“Because they’re in your pocket.”
A small nod of acknowledgment. “Maybe so. Or maybe your family name doesn’t hold any weight in this city since he was indicted for fraud.”
I absorb the blow without any outward sign. My hopes and dreams may lie in ribbons on the ridiculously thick carpet, but he’ll never see me flinch. “Yes, my father did those things. I didn’t cheat you.”
“Didn’t you? I seem to recall paying for a full month of your services.”
My cheeks heat. “You sent me away.”
“And if I want you again?”
Too late. That’s what I want to tell him, but I can’t afford to lose the escrow. Not when there’s a chance I can buy back my mother’s house. “My mother never did anything to you.”
“What does Helen James have to do with this?”
I narrow my eyes at the sound of her name on his lips.
