Page 11 of Blackmailing the Mogul

“We’ll be doing this again,” Ryan says as he breaks our kiss. I instantly crave him again.

With that, he turns and leaves as quickly as he came, leaving me wondering just how I got myself into this mess… and how I’m ever going to get out of it with what Henry is making me do.

Chapter Five

Ryan

It’s been days and I still can’t stop thinking about what it was like kissing Jenna. Sure, my initial plan was to seduce her for information on what she and her brother were up to, but now I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to go further in my seduction, to learn what Jenna tastes like, to sheath myself inside of her. But, all of this is made all the more complicated when I realized she was much cleverer than I thought. She bugged my computer before returning it the other day, and I don’t know what to do next with my little fox.

I’m pulled from my lust-filled confusion as I see Aunt Hilda enter the bar. A catch-up with her is just what I need to get my head back on straight.

As always, she's dressed flamboyantly in a brightly colored, intricately patterned dashiki, her bold fashion sense a stark contrast to the drab, muted tones of the bar's decor. The dim lighting and smoky air seem to swallow her whole, but she moves with a confident stride, her eyes scanning the room as if searching for someone. Her gaze locks onto me, and a big smile spreads across her face as she sashays over to my table.

"Hey, my favorite nephew," she says, her eyes glinting with amusement as she slides into the seat across from me.

“Hi, Aunt Hilda,” I say, keeping a straight face.

As expected, she wrinkles her nose in mock disgust. “Don't call me that; it makes me feel ancient.”

I chuckle, rolling my eyes at her. “You look gorgeous by the way. Nice outfit.”

“Why, thanks, honey,” she says, her smile growing bigger. “You know how I love to keep things fabulous! Anyway, What's the occasion for this little get-together?”

I raise my glass in a silent toast, shrugging carelessly. "Nothing out of the ordinary,” I reply, sliding an empty brandy glass over to her. “I just wanted to have a couple of drinks with my favorite aunt.”

She raises an eyebrow, her expression skeptical as she pours herself a drink. “First, I'm your only aunt. Also, you don't call me to a bar at noon just for fun. Now, spill.”

I let out a ragged sigh, leaning backward in my seat. "She bugged my computer," I say quietly, raising my brandy glass to my mouth. It tasted bland, like every other thing since I discovered the bug earlier in the afternoon during my weekly routine poke on my computer.

“Who?” Hilda asks, shaking her head with a confused frown.

“Jenna Henson.” The name tastes bitter on my tongue.

Hilda sits forward in her chair, her bright red lips pursed in contemplation. “How can you be sure she did it? It could be anyone…”

“She's the only one that had access to my personal computer in the past week,” I reply stiffly.

Hilda leans back in her seat and with a soft sigh. “What do you plan to do?”

I let myself consider her question for a moment. I don't expect to feel betrayed, but I do… Maybe I let myself get too immersed in my role, in the way she melts into my arms and responds eagerly to my kisses… I know too well not to believe any of it was real, but I guess a part of me wanted to believe that she wasn’t scheming with Henry, that she genuinely wanted to work in the industry—work with me. Now, it’s obvious she’s part of his filthy games.

I gulp the remaining brandy in my glass, washing down the trickle of disgust that rose in my throat. "I'm going to destroy them both," I say in response to Hilda's question. "I'll reveal Jenna and Henry's true colors to the world and make sure the two of them are blacklisted in the business world."

“What about the bug?” Hilda asks, searching my face. “Are you going to shut it down?”

“No,” I reply, scoffing under my breath. “Let her look. I've got nothing to hide anyway. One thing's for sure, though, she's not going to get away with doing something like this.”

This means war, not just against Henry, but against Jenna too.

“You really like her, don't you?” Hilda says, the calmness in her tone contradicting the violent storm in my mind.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know what I'm talking about,” Hilda says, her eyes boring meaningfully into mine. “She bothers you, doesn't she?”

“What?” I scoff loudly. “No, she doesn't bother me, Hilda. She's just a pawn in Henry's game, and she's going to pay for her part in it."

I try to sound convincing, but Hilda's gaze sees right through me. She knows me too well. "Ryan, don't lie to yourself. You're not just angry, you're hurt. You thought you had a connection with her, and now you feel betrayed."

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