Page 210 of Plaything

Rita nodded in agreement. “Fair enough,” she shrugged, unfazed by my aloof outburst. Although she did do a double-take at Dominic before sending me a brief look of approval.

“Is all the money clean?” Niko asked. “There are offshore accounts here,” he pointed to a few sections on the paperwork.

I was beyond grateful that he could think for me and ask the important questions. My mind was racing, and I couldn’t understand why Charles would do this.

I didn’t know the total and honestly didn’t know if I wanted to know. All I knew was that I had a revolting amount of money and assets that would be under my name in three days. If I really wanted, my life could consist of luxurious vacations, private jets, extravagant jewelry, anything and everything that money could buy. It wasn’t necessarily a new lifestyle, but the thought of all of it being mine alone... overwhelming was an understatement.

I zoned out as Niko took the reins and asked all the essential questions.

Only two possible conclusions came to mind when I pondered why Charles would do this.

Was his way of buying my silence about what happened last night? Was he buying his reputation, his good name?

Or was this his way of apologizing?

While I was stressed about having to go to events, I trusted Rita and what she said about just having to show up a few times a year. I could do that. Lord knew I loved ballgowns, dressing up, and wearing jewels around my neck.

There was no doubt in my mind that Charles knew I would end the partnership with all of his old business partners immediately. They would lose millions. It still wasn’t enough to undo what happened to me, but I would enjoy seeing the look on their faces as I single-handedly ended them. They deserved worse.

Whatever Charles’ reason was for doing this, there were upsides and downsides.

When Rita finally stood, I was pulled from my thoughts and snapped back into reality. I didn’t know how long they’d been talking, but she and Niko seemed to have a friendly rapport. I wasn’t surprised; he was easy to get along with.

“I’ll have my assistant email you a summary and a calendar so we can begin to schedule meetings. After Charles passes, I anticipate it will take a month for you to meet all of the company’s shareholders and executive teams,” Rita shook my hand.

She pulled me slightly closer to her and whispered, “Off the record, those of us who know about the change are thrilled to be working with someone who’s... well, human,” she winked before taking her leave.

I couldn’t help but grin at her jab at Charles and how cruel he was. It was refreshing to know that others were aware of how despicable he could be.

It was quiet for a bit after she drove off. I turned to Wyatt and Aiden, who exited the kitchen after eavesdropping. “I think someone’s scared shitless that you’ll expose him,” Aiden chuckled. “You okay?”

I nodded. “Nauseous,” I smiled sarcastically.

“Do you want to know how much it is?” Niko chucked from beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Sugar mama,” he winked.

“No,” I rushed out. “I’d rather get back to whatever Dominic was saying,” I said as Niko and I sat on one of the sofas. I desperately needed to think of something else before I got sick. It was killing me not knowing what had Dominic all riled up.

“Oh yeah, what’d you do?” Wyatt stood with his arms crossed.

Dominic grinned, and that same excited glimmer shone in his eyes. “You all know I hate teaching. I hate the students. I hate it all—”

“So chipper,” Niko snickered.

“Not all students, obviously,” I added my own comment.

Dominic lifted his brows. “You were never in my class. You don’t count,” he shot back. “Also, I’m fucking you, not the other way around,” he playfully corrected my earlier blurt.

“Whatever,” I waved him off with a laugh, urging him to continue. “Come on, what has you so giddy?”

“I just got my results back for my final test in medical school,” he answered. “I got my PhD.”

My mouth dropped open at his bluntness. Suddenly, his sleepless nights and coffee addiction made sense. I never understood how he’d always had such a bigger workload than the other three. Now, it clicked. The man was working a difficult full-time job and putting himself through medical school.

I was flabbergasted, surprised at myself for not noticing sooner. I always assumed the giant stack of papers was from his students—not his own schoolwork. “That’s amazing, Dominic,” I gushed.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Niko stood up, dramatically crossing his arms across his chest. “You’re telling me you’ve been in medical school this whole time? And you’re a doctor now? Which means you won’t be our co-worker? And why didn’t you say anything, dickhead?”

“What he said,” Aiden gestured to Niko.

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