Page 66 of My Forbidden Professor

He steps back and gestures to the closed door behind my back. I lead the way into the building, holding the door for Daniel to follow me inside. Keeping my anger in check, I punch the call button for the elevator, readying to see this through once and for all. No matter how much my skin crawls just being around this bastard. No matter what’s really at stake.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jacob

The rage simmering in my veins threatens to boil over as I lead Daniel into my apartment and shut the door behind us. His gaze roams over my space. The side of his lip pulls up. “Definitely needs some work in here. Then again, I guess an underpaid professor can’t afford much better.”

I grit my teeth, fighting the urge to deck him right then and there. “Just get to the point, Daniel. How much do you want?”

He tears attention from the room to fix me with a smug look. “Straight to business, I like that. Ten thousand will last for a couple of weeks.”

White hot fury lances through me at the thought of this creep extorting Steph for years with the same sick game. I can feel a vein in my forehead pulsing as I struggle to contain the hatred roiling in my gut. Somehow, I manage to force out a neutral response.

“Ten thousand is a lot of money.” I cross to my desk and open up the screen on my laptop.

He rounds my desk. I quickly minimize the screen, but not before he’s seen the amount registered in the account.

“I’d say ten grand is a drop in the ocean of what’s in that account,” Daniel says. “I’ve found I’ve changed my mind. I want that twenty mill that’s in that account.”

My heart is thundering in my ears as I try to keep my face impassive. “Twenty million? Daniel, are you insane? There’s no way I can funnel that kind of money without setting off all kinds of red flags.”

He claps his hand on my shoulder, “I have faith in you. You’re a business analytics professor, aren’t you? I’m sure you can figure out a clever way to get me that money.”

I shouldn’t be surprised at this level of greed. I really shouldn’t. But for a moment my surprise slips past the incandescent rage eating a hole in my stomach. I want him to burn for what he’s done to Steph until he’s nothing but a charred, hollowed out husk. My fists clench as I work to rein every inch of it in. I have to sell this act. If he has any indication he’s doing exactly what we expected, it’s over.

“I can do this, but it’s a once-off. I’m putting myself at risk. I’ve already been implicated with Marcus Sotheby, even if I have been cleared. If my name is connected with any more fund transfers like this, I won’t be able to do anything for you again because I’ll likely be in prison,” I say.

Let him think I’ll be in prison. Let him think this is his one and only chance. Let him be so greedy that he can’t resist.

Daniel considers this for a long moment, his brow furrowing. I let him see the anger on my face. Let him think it’s because he has me where he wants me and not because I want to see him go down for Steph.

Then he shrugs. “I want it all.”

That greedy fucker. Of course he does.

I force myself to hesitate like I’m mulling it over, my mind racing. “All right, Daniel, I’ll do it. A once-only transfer. But I need insurance of my own.”

His brow creases and a laugh huffs from him. “What? You can’t just put demands on me…”

“I want those photos. Of me and Steph. And the other photos you’ve been using against her for years,” I snarl.

He rears back. “And give up my leverage? I thought you were more intelligent than that, Professor.”

“I’ll demand anything I want. It’s a good deal for you, Daniel. I can’t send you more funds from prison, and you know full well Steph doesn’t have access to that kind of money. The Blue Sky income is caught up in shares and investments. It’s not liquid. You’ll be stuck with a few thousand filtered through to you every now and then at best. This is your one and only chance to become a very rich man.” I’ve pressed my point and but I press harder when I see the doubt on his face. The heated greed. “Even if you worked for a lifetime, you’d probably never see anything close to that amount in a lump sum ever again. It’s a once-off offer. But I want those photos in return. Your call.”

My teeth clench as his gaze turns calculated. His eyes rise to mine. Catch. His lips thin into a tight line. He doesn’t like what I’ve said. Who would when he’s giving up a lifetime of a free ride? But he knows I’m right.

“Give me every last photo you’ve ever taken of Steph and I’ll give you that money. I’m not saying this lightly, because it’ll likely damage anything I can salvage of my reputation. I’ll be watched very closely after this at best,” I say. “That’s my price. Take it or leave it.”

He stares at me for a long, tense moment, the cogs visibly turning behind those cold, dead eyes. Please, let him be arrogant and greedy enough. Please let the bastard take the deal.

Daniel stares me down for what feels like an eternity, tension cloying the air between us. Finally, he snarls and pulls his phone from his pocket, hurling it at me. “The whole fucking lot is on there in a folder labeled ‘Chandler’. Take a look if you need to convince yourself.”

“Pin code,” I snap.

He reels it off and I’m in.

Anger and disgust battle as I navigate to the folder. My jaw clenches as the first few thumbnails load—shots of Steph in various states of undress, her teenage features frozen in sleep.

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