Page 104 of Wicked Heiress

Bastian smiled down at me before gazing at his brothers and adoptive father. They were grinning like maniacs.

My cousin bent down to my height, clutching my shoulder. “After we deal with the Vanderbilts, I’ll show you what the key opens.”

Rhys strolled into the room with Remington, wearing suits and smug expressions.

“Remington,” Carl said in a stern tone. “You know why you’re here.”

He nodded. “I do.”

Carl shoved a stack of papers across the table and chucked a pen at Remington’s chest. “Sign and get out of my sight. You’re a disgrace to our society.”

Rhys could barely look at anyone as his father scribbled his name on the pages. But his eyes found mine for a moment. A look of sadness washed over his dark features. He was so beautiful, and now that I knew him better, I could see he was sorry. But only because he lost.

“What is Remington signing?” I whispered to Bastian.

“He’s forfeiting the Vanderbilts’ right to the common equity. All of The Founders are given an equal share, except the Elders. They have a lot more.”

“So I get more than what our grandfather left us?”

He nodded. “Billions more.”

After Remington signed the last paper, he set the pen on the table, a look of defeat on his handsome face. He couldn’t have been much older than his early fifties. Not an ounce of gray hair. No wrinkles. I could see what Rhys would look like in twenty-five years.

“The Vanderbilts are exiled from The Founders Society,” Carl told Remington and Rhys. “You are to have no contact with any member of The Devil’s Knights or The Founders Society. I would suggest fleeing the country. You’re finished here.”

Cole said exile from The Founders Society was worse than death. Overnight, the Vanderbilts went from one of the wealthiest families in the world to bankrupt and connectionless. No one would go near them out of fear of angering The Founders.

“Understood,” Remington said with a nod.

He turned to leave, grabbing his son by the shoulder to steer him out of the room.

I got out of the chair and strolled toward them. “Rhys, wait.”

Before he reached the door, he spun around to look at me.

“You could have gotten further if you weren’t such a dick to me. I would have helped you.” I shook my head, hating the sight of him, but I had to get this off my chest. “We could have been friends. Using me to get ahead backfired. I hope this is a lesson you never forget.”

“I was only trying to save my family,” he said in a hushed tone, head hung low. “I never meant for you to get hurt.”

“Well, I did. And God only knows what you would have done to me if Cole hadn’t contacted my father.”

“If it’s any consolation,” he said as his eyes met mine, blowing out a deep breath. “I’m sorry for everything. It was never personal.”

“I said yes to marrying Cole at our wedding.” I wanted to piss him off, hoping it would sting a little. “And when I took my vows, I was pregnant with Cole’s child. So even when you thought you won, you didn’t. I just let you believe you did.”

His eyebrows furrowed at my confession. “It was always going to be Marshall, anyway. I could see you two were in love with each other. But I couldn’t help myself. I had to have you. And my family needed the dowry.”

I wasn’t the same girl who arrived at Fort Marshall months ago.

That version of Grace Hale didn’t exist.

I was tainted by Rhys and loved by Cole.

“I feel sorry for you, Rhys. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt because horrible people raised you.” My eyes darted to Remington, who stood in the entryway, before returning my gaze to Rhys. “But then I thought about how I was raised. By an abusive grandfather who made me think I was the daughter of a terrorist who killed my mother. You can use your family as an excuse for why you do horrible things to people, but if that’s true, then so could I. I could have been like you. But I chose to see the good in people. That’s why I gave you a chance, even when Cole warned me about you.”

He bobbed his head, swiping a longer strand of black hair away from his face. “You’re right. I fucked up. And I’m sorry.”

Pressing my lips together, I nodded. “Goodbye, Rhys.”

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