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)
“Agreed. And if you are right?”
“You delete all the photos and then you make whoever did this pay. You promise me right now that that person does not walk away from this unscathed. I want blood.”
Marksen’s eyes widened as I laid out my bloodthirsty terms.
He didn’t say anything, just offered his hand to shake on the deal.
I took it and gave him the same firm, manly handshake my brother would have.
Then I got to work.
Three hours, two Tylenol tablets, and a pot of coffee later, I had a paper trail. It was convoluted and required some less-than-legal hacking software, but Marksen and I unraveled a fairly intricate and extremely convoluted shell game that sent us through bank statements and money trails in three different countries and several layers of shells and shelf companies.
It was impressive in sheer size but ultimately inelegant and a little sloppy in places, which was why I found where the money was really coming from and going to so quickly.
This was put together by someone who had a passing understanding of international finance but little practical application. They also didn’t have a clue about international trade and finance laws, or they just didn’t care. They basically had a lot of money to throw around, and they were either irresponsible with it and didn’t need to see a return on the investment, or they were okay paying to fuel this feud.
Marksen had been pacing the room for the last twenty minutes, running his fingers through his dark brown hair.
I hoped, but doubted, it was because he was feeling guilty the closer we got to finding out who actually did this.
Finally, I sat back, and a feeling of relief washed over me as I looked at the results. It was so obvious who did this.
I was honestly mad at myself for not making the connections earlier.
“Marksen,” I said, and he stopped to look at me. I got to my feet and stood in front of him. “When my brother struck back at you for putting in an offer on that warehouse, he was wrong to do it in such a public way. You were right. He damaged your reputation, and he did it intentionally to make you look like a fool. But he left it at that. He took his pound of flesh and then let it go. He didn’t do this.”
“He had to have. He is the only one who would come after me so personally.”
“No, he isn’t. The person who did this was also embarrassed by my brother’s actions, and they are using you to strike back at him. He isn’t the one who did this, but I know who did.”
“Name them,” he growled.
“Remember our wager. I prove this, and you drop the vendetta against my family. You delete the blackmail, and you make the right person pay. Either way, you release me.”
“Name them,” he repeated.
“Astrid.”
CHAPTER 36
MARKSEN
“Let me go. You have no reason to hold me here anymore. You never did.”
Olivia’s eyes were wide and burning with indignation and rage. Her arms stiff at her sides, her hands balled into fists.
She wasn’t hiding. She wasn’t shrinking back from me. She was done asking.
Her fire was almost as seductive as her submission.
“It wasn’t Luc or my father or any other Manwarring. It was the Astrids, and I have no doubt they put the idea of kidnapping me in your head. You’ve been played for a fool, and it’s past time for you to get your head out of your ass, take your power back, and make them pay.”
Olivia Manwarring was demanding that I honor our wager. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and I was floored. Not only was this creature standing in front of me stunning, witty, and the perfect lady, but she had a fire in her that shone through.
A determination that rivaled even her brother’s.
And I’d had the fucking audacity to think that I could break her.
I should let her go immediately. The right thing to do would be to call her brother and give him the address to come pick her up. Then delete every picture I had ever taken of her while she waited for the car.
But that was the last thing I was going to do.
I didn’t want to let her go.
The idea of her walking out of this apartment sent a cold chill of panic racing down my spine.
It wasn’t going to happen.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
I needed to make this right between us first, but I had no idea how to do that.
How the fuck did I undo so much pain and damage that she never deserved in the first place?
I took a step closer to her, and she backed up.
A feral growl rumbled low in my chest.
With just a few more steps, I had her pressed against the wall, caging her in with my body. The vein in her neck was pulsing as her heart raced, and a single bead of sweat started to fall between the curves of her breasts. She was scared of me.