Tati frowned, confused. ‘What do you mean, close them down? You just paid a fortune for them.’
Brett cracked his knuckles luxuriously. ‘You said it yourself: I know nothing about education. Why waste time and money on a business I don’t understand? No, no, my dear. Real estate, that’s my bag. Hamilton Hall’s Clapham site is just begging to be turned into apartment blocks. I thought Seventh Avenue might make a nice little boutique hotel. At the price you negotiated, it’s a steal.’
Tati gasped. ‘You bastard. You’re going to strip the assets!’
‘You make it sound so dirty,’ chided Brett.
‘You lied to my board!’
‘I did nothing of the kind. It’s hardly my fault if they couldn’t be bothered to do their due diligence. Blinded by the pound signs in their eyes, I imagine. Don’t look so shocked, Tatiana.’ He laughed. ‘All I’m doing is maximizing the value of my acquisition. It’s not personal. It’s business.’
‘Like fuck it is.’ Walking over to where Brett stood, she faced him down, drawing herself up to her full height. ‘It couldn’t be more personal. You’re a hateful, immoral, disgusting man. You don’t care about anything or anyone but yourself.’
Brett’s smile wilted. ‘You bloody hypocrite,’ he snarled. ‘Look in the mirror some time, Tatiana. You rode roughshod over your own board, then you cut a deal behind their backs. You think you can swim with sharks and not get bitten?’
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ quivered Tati.
‘You deserved to lose those schools. My only regret is you made so much damn money out of it.’
‘I don’t care about the money.’
‘Oh, bullshit,’ said Brett. ‘Money’s all you care about. That’s why you married my son. You’re a greedy, lying bitch. And you have the gall to stand here and lecture me about betrayal! You thought nothing about betraying Jason with that slimeball Di Clemente. I saw you, remember.’
‘For fuck’s sake. Jason knows about Leon,’ said Tati.
‘Oh really? And I suppose you’re going to tell me he’s fine with his whore of a wife sleeping around, are you? That the two of you have an “open marriage”? Do you think I was born yesterday?’
‘He’s gay, you idiot!’ Tati blurted out in anger. ‘Your precious son plays for the other side. Didn’t know that, did you, Mr “I have my sources” Cranley?’
Brett looked at her with utter revulsion.
‘You’d make up something like that, just to excuse your own behaviour?’ He shook his head. ‘You’re ill, Tatiana.’
‘And you’re blind,’ said Tati. ‘Then again, when it comes to Jason, you always have been. Enjoy America. You won’t be missed.’
She strode out, slamming the door behind her.
The euphoria and adrenaline she’d felt, getting the last word and leaving Brett so utterly blindsided, soon faded. She’d just outed Jason to his own father. She should never have done that. But, as usual, Brett had pushed her to the brink.
She jumped into a black cab, her thoughts racing, and switched on her phone. The voicemail symbol was flashing.
‘You have … nine … new messages,’ the familiar, automated voice informed her. ‘To listen to your messages, press one.’
Nine? Her phone had only been off for twenty minutes, while she was in Brett’s offices. Nine calls seemed a bit excessive.
Pressing one, Tati immediately held the phone away from her ear. The voice was a woman’s and she was ranting hysterically. It took a few moments for Tati to realize who she was, and a few more to make any sense of what she was saying.
But when she did, all thoughts of Brett Cranley and Hamilton Hall flew out of her head.
She had to get home.
Now.
‘George is George Wilkes?’
As soon as she got home, Tati pulled Jason into her study and closed the door.
‘Yes.’
He looked so bleak, Tati couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I couldn’t. I wanted to, but … George has a family. It’s complicated.’
‘I’ll say.’ Tati sank down onto the sofa. ‘So Maddie really had no idea?’
‘None at all. Till today. It was awful.’
Jason sat down beside her, pale and shaking, as if he’d just stepped out of a car crash. Which, in a way, he had.
‘I still can’t believe George Wilkes …’ Tati shook her head in astonishment. Bizarrely it felt much more shocking to learn that George was gay, and not just gay but Jason’s lover, than it had been to find out about Jason. ‘How long have you two been together?’
‘A long time,’ said Jason. ‘There are people in the art world who know. But George has always been very discreet. We both have. We never took risks.’