Page 142 of Tarek

I step forward, wanting to comfort her. She throws her shoulders back, fluffs her hair, and wipes her tears. “End scene. Who do you think they are going to believe? A white woman with tears or a jealous husband.”

I step back. My wife was a psycho mastermind. I have met my match.

“If I go down, so do you, Dereck, and your beloved Miranda will never love you again. And I have the bulk of your money.” Ilyana steps over the body and stops to examine her shoes. “I don’t want his blood on them.”

“Ilyana, you can’t leave. We have to fix this,” I reply.

“We? No this is your mess darling. If you focused on me. If you loved me, we wouldn’t be here. Have Henry or Aaron come fix this mess. You fix all of theirs. I will see you at home.” Ilyana, tip toes and presses her lips against my cheek and leaves through the hotel door.

Here I am standing now over the lifeless body of my wife’s lover and my ex’s husband. One man, two betrayals, and blood on my hands.

* * *

PENNY

“What do you mean you don’t need my services any longer?” I hold on to the arm of Zeeta’s chair.

“You will be compensated Ms. Holt. But we are changing management,” Jeremiah Douglas continues to drone on in my ear.

Zeeta is rocking Gia in her arms, her face is confused as I am.

“We really do love what you did, and we thank you for your service,” Jeremiah states.

“Jeremiah, who bought your business?” In the back of my head, my brain hints Tarek. But no, he wouldn’t... right?

“IDM industries. We will have your apartment emptied and your belongings shipped to you,” Jeremiah says, I can hear the cords of joy in his voice.

My jaw is still on the floor, before I could ask more questions, Jeremiah hung up the phone.

“Were you just fired?” Zeeta asks, Gia lifts her curly head from her mother’s shoulder like she, too, was concerned.

My phone alerted me of a new message, labeled: Thank you for your service.

As I peruse the email, it was a formal notice of the end of my contract. Attached was a document that I had to sign.

I feel like someone just slapped me across my head.

“Yes, I have a huge check, but I was fired and shipped back to Lakeshore.” I throw my shoulders back on the sofa.

“What are you going to do?” Zeeta asks, she sits on the chair opposite me. Gia’s eyes are becoming heavy, she sucks her thumb on her mom’s chest.

I shrug. “Go back to the Asylum and continue working.”

“Would you like to stay here? We have the room,” Zeeta says as she looks up at her high ceiling and its ornate crown molding.

“I have an apartment in the Asylum building. I need to find about IDM industries,” I begin to start making notes on my phone when I hear the heavy steps approaching our way.

Zeeta sits up and smiles brightly as her once sworn enemy, now husband, enters the room. Rhet Banner is not my kind of guy. Yes, he is good looking, blue eyes, sharp features, and tall. But it takes a certain kind of woman to deal with him and I am not her.

“Pen, welcome back. When are you leaving for Trinidad?” He snickers as he sits next to his wife.

Zeeta instantly melts to his side and the groggy Gia, leaves her mom’s lap and climbs to her father’s.

“Apparently, I will be staying here,” I reply. “Rhet do you know who owns IDM industries?”

Rhet rubs circles on Gia’s back. “Maybe I do?”

Zeeta pushes Rhet’s arm. “Tell her who owns it. They just acquisitioned the business and now Penny doesn’t have to go back to Trinidad.”

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