Page 4 of Thorns of Malice

The camera turns, and an older, sexier, more filled-out Dax Carrington appears. He leans down, kisses a surprised Winter on the cheek, then does the same to his sister and sits on the sofa beside her.

Avery quickly gets over her surprise, and her smile reappears."Dax."

"Well, isn't this a treat! If you don't already know, this is Dax Carrington, CEO of Carrington Enterprises and Avery's oldest brother,"Winter gushes.

Dax grins, and my world continues to fall apart. That grin has haunted me for ten years, never fading from my memory. He states,"I wanted to support my sister's latest venture. I hope it's okay to join you."

"Of course!"Winter exclaims.

Avery's expression never changes, and I can feel her seething underneath, but it's something the rest of the world wouldn't pick up on.

Dax nods."Great. I think you asked how we created Seducing Ivy?"

"She meant how Avery Carrington Scents created it,"Avery corrects.

Dax nods at her and grins wider."That's right."He repositions his gaze on Winter, stating,"As a subsidiary of Carrington Enterprises, we allowed Avery Carrington Scentsto incorporate in their latest perfume our newest, and soon-to-be highly-sought-after, hybrid flower."

Winter arches her eyebrows."Love your confidence for your new flower."

Dax grins confidently."Yes, well, I don't ever make statements I can't back up."

"Fair enough. So tell me, what's so important about this new flower?"Winter questions.

Dax continues,"A lot, Winter."

"Like?"

"The—"Avery starts to answer.

"For starters, the new hybrid creates a vibrant red blooming flower. The scent is incredible and the blooms stay alive 80% longer once they're unattached from the plant. I anticipate it'll cut the demand for roses in half before the end of the year,"Dax interjects, speaking over her.

Winter gapes.

"What my brother means—"Avery tries say but is once again interrupted by Dax.

"I mean, every floral shop in the world will want the new hybrid,"he declares.

"So you have a new million-dollar product,"Winter gushes.

Dax chuckles."Try over a billion dollars."

Winter's shocked expression appears again, but she recovers faster this time, stating,"Sounds like we should show our viewers what this newest craze-to-be looks like!"

The sound of applause floats from the TV.

A pop-up screen shows ivy crawling up a wall with gorgeous red flowers dancing around it.

"How did you create this new hybrid?"Winters asks.

"I—"Dax starts.

"He's always had a knack for knowing how to take the winners to the patent table, haven't you, Dax?"Avery interjects.

Something passes over Dax's expression, but it fades almost as soon as it appears. He nods, claiming,"It's why my grandfather chose me to run Carrington Enterprises. He knew I'd continue to grow it."

Hatred fills Avery's expression, but she quickly recovers, and her sugar-laced voice adds,"And my grandfather saw how my enterprising ideas would take the assets Carrington Enterprises have and expand them into billions of dollars' worth of profits."

Winter beams."Such brains between you two."

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