse.
“Now I know where the next problem is coming from.”
She left.
Caleb stared after her.
He had expected anger.
Fear would have been better.
Fear made people reactive.
Maris looked prepared.
He pulled out his phone.
Genevieve had already messaged.
Did she suspect?
Caleb typed:
She knows we spoke.
May you like
Genevieve responded immediately.
Then we move faster.
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