Page 56 of Belle Amour

Seeing Danica didn’t really believe her, Mirabelle leaned forward. “Come on, think about it; they wouldn’t have been fired and blacklisted from other law firms if it was just a kiss. That wouldn’t have happened without a lot of proof that they were doing shady shit for a while.” Mirabelle shrugged. “All I didwas accidentally say something to the right person to start an investigation.”

“Accidentally?” Danica now looked vaguely amused.

“Well, okay, fine. I knew I was talking to the right person, but I didn’t know what they were doing; I just wanted to inconvenience them by having an investigation opened; I didn’t think they would actually find anything.”

Jillian, who had been standing to one side, snorted and started to laugh. “That’s amazing!” She gasped. “You were just trying to get a little petty revenge, and you blew up their lives completely by accident. I love it.”

“Yep.” Mirabelle grinned at Jillian’s schadenfreude. “But I'm really trying to bury the hatchet, move on and be happy for them.” She paused as Peter came into the shop to get them. “I'm hopeful that Casey and Eddie will see the error of their ways and tell the truth soon.”

“Peter!” Caroline stood up with a smile. “Hey, Baby!”

“Hello, my very tipsy wife.” He chuckled as he hugged her and looked over her shoulder at Mirabelle and the others. “Come on, ladies, your chariot awaits.” They piled into Peter and Caroline's SUV rental, and he turned in his seat to look at Mirabelle. “So, what did I just walk in on?”

“Me giving them just enough information so they start questioning things. But I have a feeling Casey doesn't have half as many friends as she thinks she does.” Mirabelle smiled as she watched Casey and her bridesmaids pull up and go inside as Peter pulled away. “I think she’s gonna have to answer some hard questions she’s not prepared for.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Attacked

Bastian and Benji looked up and smiled as Robert and Victor joined them in the hotel bar, looking desperate for information. “Did you get her laptop?” Robert asked as he sat down at the table.

“Oh yeah, we got everything.” Bastian grinned as he and Benji clinked their glasses. Benji chuckled, nodding.

“We even found the keychain, and I corrupted the file on it and her laptop, so she can’t use it.” He said proudly while Bastian nodded. They had been halfway to the elevator when Benji suddenly swore and ran back to the room. Bastian followed, and Benji hastily explained what he was doing. He pulled out the laptop and plugged in the USB, prompting Bastian to tell him his drinks were on him for the rest of the night.

“So, what were the nudes?” Victor looked anxious, clearly worried his son had been taking pictures of Mirabelle naked without her knowledge.

“Mirabelle and Eleanor did some very tasteful boudoir shots a couple of years ago, and the photographer posted them on his website. Eddie must have stolen them from there, and Casey photoshopped them very nastily.” Bastian explained and watched as Victor almost went limp with relief.

“Oh!” Robert smiled broadly. “Those are my favourite gifts I've ever gotten from Eleanor. They're hung up in my home office.” He furrowed his brow. “I wouldn’t call them nudes, though, not unless Mirabelle’s were very different from Eleanor’s.”

“Different poses and set, that’s all.” Bastian shrugged. “But you’re right, they aren’t nudes; you can’t see anything.” He grinned. “But Mira was fucking gorgeous, I think I'm gonna pay for another session for her.”

“I’m still disappointed Eddie stole her pictures from a website,” Victor said, shaking his head slowly. “But I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear he wasn’t secretly taking pictures of her. I think it would have broken Francesca completely.” Bastian had to agree, from what he had seen, Francesca was taking her son’s behaviour very hard, much harder than his father and sister. “I think she caught a glimpse of who he was before he went to university when he was married to Mirabelle and allowed herself to believe he was finally growing up. Then all this happened…” Victor trailed off with a sigh. “Anyway, I’m pleased you two were able to get all the proof together and have it ready if Casey goes nuclear.”

Bastian smiled at him reassuringly. “Oh yeah, every time she sends an email with an attachment, it sends the file we put together.” He stretched and rolled his shoulders. “I guess Peter is gone to get them?”

“I hope so,” Benji pulled out his phone. “According to the video Lila sent me of her and Caroline singingThe Boy is Mine,it's time for them to come home.” He shook his head and showed it to them.

Victor and Robert both laughed as they watched the video. “Well, at least we know they had a good time.” Robertgrinned as he sat back. “And they weren’t arrested, so double bonus.”

“Yeah, Mira rocked Domino.” Bastian chuckled and pulled out his phone, showing them the video. “She has to have the perfect amount of alcohol in her to sing karaoke, and it’s a very delicate balance.”

“Eleanor and Francesca can't carry a tune in a bucket, so I'm not surprised they didn't attempt it.” Victor smiled in delight as he watched Mira.

“Right?” Robert laughed. “Eleanor only sings in the car where she can turn the music up loud enough that she can't hear herself.” They all fell quiet as Casey's father walked in and sat alone at the bar. “Eddie came by and talked to me and Peter and told us a few interesting tidbits.” He spoke just loud enough to be heard over the noise in the bar, and Bastian, Benji, and Victor looked at him in surprise.

“Like what?” Victor looked vaguely annoyed. “Are they practicing Satanists? Swingers?”

Robert chuckled and shook his head. “No, nothing like that, According to Eddie, Casey only wanted to get pregnant to show up her father's wife. She thinks he'll pay more attention to his grandkids than his child.”

“Shitty reason to have a kid.” Bastian frowned.

“But it does answer whether or not they were trying.” Victor nodded. “I'm still demanding a paternity test. I know they probably won't let us in the child's life after, but I doubt we'd see that much of them anyway.”

“That’s not all,” Robert said quietly. “Both Peter and I got the impression that Eddie has no idea about Casey’s plans to retaliate against you and Mira. It was Casey’s idea to go to the strip club, and Eddie said he wouldn’t blame Bastian if hedidn’t go; he understood how dating the daughter of one made it weird.”

Bastian sat back and considered that. “Huh. He’s right; I wouldn’t set foot inside a strip club, not because I’m against it or anything, but because of Mira’s mother. It absolutely does make it weird.”

“Honestly, I think underneath his resentment, Eddie grudgingly respects you for going after him in Mira’s defence the way you did.” Bastian could see the sincerity in Robert’s face and hear it in his voice, but he couldn’t help the disbelieved scoff that left his throat.

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