“Kent, don’t you dare!”
Laurinda’s smile faltered again. She stared at him, worry creeping across her face.
She’d dealt with Kent too many times not to know—if he said he’d do something, he meant it.
A wave of anxiety prickled beneath her skin.
She had thought that hiding her son abroad was enough, that she’d been careful—painstakingly so. Each time she visited him, she changed flights multiple times, even mapped out tourist routes just to throw Kent off her trail.
But he still found out.
“What makes you think I won’t?” Kent’s mouth twisted into a mocking grin. “Aunt Laurinda, you have shares in the Parsons Group. Sure, it’s not much, but with what those are worth, you could live more than comfortably. So why is it never enough for you?”
Even with a son to support, the boy was old enough to stand on his own by now. Did she really intend to keep coddling him forever?
Besides, the money she drew from the Parsons Group was more than enough for the both of them.
Laurinda had other side businesses to her name, too.
The table fell into a sudden hush. Laurinda picked up her glass of wine and took a slow sip, her gaze fixed on Kent, her eyes shadowed with something unreadable.
After a moment, she spoke. “It’s not about the shares, not really. What I want is recognition—a place at the table.”
Kent said nothing, the silence between them thickening.

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