Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
I turned to storm off, but he grasped my hips and pulled me back to stand even closer.
He frowned as his fingers dug into my flesh. His voice took on a dark edge. “Just because you want your brother not to have done this doesn’t mean he isn’t the one doing it.”
“No, it doesn’t. These papers prove it isn’t him.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Or are you too scared to be proven wrong by a girl?” I challenged as I raised one eyebrow.
His lips thinned at my open revolt.
I was taking an enormous risk.
Just moments ago my plan had been to appease him, to survive and thrive.
Fuck that plan.
Now I had a new plan.
Challenge, attack, and win.
After matching my glare, he rubbed his jaw, shifting his gaze between me and the spreadsheet on his desk and then back again. With a resigned sigh, he said, “Show me.”
I knew he didn’t believe me, not really. That was fine. I meant what I said. I could prove it. Snatching the document back along with his hand, I pulled him out of his chair and over to where I had organized his spreadsheets into neat piles.
I knelt on the floor.
He stood looking down at me. “Olivia ...”
I patted the thick Persian carpet. “Come on, DuBois, it’s time you got on your knees for once.”
He lowered to his knees and still loomed over me. Twisting his fist in my hair, he pulled my head back. His dark gaze focused on my mouth. “I’ll make you pay for that cheeky remark, later.”
The air in my lungs seized at the sensual threat even as my brain screamed all the rational reasons why my body shouldn’t be reacting to him.
Before I could respond, he released me and settled down on the carpet. “Show me.”
Clearing my throat as I gave myself a mental shake, I pointed to a few lines showing sales bought by Riona Holdings. “Here, this isn’t one of ours.”
“Yes, it is. Your father named a holding company after your mother.”
“No, he didn’t. First of all, my mother’s name was Fiona, with an F.”
“So it’s a typo,” he argued.
“My father is not a sentimental man. He would never name something after my mother.”
“Maybe he did it right after she died, when he was grieving.” He shrugged.
I started laughing at the absurdity.
“My father did not love his wife. He did not grieve her passing. If anything, he was annoyed at the inconvenience of having to hire a live-in nanny before Charlotte and I were old enough to be sent away for school. To my knowledge, Luc is the first Manwarring to ever know love.”
“Olivia, that can’t be true. You will find love.” He reached out like he was going to comfort me.
I pulled away.
“It’s okay, I still have shoes. Oh, and purses. Aren’t they the only things uptight, privileged bitches like me love?” I threw his words from several days ago back in his face.
“Olivia—”
With my head turned slightly so he couldn’t see my face, I continued. “There is a shell company in my family’s portfolio with my mother’s name, but this is not its account number.” I couldn’t bear to see the look of pity in his eyes, so I just moved on.
“How could you possibly know the account number by heart?”
“Because it’s mine. I started the company to add to the Manwarring family trust. Ten percent of the profits from my company go into that account and are then distributed as I see fit.”
“Why would—”
“Why would I add a shell to my family’s portfolio?” I finished for him. “Because being a silly little girl, I had the silly little notion that doing so would make my father proud of me. But that is not important now. What is important is that someone is manipulating you to go after my brother, and I, for one, want to know who.”
“No one is manipulating me,” Marksen said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Would you like to place a wager on that?”
“Let me guess the terms. If you are right, you want me to let you go?”
“No. Whether I prove I’m right or not, you will let me go because you have no reason to hold me here anymore.”
Heat rushed through my veins. I was livid. Someone had not only gone after my family, but had also given Marksen the idea to kidnap me.
I had seen my brother and father on the warpath many times, but now I understood what fueled that determination. It wasn’t discipline or greed. It was rage.
“Then name your terms.” Marksen sat back and looked me in the eyes. Not down at me, not like he pitied me. He looked at me like I was his equal, and I knew I had one shot at this.
“If I am wrong, you release those photos. My father won’t give you a penny to save my reputation. He doesn’t give a fuck, and if Luc is behind this and hasn’t stopped by now, he won’t.”