Page 72 of Sexting Mr. CEO

“We’re not recording,” Luke says with a sigh. “But after what you started, Graham, I ought to be. Sera has been through a lot.”

“That’s what I regret most,” Graham replies regretfully.

“Why the sudden change of heart?” I ask.

“I’ve always cared about you, but fear consumed me, Sera. Losing the love of my life has always been my greatest fear, and Damien used that. Soon enough I realized my mistake, but it was too late. I feared what Damien would do if I reneged on the deal. By the time he’d targeted you, I was in too deep.”

“He could’ve killed her, Graham,” Luke snarls, his protectiveness making his voice deep and husky. “You can’t understand the hellfire I’d have rained down on TechGuard, onyou, if my woman hadn’t bravely found a way out of the fucked-up situations you put her in.”

“We’re so, so sorry,” Ellie whispers tearfully. “There’s no excuse for any of this.”

Graham groans. “Ellie’s right. I hate myself for what I did. But you have to understand, when he switched the numbers, he was threatening us. We didn’t do that for money. We did that because we were terrified.”

“You could’ve warned me.”

“I wanted to, I almost did at first. He must have been keeping tabs on me somehow. That day, I asked you to look over the code in Vegas. He realized I had saved the code intact onto your laptop. He came to me after and threatened Ellie. He said it was easy to slip into the hospital, hurt her.” Graham sounds desperate now. “I know there’s nothing I can say to make this right, but I was so scared.”

“You were the closest to family I ever had,” I tell them, my voice hoarse. “You know how much you meant to me.”

“Sera, I don’t want to…” Ellie stops herself, putting her hand over her mouth.

“Say it,” I whisper.

She shakes her head.

“Say it.”

“I don’t want to die with a rift between us,” she says, her voice tight with grief. “We’ve done wrong, but please, tell us how we can make it right. We’ll do anything.”

“Anything?” I ask pointedly.

Graham nods. “Anything, Sera,” he says firmly.

“Are you still in contact with Damien?”

“He hasn’t spoken to us since he threatened me,” Ellie murmurs. “But we have his number. Why?”

“There might be something you can do. Come to LA. Tell him you want more money. Tell him you’re ready to trick me… again,” I say a little too excitedly, exhilarated at the thought of finally turning the tables on the bastard.

Luke looks at me. “You want to set a trap?”

“I’m sick and tired of waiting around forhimto do something,” I say fiercely. “First it was the laptop, then it was switching the numbers, the gun, the threats, threatening me this morning… It’s time for us to take the first step. He’s not in charge anymore.”

“What about Ellie’s treatment?” Graham asks hesitantly.

“If Sera is ready to work with you,” Luke says, “I’ll cover her treatment. I’ll cover your flights, your board, everything.”

Graham gasps. “A-after everything I’ve done?”

“I won’t be doing it for you,” Luke snaps. “I’ll be doing it for her.”

“This is the only way,” I mutter. “I’m asking a lot – but you’ve done a lot. And I can’t stand the thought of him out there, waiting for his next chance to pounce.”

Graham and Ellie exchange a look. The moment becomes heavy with how pivotal this moment is. This is where they show if they truly care, if they ever did. Finally, Ellie whispers, “We’ll come. We’ll do the right thing. Thank you for giving us this chance, Sera. You’re like the daughter we never had.”

“Luke, can you arrange the details?” I ask, standing, avoiding her last words.

“Sure,” he replies. When I walk away from the laptop, he throws a ‘I’ll be back’ over his shoulder as he follows me. He gently grips my shoulder when he reaches me and turns me toward him. “Are you sure about this?”

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