Page 127 of Lush

Exhaling slowly, I didn’t even know where to start with this one.

“You want specifics, Laurene? Fine.” He leaned forward. “He was desperate. Drowning in debt, bad investments, bad choices.”

I was right. Dante had given him money. “And you bailed him out.”

“I gave him a chance to fix it,” Dante corrected me smoothly. “But a man like Toby? He doesn’t know how to stay clean. So he made more bad choices.”

“Like what?”

Dante smirked. “Like sleeping with Blair.”

The words hit like a slap across the face.

“You’re lying.”

“Am I?” Dante’s eyes flickered with something sharp, predatory. “Come on, Laurene. You know Toby. You know Blair. Him being sloppy gave me more opportunities to…work with him. Reese knew about it. I heard he confronted them. Your husbanddidn’t tell you?”

Reese knew? Reese knew, and he hadn’t said a word? A hollow, nauseating sensation curled in my stomach, like theground had tilted beneath me. I clenched my fists before he could see the tremor in my hands.

“What does that have to do with you?” My voice was steadier now, even as my nails dug into my palm.

“Everything.” Dante’s gaze darkened, the amusement slipping just slightly. “Because Toby made a deal. With me. With Blair. And now he can’t get out of it.”

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

“What kind of deal?”

“Sorry, that’s all you get from me. Now about our business?” Dante leaned back looking like the Cheshire Cat.

It was time to get Dante out of my office.

“Ten million dollars,to me.”

He blinked, surprised.

“You’re asking for a lot,” he said. “I can give you a substantial donation, but ten million? That’s pushing it, they’ll notice it in the books.”

I smiled, leaning forward slightly. “You came to me because you needed something I can provide. So I’m asking for what my trust and loyalty is worth. Ten million, no strings attached. It’s a fair deal, considering you’re essentially asking me to betray my mother. Work with you and not her?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Unless you don’t have the money, of course.” I dug the knife in further.

“My money is good. You don’t have to worry about that.” Dante sniffed. “Ten million, huh? You’re a hard negotiator. But I’ll consider it.”

“No.” I straightened up. “My way, or no deal. Obviously you’ve been stepping on toes and you want my help to get you back on some good sides.”

Dante’s frown deepened, and now it was my turn to shrug.

“I mean, it was nice of you to hold this picture for me. I can continue to not say anything about yousleeping with Blair Sterling.”

His face stiffened, but only for a split second, and that was enough to know I had him.

“Blair?” His voice was too smooth, too casual, trying to brush it off.

“You don’t have to lie to me. I know. She’s the wrong person to ask about me.”

His gaze dropped for a moment, and I saw the calculation running behind his eyes.

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