Page 77 of Daddy Down Under

I climbed into my car, my hands trembling slightly. The brief glimpse of Preston had shaken me to my core, the ghosts of the past rising to haunt me once again. When would I ever be free of this man?

I buried my head in my hands as despair filled me. What did I do now? Did I confront Garrett and James? Ask them what had happened? Or did I approach Preston and demand he leave me alone?

But he wouldn’t. Not when I was with Ocean. If he hated his son as much as he despised me—and after what Ocean had told me, that certainly seemed to be the case—he wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to fuck us both over.

It was clear to me now that Preston was scheming something nefarious. But what? How the hell had he found out about us? How had he known I was interested in buying the Krause Group? It didn’t make sense.

By the time I reached the hotel, I was no closer to finding answers. Or solutions. Should I talk to Ocean? Should I tell him his father was here?

But when I walked into the suite, it was empty, save for a small note on the bedside table, its elegant cursive unmistakably Ocean’s.

#I’m out surfing. Will be back by four-ish. - Ocean

I collapsed onto the four-poster bed. The shock of seeing Preston and the sudden change in the Krause Group executives’ demeanor replayed in my mind like it was stuck on a loop. The betrayal I’d felt years ago at Preston’s hands bubbled up, bringing memories to the surface I’d rather have left buried.

He wouldn’t let go. No matter what I did, Preston wouldn’t let go. Was I really willing to go head-to-head with him over this deal? Was it worth it?

I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t go through this again.

My suitcases were in a closet. I grabbed them and threw them onto the bed before ransacking the drawers for my clothes. Shirts and trousers, shoes and socks, everything was thrown into my luggage in my haste to escape.

I needed a flight.

“Siri, call Oliver.”

Oh fuck. Oliver was gonna kill me if I woke him up. It was noon here, which meant it was…six p.m. Okay, that was fine. Phew.

“How may I serve you today, boss man? You know I live to fulfill your every whim.”

Usually, I appreciated Oliver’s sense of humor. Right now, not so much. “I need you to get me a flight home.”

To his credit, his demeanor shifted instantly. “What happened?”

I wouldn’t even know where to begin with explaining this to him. He had no idea who Preston was since I’d never told him about what had happened. Why should I when I thought it was finally in the past?

I sank into the plush leather chair, pinching the bridge of my nose. “It’s complicated.” The words felt inadequate, failing to capture the storm raging inside me.

“Talk to me. What’s going on?”

Maybe he could shed some light on how Preston had found me. “Oliver, did you tell anyone I was in Australia and why?”

“Of course not.” He sounded almost insulted. “You know I don’t talk.”

I blew out a breath. “A competitor has shown up here, interested in the same deal. I’m trying to figure out how he found me, how he knew I wanted this deal.”

“Maybe he heard about the Krause Group looking for a buyer the same way you did?”

“He’s not just a competitor. This is… It’s personal. He’s here to destroy me.”

“Destroy you? Who is he?” Then Oliver gasped. “Wait, is it Preston Levine?”

A cold hand wrapped around my heart. “How do you know that name? I never told you about him.”

My phone made a beep, signaling Oliver wanted to switch to a video call. Why? Still, I accepted it. I could immediately see the concern on his pretty face. “I need you to see me while I tell you this,” he said softly.

I frowned. “Tell me what?”

“Remember when you interviewed me for my job, and I told you I didn’t have any references?”

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