Page 25 of Thorns of Malice

Matt peers at me closer. "How do you know it's your dad's?"

"Hold on," I say. I leave the room and go into my office. I unlock the drawer and pull out my dad's notebook.

The worn leather in my hands makes me tear up. I force myself not to get emotional. I return to Jaxon's office, shut the door, and sit beside Matt. I put the book on my lap and state, "My dad died while watching Avery on TV. She was promoting the new Seducing Ivy perfume. It was before Dax came on. I came home, and my dad was having a heart attack. His notebook was on the table next to him. After he died, I was in shock. For some reason, I picked it up and started reading everything. As you can see, everything in here is dated."

Matt stares at the notebook.

I open it and point to different dates spanning decades of my father's work. Then, I get to the page with the Seducing Ivy flower hybrid. I hand Matt the folded piece of paper and point to the date. "You can see when my dad created this. He even wrote he needed $10,000 for a patent."

Matt glances at it, then opens the piece of paper, reads it, and mutters, "Motherfucker."

My pulse quickens again. My heart aches thinking about how Dax took the only thing that was worth any money in my father's life and stole it from him.

"Jaxon wants me to go after Dax, but I don't think the legal way is the way to do it. You know how they are, Matt. The worst thing I can do is go after him with a legal team."

"So you don't want the patent?"

I release a frustrated breath. "No, I do want the patent. But if Dax is going to pay, we have to make him pay so it hurts. It's not about the money. He could give me the patent and then some, and he'd still have tons of money. It's not going to hurt him. So this is...it's about...everything," I confess for the first time, fully understanding what I want.

Matt stays quiet for a moment, then asks, "Can I look at that?" He points to the notebook.

I hand it to him.

He flips through it carefully, going through the entire book. Then he takes the piece of paper, folds it, and puts it back in the same spot. He closes the book and hands it back to me. "I know the law really well, Ivy. I graduated top of my class. I aced the bar exam in five states. I've been promoted very quickly. I've seen a lot in the eight years since I graduated law school."

"Matt, you know how they are. It doesn't matter how good you are. They'll win in a legal battle," I insist.

He holds his hand in the air.

I wait.

He collects his thoughts. His eyes turn to slits. "The law will never provide justice for anything the Carringtons have done. You're right. If it's not money you're after, and you really want revenge so it hurts Dax, then a legal battle isn't the way."

Relief fills me. Matt gets it. Finally, someone gets it!

I nod. "I know."

"So how are you going to do it?" he questions.

I shake my head, admitting, "I'm not sure yet, but I know I have to think like them to make them pay."

Matt warns, "They could damage you further, Ivy."

I consider his statement, then shrug. "I have nothing else to lose. My father died with his life's work stolen. And after he saw that video of me..." I turn, the tears spilling down my cheeks.

Matt's gentle voice turns dark. "All I thought about was getting back at the Carringtons, Bobby, and Dyer."

"You could help me," I state.

At first, I think Matt will agree, but then he shakes his head. "No, Ivy. If you want to pursue something legally, I'll help you, but I have a family now. I have a wife who loves me and a baby on the way. The last thing I want to do is get within an inch of them."

I take a deep breath and release it. I can't argue with him. So instead, I say, "Congrats on your baby and wife. I hope you're happy."

Matt smiles, and it's genuine. "I am. I have a good life, Ivy. And you know what?"

"What?" I ask.

"You can too. What happened in the past doesn't define who you are."

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