Elise's pov

I swallowed hard, dropping my stare to my plate.

He cleared his throat. “If you won’t ask, I’ll tell you what I can.”

My eyes flicked up, startled at the way he quickly brushed off the tension as he leaned back in his chair.

“Okay, where do I start…” he trailed off with a thoughtful look.

“I’m the son of a maid,” he began flatly. “One my father—Mr. Grey—forced himself on and he called it an affair. But it wasn’t.”

What?

My blood ran ...