Page 28 of Thorns of Malice

And I'll be damned if I let her use the Seducing Ivy hybrid to build her fortune.

She had no right to it.

She had no right to Ivy.

Avery will finally get what's coming to her, and it'll hit her where it hurts her the most—in her pocket. Without money, Avery will be nothing.

She finally storms out of the room and slams the door.

I sit back, feeling giddy, for only a few minutes. Then, my eyes return to the folder on my desk.

I open it up and study dozens of pictures that Hank collected.

My Ivy's just as beautiful as ever. She's older, slightly curvier, and those fucking C-cups are perkier than ever.

Jesus, even in pictures, they're giving me an erection.

She's always given me one.

I read about the town she lives in a few miles from Savannah and all she's been up to since I kicked her off the estate.

How stupid was I?

She slept with Avery. It would never have worked out.

I could have figured out how to get past it.

Not true. Avery would always have her hooks in Ivy.

I thumb to the next page, and a surge of pride sweeps through me. She still got her degree in botany.

That's my girl.

Ivy's always been smart. I'm glad that what happened to her at Clifton didn't destroy her.

There's a picture of her and another man, which makes me uncomfortable.

I scan the report and learn his name is Jaxon Savoia. According to my PI, he owns the largest wholesale floral company in the country. It's an impressive feat, but it's still small potatoes next to the Carrington fortune. And I don't like how close he looks to Ivy.

She has a decent position in his company, but I can tell by the photos that it's not just a working relationship. They're definitely friends.

I swallow hard, wondering if it's more than that. I flip the page and my gut drops. I reread it several times to make sure it's true, but over and over, I read Sex Addicts Anonymous too many times to count.

Sex addicts.

She got hurt.

The drug stayed in her system.

All the guilt I felt over the last ten years worsens. I curve my fingers into a fist, squeezing as hard as possible, to the point I feel like my knuckles might break.

I reaffirm my vow to take Bobby down, no matter what.He, his father, and anybody associated with their company.

Just like I'm going to take Avery down.

The words Sex Addicts Anonymous glare at me on the paper, and I shake my head. I read the report the PI added about what Ivy talked about when he pretended to be a new member. Then I read up on Jaxon Savoia and all of his demons.

The report states they sat across from each other, but there were multiple times when they exchanged glances. According to Hank, Ivy had had sex thirty-some minutes prior to the meeting. Jaxon had last had it about thirty minutes before as well, and it doesn't take me long to put two and two together.

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