She turned her back on whatever was going on inside Benjamin’s office, refusing to look again. She’d seen enough. “I’m glad you got what you wanted, Helen. I just hope he does, too.”
“Don’t worry, he’ll be just fine. He’s missed her ever since she left him. He loved her,” she added, pouring salt on the wounds she’d ripped into Maggie. “Always has, ever since they were children. You can’t compete with something like that.”
“I thought he left her,” she said.
“Is that what he told you?” The older woman laughed. “And you believed him? Have you seen her?”
Maggie didn’t say anything. She couldn’t, because her heart was being shredded with each passing moment.
And it hurt even more than losing her childhood home had.
“Poor, naive child.” She shook her head. “He probably wanted to save face, because he couldn’t get over losing her. This whole charade with you was a ploy to get her attention, and it worked.”
Maggie blinked rapidly. “I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to believe me. You saw it with your own eyes.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Run along now, child. Your job here is finished, and your parents will be needing you in this trying time.”
Maggie stole one last look at him. The kiss had ended. He paced back and forth, talking. She couldn’t see Elizabeth’s face, but it looked like she lifted her hands and covered it. Maggie wanted to yank them off until she had nothing but bloody stumps left on the ends of her arms. But his mother was right.
He was obviously done with her, and her parents would be—
“Wait a second.” She crossed her arms, understanding sinking in despite the pain wracking her. “How did you find out about my parents?”
“Oh. About that?” The other woman gave a gloating smile. “I’m the buyer.”
She shook her head, reeling. “What? Why?”
“It got rid of you.” Mrs. Gale shrugged. “And now you know that I could destroy your parents’ last chance of getting a profit out of that tiny piece of dry, unworkable land.” She snapped her fingers. “It would be that easy to ruin them. To ruin you.”
She curled her hands into fists, dropping her arms at her sides, and fought the urge that screamed at her to scratch the woman’s eyes out, one then the other. She was evil. Pure, unadulterated evil. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, but I would. And I’d enjoy it, too. It’s what I’m best at, squashing little ants that threaten my plans.” She pointed at the door. “So I suggest you leave before he sees you, and before I decide to step on you just for fun.”
Tears blurred her vision. “Why are you doing this to me…to us?”
“Oh, honey. We’ve been in a battle since the second I found you under that table.” She shrugged and stared over her shoulder. “And I refuse to do business with a woman like you for another second. Get out, or your parents lose everything.”
She glowered at her. “You’re a vile person. All you do is twist and turn things until you get what you want, and you treat your own son like a criminal. At some point, he’s going to stop accepting your hatred as his punishment. At some point, he’ll have enough, and you’ll lose him, too.”
Looking completely unaffected, she shrugged. “That might be true. But regardless, if you want my money to save your parents from living in destitution for the rest of their lives, run along quickly, and forget all about Benjamin Gale. He’s not for you.”
“You’re wrong. He’s not for you,” Maggie snapped. “You don’t deserve someone like him for a son. He’s a good guy, you’re just too much of a coldhearted bitch to appreciate it.”
The witch checked her watch. “If you miss that flight, I’ll retract my offer and spread word that the land isn’t worth anything. No one else will buy it, and your parents will be penniless. And it’ll be all your fault.”
“I—” Maggie glanced at Benjamin again.
He had his hands on Elizabeth’s shoulders and spoke quietly—completely oblivious to what his mother was doing to her just outside his door. Not that he cared. It was clear his mother had been telling the truth.
He’d gotten what he wanted—his ex.
And she had handed him to her on a gold platter.
Had Benjamin really done this? Had he used Maggie to get his ex back? Had he cared about her at all, or had it been an act? It didn’t matter, really. Her heart had just been ripped out of her chest, and he was happy with the woman he’d apparently always loved. He didn’t care about Maggie. He had what he wanted. He had Elizabeth.
Screw him.
They deserved each other.
Maggie stiffened, anger settling over her like a cloak, and walked away. As she passed her desk, she laid the ring he’d given her on it, right next to the credit card he insisted she take. She didn’t need the reminder that she’d leaped off a cliff for him, and he hadn’t caught her.
And she’d never forgive him for that.
Benjamin looked into Elizabeth’s eyes, willing himself to feel something—anything—for the woman quite literally begging him to marry her. But he got zilch, nada, zip. Instead, he found himself incredibly bored. And it only made him miss Maggie even more than he already did. What had she done to him?
Elizabeth stared up at him, all wide eyes and pouting lips. Her hands rested on his chest, and she rubbed him in a way that was probably supposed to arouse him, but was just annoying. “What are you saying?”
He tensed, unable to stand her hands moving over him for another second. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t spend the rest of his life with this woman.
Jesus, he’d rather die.
“I’m saying that I can’t marry you.” He forcibly removed her hands from his body. “You need to leave. Now.”
“But—”
He pointed to the door. “Leave. Now.”
She gathered her purse to her chest, hugging it, and her lower lip trembled. Unlike Maggie, she did nothing to attempt to stop it. Maggie…
Was he too late? Had she already left?
“You’re a real beast. You know that?” Elizabeth asked, sniffing.
“Yeah. I do.” He picked up his phone and swiped his finger across it. “I’m surprised it took you so long to notice, though.”
She swept off without another word.
He dialed Maggie’s number and prayed like hell that he wasn’t too late. That she hadn’t gotten on the plane yet.
She couldn’t leave him. He couldn’t let her. He loved her.
As the phone rang, he stared at a paper on the floor, squinting at the tiny print. The dates…they were off. This was dated a little over six years ago, right before his father had passed away. He blinked, just in case the booze was fucking with his head.
It wasn’t. These were old figures.
“What the hell?” he muttered, bending down and picking it up.
“That was uncalled for,” his mother said, making him jump and curse under his breath. The paper floated back to the floor. He let it. “She’s always been a nice girl. Far too nice for a spoiled brat such as yourself.”
He turned to his mother, the phone still held to his ear. “Jesus Christ. How long have you been standing there watching me?”
“Benjamin.” She scowled at him. “Language.”
Voicemail picked up, so he turned his back on his mother.
“Hey, it’s Maggie. I’m not available at the moment, so leave a message. Bye.”
He swallowed hard, her voice sending a shaft of agony rushing through his veins. “It’s me. Call me back. We need to talk.” He paused, glanced at his mother, and added, “I’m sorry. Please. Call me.” He hung up and slid his phone across the desk.
“She’s gone.” His mother crossed her arms. “I watched her go.”
He froze, his heart pounding full speed ahead. “When did you see her?”