Filed to story: Sedona Preston and Logan Hayes Book PDF Free
The rage burning through me was unlike anything I’d felt before. I wanted to find Logan Hayes and make him understand what it meant to hurt my sister. I wanted to find his mother and tell her exactly what kind of person she was. I wanted to shake some sense into a six-year-old boy who didn’t understand what he was losing.
But violence wouldn’t help Sedona. What she needed was support, love, and medical care. She had been given none of that for a long time, and it was going to change.
“I’m going to make him pay,” I said, turning back to her. “This Logan-I’m going to destroy him, Sedona. I’m going to-“
“No.” She shook her head tiredly. “No, Cam. I don’t want to waste whatever time I have left on them. I don’t want revenge or justice or whatever you’re planning. I just want to go home. I want to see Mom and Dad. I want to spend my last three months with people who actually love me.”
The casual way she said “last three months” made my chest tight. “You’re not dying. We’re going to fight this.”
Cameron’s POV
“Cam-“
“No, listen to me. I’ve already contacted Dr. Helena Morrison. She’s expecting your medical records, and she’s consulting with specialists at MD Anderson and Mayo Clinic. We’re going to explore every option, no matter what just to make sure that you have a chance at survival. We are not going to accept this easily. Money is no object, Sedona. If there’s a treatment anywhere in the world that can help you, we’ll find it.”
Tears were rolling down her face again, but she was smiling as she rolled her eyes exasperated with him.
“You always were the fixer. Always trying to solve everything.”
“Someone has to.” I sat back down, taking her hands in mine. They were so cold. “And you’re not going to die on me, do you understand? I just got you back. I’m not losing you again.”
“I thought you’d all hate me,” she whispered, playing with her fingers, unable to look at me in the eyes.
“I thought after what I did-running away, disappearing, never calling-I thought you’d never want to see me again. I had disgraced my family, all of you, I was prepared to be disowned as soon as I made a call, so I never did.”
“Sedona.” I squeezed her hands gently. “You are our habibti. Mom and Dad’s precious daughter. My baby sister. Nothing you could do would ever change that. We were worried sick about you, yes. We were heartbroken. But we never stopped loving you. Not for a single moment.”
She closed her eyes, and I saw the tension finally leave her shoulders. How long had she been carrying this fear? How many years had she spent believing she was alone? That she had burned a lot of bridges that couldn’t have been repaired again.
“They want to come,” I said carefully, watching her reaction to see if it was something that she wanted to hear at this point.
“Mom and Dad. When I told them I’d found you, Mom wanted to get on the plane immediately. Dad’s been calling me every hour for updates. They love you so much, Sedona. They want to see you.”
“I want to see them too,” she said, tears gathering in her eyes once more as she wiped them away as she continued speaking.
“But not yet. Not here. I need to handle some things first.”
“What things?”
“The divorce. Saying goodbye to…” She paused, swallowing hard. “There are things I need to do before I leave Chicago. People I need to see. I need to close this chapter properly. I would not feel any regret after I leave. I want to sever all ties that I have in this place.”
I didn’t like it, wanted to bundle her onto a plane tonight and get her home where she belonged, back to the fussing care of our parents and butler that will make sure she is provided with anything she needs.
But I understood why she had to do this. Sedona had always been thorough, had always needed to finish Things completely before moving on. That way, she won’t look back on it,
“How long do you need?”,
“A few days. Maybe a week at most.”
“Alright. But you’re not staying in this room.” I pulled out my phone. “I’m getting you moved to the Presidential Suite. And I’m staying here with you until we leave for Seattle.”
“Cam, that’s not necessary-“
“It’s not negotiable. You’re sick, Sedona. You need someone with you.”
She opened her mouth to argue, then seemed to think better of it. “Thank you,” she said instead.
“For everything. For not asking questions, for just… being here.”
“Always,” I promised. “I will always be here for you.”
Sedona POV
The Presidential Suite had to be ridiculous at this point, it was an absurdly luxurious two bedrooms, a full kitchen, floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Lake Michigan, furniture that probably cost more than most people’s cars. It felt wrong somehow, being kept in a place that held so much opulence, when ! was at my lowest point in life, fighting a terminal illness.
That night, I slept better than I had in months, knowing that I had my brother next room and I wasn’t alone anymore.
The next morning, Cameron appeared at my bedroom door with a breakfast tray, as he carried it in, his sleeves rolled up at the elbow as he continued speaking.
“You’re eating all of this,” he said firmly, setting it on the bed. “No arguments.”
I managed about half of the entire tray, eating more of what he wanted me to focus on before my stomach revolted, but Cameron seemed satisfied. Then he pulled out his phone and made a call.
“Marcus? I need the best divorce attorney in Chicago. Someone ruthless. Someone who destroys people for a living… Yes, I know it’s Sunday… I don’t care if you have to offer him triple his usual fee. Get me a meeting today. Remember I need nothing but the best, not anyone will do, get me someone with an impressive case histories.”
By noon, we were in the suite’s living room with Harold Finch, a man in a tailored and expensive suit who looked like he could smell blood in the water from miles away.
“Mrs. Hayes,” he said, shaking my hand with a grip not too tight as he nodded at me. “Your brother has explained the situation. I’m very sorry for what you’re going through.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, let’s talk strategy. In a divorce, we typically want to make sure that you get a lot when leaving him and also secure favorable custody arrangements. Given your husband’s infidelity-and yes, what he’s doing with Ms. Katherine absolutely qualifies as infidelity even if it hasn’t been physical, which I doubt-we can likely get you a very generous settlement. Half of all marital assets, alimony, child support-“
I don’t want any of it,” I interrupted.
Harold blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“I don’t want his money. I don’t want alimony or child support. I just want out. I still have my trust fund, don’t I?”
I looked at Cameron. “I never touched it. It’s still sitting in the Preston family accounts, isn’t it?”
Sedona’s POV
Cameron nodded slowly, not certain where I was going with this. I nodded once, pleased with his answer, I still have my trust fund to fall back on, there was no need delaying the inevitable. Logan would only frustrate my life and keep it as a stalemate.
