Page 176 of The Penalty

I nodded, reaching into my pocket. Pulling out a folded copy of the birth certificate, I waved it in Jordan’s face. “You mean this?” I smirked, tossing it on the coffee table.

Jordan’s skin color morphed from translucent to bright red. His eyes ping-ponged from me to Victoria, and back. Snatching the certificate, he read it, his face turning chalk white again. “This was a secret file. How did you get it?”

Victoria shrugged. “Some secrets never stay buried. I know that better than anyone.”

“Are you blackmailing me?”

“No. I’m not that vile.”

“What do you want?” He choked on his words.

For the first time tonight, a slight tremble rattled Victoria’s body. I laced my fingers through hers and squeezed.

“Admit what you did to my sister. Admit what you did to Xavier. I don’t need to know why, I just need to hear you say it.”

“And if I don’t?”

Fierce determination swathed her beautiful face. “It would be a shame to wake up to news that you’re not actually a high-ranking British aristocrat. It would be even more devastating to see excerpts from Charlotte’s diary detailing the night you raped her.”

I could tell he wanted to unleash his wrath. He wiped his nose with the tie instead.

“You are blackmailing me.”

“I’m giving you the opportunity to come clean about what you did.”

“You would do that to the memory of your sister? To your family? Put them through all that scrutiny just to get me to admit to something that never took place.”

“We both know it happened.”

The onyx pools in Jordan’s eyes hardened. “If you do that, I’ll expose Xavier. I’ll release the CCTV footage. He’ll have no choice but to retire from the league in shame.”

“I’m retiring anyway,” I blurted.

My words hung frozen in the air.

Victoria turned to me, shocked. So much for having this discussion with her in a more private setting.

I swept my thumb along her jaw.

“This will be my last season at Royal City. Next summer’s tournament will be my final appearance with the national team.” I glared at Jordan. “Admit what you did to her sister.”

All the power rested with me and Victoria. Our united show of strength wiped out any leverage Jordan thought he had. She was willing to put her family’s pain on display for the whole world to see. I’m willing to walk away from my career.

We both risked everything.

And he fucking knew it.

If he refused, he’d be exposed as a fraud and a rapist.

If he caved, he’d walk away bruised and battered, with no hope of retaliation.

One step ahead. How he hated that.

The steady ticking of Bennet’s grandfather clock was the only sound in the library. The passing seconds and minutes lasted an eternity. This might be more nerve-wracking than a penalty shoot out.

When Jordan’s shoulders slumped, the thrill of victory darted through me. Nothing pleased me more than defeating a rival in competition.

“Fine,” he acquiesced through clenched teeth. “I knew your sister didn’t want to have sex, even though she pretended to be you and said otherwise. She cried the whole time. Happy now?”

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