Page 96 of Fate's Unseen Shadow

“That’s all I knew of. How did I know she’d hide money from me?”

“Is it hiding if I don’t tell you where I keepmymoney? You’re such a greedy piece of shit, Julia. You killed my father!” Hershock still felt numb. Like her body couldn’t process that her dad had been murdered.

“He told me that I’d inherit part of Cassin Systems, not Teddy.”

“So you killed your own son?”

“No!” Julia’s emotions overtook her control. “I’d never hurt him. There was a mix-up.” Her eyes shifted to the left, past Walker, to Davies. Her hand shook as she pointed her finger. “It was your fault. You killed the wrong person. Everything would’ve gone to Teddy. Everything would’ve been ours.”

Davies shook his head, seeming unbothered by the accusation. “You said you wouldn’t stop until the top person at Cassin Systems was eliminated. I thought that was Theodore. I had no idea he was your son.”

Julia reached out, snatching a gun from Matteo’s pocket. “You killed him!” She lifted the gun and fired.

The bullet hit Davies right between the eyes.

Ella screamed and squeezed her eyes shut, turning away from the site. Her body shook as her breath came in big gasps.

Walker shouted. “Fuck! Look, I delivered her to you. I have nothing to do with your son or what happens to her afterward. I ain’t telling nobody anything.”

“Not even Ella’s sweetheart?” Matteo asked, his tone mocking.

“Hell, naw. I hate those guys. They make my life a living hell. I’m happy to screw them over and see him suffer.”

Ella breathed in her nose and out her mouth. Deep and controlled. She couldn’t freak out. She needed Walker’s help. With her back to Davies, she opened her eyes in time to see Matteo give Julia an oddly tender kiss on top of her head.

He pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket. “You’re good. She’ll be dead, so she won’t identify you. I had the cameras cut off inthe building. If you tell anyone about me or this situation, I’ll find a better hitman to take you out.”

“You won’t hear a peep from me.”

Matteo turned back to Julia. “We need the other accounts.”

Walker moved backward. Her only hope was a strange smile on his face. He held up one finger.

Ella nodded and mouthed, “One.”

He gave her a thumbs-up and then turned and left.

If only his plan had included taking her with him. She’d stall, keep them talking for as long as possible. What worried her now waswhowould kill her—Julia or Matteo.

“Why?” Ella asked. “You’re successful. Do you want more money, Matteo? I’ll give you money to let me live.”

“The simple answer for me is yes. I want money. Julia, on the other hand, wants the company.”

“So you never loved him?” Ella asked, although clearly the answer was yes. “You seemed to adore him. I know he loved you.”

Julia, the bleeding on her head down to a small trickle she dabbed every few seconds, set the bloodied towel in her lap. “I hated every second with your father. If I didn’t have Matteo, I don’t know if I could’ve done it.”

“Why involve me?” She looked to Matteo. “If the idea was always for Julia to get my company?”

“Because I’d hoped to marry you, too. But we had that one conversation about prenups, and you made it a point to say you’d never marry anyone that could get their hands on your money.”

She remembered. “And I thought it weird that that made you so angry. You’re rich.”

“I am. Although the sex after that fight was some of the best we’d had.”

She tucked her knees to her chest, the only way to ward off the cold chill from the memory. He’d been on the edge of violence. He’d enjoyed himself, but she’d been scared out of her mind.

“When your father died and didn’t give Teddy his fair share of the company, I realized I needed to kill you off, too. Especially when Teddy told me you’d left him as your beneficiary on everything. You die. Teddy was in charge. And that was good enough for me.”

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