Unbound, Boundless Series, Book 2

Chapter Seven

When I had enough of sitting behind the desk in the sales office, I went to the locker room to change for a thirty-minute workout. I felt like a teen sneaking out of the house without permission but one of the perks of working at a gym was using its offerings. The fitness area was quiet on a mid-Monday morning in summer. I closed the sales office door, which locked itself behind me. After taking a few steps away from the office, I heard my name called by a woman. I knew it wasn't Chelsea or any of my colleagues. Before turning, I put my customer service face on, and saw Stella Keene Fanning, Matt's younger sister, walking toward me. She smiled warmly when our eyes met.

"Hi, Perla," she said with a sigh and a sad tone of sympathy in her voice.

"Stella. What a surprise?" I responded. '

I can't believe he fucking sent his baby sister to plead his case.

"Can we speak privately?" She asked.

I wasn't in the mood to speak to anyone associated with Matt, but I wasn't going to be rude to her. Stella was kind to me when I attended a special dinner she had cooked for us. Her family was gracious and loving. Matt's niece, Leona, was the most beautiful little girl I'd ever seen. I could be a royal bitch, but I wasn't going to bare my claws at her.

"Yes," I returned to the sales office and unlocked the door. Stella followed me in. I offered her a seat and sat in my chair. "I take it you're not here for a membership, so I'll save my spiel." I gave her a soft smile and asked, "What can I do for you?"

"First, let me say how sorry I am about your breakup." She leaned in and spoke in a gentle tone.

"Did Matt tell you the entire story?" I interrupted, needing to know how much she knew.

"Yes. I made him tell me everything. At least, I think he told me everything—from Brassi to Liberty Inn." I nodded, knowing he hadn't left anything out. Her lips pursed grimly.

"Then you must understand I can't continue with a relationship with someone who was involved in a scheme set to destroy my life," I said evenly. I didn't want to argue with her but I couldn't let her or anyone else from Matt's camp steamroll me. Yet, her having made an effort to personally reach out to me, I would try to be respectful.

"I hope you can try." Her smile was warm and her eyes bright. I admired her dedication and support of her brother. However, I also wondered what kind of woman would ask another woman to reward a man's betrayal.

"I'm too angry to try, Stella. I'm hurt and humiliated. To put it in perspective, despite being accused by my husband of many years of embezzling from the family business, throwing me out of my home with only my clothes, and demanding I repay a massive amount of debt, I wasn't as hurt, humiliated or angry with him as I am with Matt," I answered coldly. Stella leaned back and looked down at her hands, obviously disappointed by my response.

"He does love you, you know. When he visited me, before traveling to Spain, he told me about you. I could tell by his smile, the sound of his voice, and how he spoke about you, you're special. He didn't have to use the actual 'L' word for us to know you are the one," she said.

"Does he know you're here?" I asked, wondering if he'd sent her.

"No," she replied emphatically. "Matt has never included the family in his romantic life. This is all new to us. He's only brought two women home," she revealed. "The other didn't last long either."

I swallowed the stone that had lodged itself in my throat while thinking of Sonia, Matt's ex-wife.

"From early on, my parents could tell Matt was different than the other boys. He was super smart and slightly socially awkward. He'd sit back and watch the world go by, observing things and people. He's still quiet, but when he's comfortable with a person, he's so engaging and funny. Girls flocked to him since he was a boy. He'd always been handsome, tall, and strong. I remember all my friends in middle school had a massive crush on him, but he was never interested. He'd completely ignore every girl who showed even a hint of attraction, and forget about the girls who were aggressive." She waved a dismissive hand. "He didn't talk about having a crush on a girl or having a girlfriend while in school. I actually thought he was gay. He had so many guy friends and they were all handsome and smart. In boarding school, he was inseparable from his friends, who you've met," she disclosed.