Page 59 of Sardonic Burn

She’s married to a very… unique man, so she’s not a saint, but she’s not a blood-thirsty murderer, either. At best, she lost her temper a few times and yelled. That’s all. She’s a very reserved and introverted person.

“I’ve seen her once at one of the events. Apparently, someone served your father something with apples, which he’s allergic to, and she responded by stabbing the person’s hand. The Campbells sure have stabby women.”

“I’m sorry? My mother stabbed someone?”

“I saw it with my own eyes.”

I nod. “Alright. It was deserved. Anyway, let’s hurry before Ray returns.”

“I noticed you’ve been calling him ‘Ray’ often. Any reason for that?”

My throat closes, but I don’t let him see that. “His name is Ray, so I’m calling him Ray.”

“But he’s your father.”

“Should I be calling him ‘Daddy dearest’?” I laugh. “Stop meddling. It’s none of your business. You’re here to work.”

Hudson groans. “I knew that listening to you would come back to bite me in the ass.”

“It’s nothing too hard. It’s just boring until we find what we’re looking for.”

“Which is?”

“Everything on the Silencer. Ray is a firm believer of keeping everything on paper, so I’m certain he has files upon files on him somewhere in his office. We just have to find it before he gets home.”

“Isn’t it easier to just ask him?”

I take a deep breath and push open the door to Ray’s office.

“I need to see everything for myself. Ray won’t remember every single detail, but those details are what I need.”

“Alright.” He yawns, and I slam the door shut, locking it behind us. Kalina will soon get wind of this, if she hasn’t already, and will be banging on the door. I doubt she’ll do anything to Hudson, though I’d rather not have to deal with her at all.

“You start with the cabinets next to the windows.”

Ray’s office is enormous. It takes up the entire top floor of the manor, and it will be mine soon. However, Ray isn’t as neat and organized as I am. I’m struggling to find anything remotely helpful, and having hundreds of papers isn’t making the situation better.

Hudson is thoroughly searching through the designated area. My eyes are drawn to him, and I momentarily forget all about the task at hand. Instead, I lean against the wall and stare at him.

He rolls his sleeves up to his elbows, exposing his tattoos. He’s flipping through papers, his brows creased. He’s deep in thought and doesn’t seem to notice that I’m openly ogling him.

If we weren’t in the positions we are, I’d die to have this man for myself.

He’s smart, despite trying to act like a dumbass. It’s a pathetic mask to hide the intelligence behind his jokes. He’s tall, with a great body and an even better face. He looks like he was painted by the most talented artists. He’s truly a work of art.

I shake away the impulsive thoughts and turn to skim through another set of papers. Thinking in such a manner about Hudson will only hurt me in the end. He’s insufferable, and there isn’t a single thing, looks aside, that I like about him.

Hudson is annoying and overbearing.

And he’s the person I hate the most in this world.

Whenever I look at him, something tugs at my heart. Thoughts of fury reverberate through my mind, and it’s the only thing that’s keeping me motivated and focused. He’s not someone I can ever allow to even have sympathy for, let alone an emotion greater than that.

He’s just not worth it.

He’s not worth all the pain, all the sorrow, and all the darkness he’s bound to bring with him. He has demons I can’t even dream of taking on as my own, and he’s someone who is too selfish to think about someone else.

“I found something,” Hudson says, and I’m snapped out of my trace. “It’s his background information.”

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