CHAPTER TEN:
NO PLACE LIKE HOME

JULIETTE NEVER MADE IT TO MIAMI. She didn't even make it to the airport. Half way there, she received a call from her doctor saying that her husband had called him, asking if he could talk some sense into her. He also said that her husband was right and advised her not to fly. If she did, there would be major risks to her pregnancy. So she did the best thing for her daughter and turned the car around.

Juliette didn't want to go home, but she had nowhere else to go. The only family she had was her mother. She couldn't go to her in-laws because they were just starting the divorce process and she didn't want to add any unnecessary strain. She didn't want to go to Joni and Meg, and certainly not Walter. She considered calling one of her friends, or even her assistant, Emma, but all were busy with their own lives and she didn't want to intrude.

That left the only option: Home.

When she pulled into the long driveway, she could see Ransom standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. She could just imagine the smug look on his face.

Juliette parked the car and got out as swiftly as she could. When she reached the door, she didn't bother stopping to formally greet her husband. She just moved past him and pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head. "Get my bags," she ordered simply, still bitter that he had called her doctor and had her grounded.

Ransom gave her a smirk. "Have a nice time in Miami?"

Juliette rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen. "Wipe that stupid smirk off your face, Hugh." She sipped her juice as her husband brought her belongings in from her car.

When he was done, he sauntered into the kitchen with a smirk on his face. Juliette was sitting on one of the barstools watching him as he grabbed a beer from the fridge.

How can he act like everything's fine? She always knew Ransom was an expert at masking his emotions, but after years of firsthand experience, she could tell that this was different. It was almost like there were no emotions to mask—like he just brushed everything off of his shoulders.

Juliette searched her mind for answers she knew she didn't have. One question that hasn't been answered yet is why Ransom did what he did. In her opinion, there was no reason good enough to justify his actions.

Sure, he was angry at Harlan for cutting him out of his will, but Juliette highly doubted that his anger was the sole reason for resorting to murder. The only thing Ransom would have lost in the will was his inheritance, but money wasn't an issue for them seeing as Juliette ran a multimillion dollar company. So why did he do it? Why did he go through all the trouble? What did he gain? How was he doing it for them?

All these questions floated through her mind as she sat across from her husband. He gave her a questioning look when he noticed that she was analyzing him thoughtfully.

"Why'd you do it?" Juliette blurted out. Ransom didn't say a word, so she continued on. "You said you did everything for us, how? Why? There was nothing for you to gain from this."

"What are you?" Ransom scoffed. "My therapist?"

"No," Juliette said with the shake of her head. "I'm your wife who deserves some answers. You've caused me so much grief and I'm trying to process it."

The corner of his lips curled up and Ransom turned his head. "What stage of grief are you in now, huh? Bargaining?"

"Yup. Now answer the questions."

Ransom thought for a moment before answering. "What kind of a man am I if I can't provide for my family?"

Juliette's eyebrows raised. "So it was a pride thing?"

His statement sounded better in his head. "No," he said in a levelled tone. "It's just—Marta can't just swoop in and take everything my family has a right to. We took her in, we treated her like one of us, and this is the thanks we get?"

"You're such an entitled prick," Juliette muttered. "Since when do you care about your family? You'd blast them all to hell if you could!"

Ransom didn't say anything as he let her words sink in. She was right. He didn't care much for his family anymore. He used to when he was younger, always breaking his back for their respect. But when he went off to college, he realized that he was never going to get it and started doing whatever he wanted. His family had already dubbed him the black sheep and there was no changing their minds.

There was a beat of silence, then he spoke again. "When you told me you were pregnant, I swore to myself that I'd do everything and anything for you and that baby. My inheritance would've gone directly to her. You wouldn't have to worry about anything."

"Ransom," Juliette let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "We're lucky enough that money has, nor ever will be a problem. You know this."

Ransom shrugged and averted his gaze away from his wife. "I guess it's one of those things where my heart was in the right place, but everything else wasn't."

Juliette got off of the barstool she was sitting on and placed her now empty cup in the sink. She brushed past Ransom on the way out. "Yeah, I guess so."