Only A Millionaire

Chapter 14

BROOKE

"I'm so sorry, Brooke. None of us ever meant to hurt you."

     My sister, Jade, was crying as she sat on  the  couch  of  my  apart-

ment in Citrus Beach.

    Thank God one if us still lives in the same place.

    I think I was the only one in my  family  whose  life   had   stood  still

while I'd been gone.

    Every  member  of  my  family  except  me  now  owned   a   residence

on the water in the most prestigious area of the  city  of  Citrus  Beach.  I

hadn't seen ay of my siblings' homes  yet, but  I  was  comforted  by  the

sameness of my  own  apartment, which  I'd   lived  in  for  several  years.

    "I know that," I said grudgingly.

     I wanted  to  stay  angry  about  the  fact  that  every  member  of  my

family  had  betrayed   me   including  Evan, but  reality  was   slowly  set

ting in. All of them had acted out of love and concern.

    "It. almost  killed  me   every   time  I  talked  to  you. You're  my  best

friend. I wanted to  be  able  to  share  everything  with  you," Jade  said

tearfully.

      My  heat  squeezed   knowing   that   keeping   the   truth   quiet   had

been difficult for all of them.

    I'd  had  an  escort  from   Evan's   security   force   with   me   until   I'd

finally   stepped   into   my   apartment.  I'd    dismissed   them,  but   they

hadn't actually stopped watching out  for  me  until  Jade   had  gotten  to

my  place. They  must  have  had   instructions  from  Evan  not  to  depart

until my family was with me.

     I'd  left  Amesport  with    my   mind   completely   overloaded,  and   I

hadn't  trusted  Evan. But  as  the  entire  picture  came  into   focus,  and

Jade told me more  about  all  Evan  had  done  for  my  family, I  couldn't

help but regret the reckless things I'd said to him.

    "Evan didn't deserve the things I said to him," I told Jade.

     She swiped at  her  tears  as  she  answered, "He's  done  nothing  but

nice things  to  help  since  he  found  us. He  joked  about  never  missing

the  money, and maybe  they  didn't  miss  it. But  my  mind  is  still  blown

over the fact that he saved and  invested  for  us  all  those  years. I  guess

we  all  trust   his   judgement  now. He  is  one  of  the  savviest   business

minds in the world."

    "I  was  angry," I  explained. "I  said  some  mean  things  to   him   that

he didn't deserve. Honestly, I think I was scared."

     "Because things have changed?" Jade asked thoughtfully.

     I  nodded. "It seems  unreasonable  now, but  I  guess  I  was  looking