Page 83 of Babies for the Christmas Grump
I nod in agreement, already thinking ahead. “I know. That’s why I’m going to make him come to us. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”
Nolan raises an eyebrow, a rare glint of approval in his eyes. “I like the sound of that. But you need to be prepared for how he might react if he thinks you’re onto him. If Lang’s been siphoning money through shell companies, he’s not going to sit back and wait for you to expose him. He’ll protect himself. The last thing you want is to corner him too early.”
I sit up straighter, the situation settling into my bones.
I’ve been walking a fine line with this situation for a while now, seeing the irregular invoices pile up, tracing money that vanished into subsidiaries no one’s heard of, keeping quiet while I gathered proof.
But it’s time to tip the scales in my favor. I’ve just been waiting for the right moment to strike.
“We’ll take it slow, but once we’ve got the paper trail nailed down, we’ll move fast,” I say firmly. “Lang’s been disguising withdrawals as ‘vendor expenses’ for projects that don’t exist. I’ve got receipts that prove it. That’s my leverage… and if he thinks he can bury my friend’s hotel with his scam, he’s in for a shock.”
Nolan watches me closely, his gaze calculating. “You really think you’ve got enough on him to take him down?”
“I have to,” I answer, my jaw tightening. “If I don’t, the hotel’s in real trouble. I don’t know if it will ever come back from this. And I won’t let that happen.”
He nods slowly.
“Alright. Then we make our move carefully. We’ll find Lang. And when we do, we make sure he knows he’s not as untouchable as he thinks.”
A knock on the door stops me from saying anything else. Without even waiting for an answer, Claire comes into my office. My sister is definitely getting a little too comfortable here.
“Ugh, Ryder. You won’t believe what Mom just did.”
Nolan’s eyes flicker to me, then back to Claire. He mutters something about having to handle some things downstairs, but before he’s even out of the room, Claire’s already speaking over him.
“Can I just—” She cuts herself off, rubbing her forehead. “I don’t even know what to say. I mean, I’m so glad to be here, to see you again. But Mom… she makes thingsimpossible.”
I know I have a lot of work to do, but my sister clearly needs this, so I lean back in my chair and watch her as she paces up and down, ranting.
In a way, this reminds me of when we were teens, and we only had one another to talk to about stuff.
I have to admit, despite the drama, it’s kinda nice to have her back in my life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Sunny
December 18th
Okay,so I might have slept for about twelve hours straight. And I might have woken up in the most unflattering way possible, with drool on my pillow and my hair twisted in a shape I can only describe as “the aftermath of a small tornado.”
But, surprise, I still feel like a zombie who’s been run over by a holiday parade float.
I drag myself out of bed, wrapped in the fuzzy blanket I didn’t even bother to kick off, and squint at the clock. It’s mid-morning, and I can hear Marjorie humming around in the kitchen.
It seems she’s preparing a feast, probably involving some super-healthy, high-energy breakfast that will absolutely make me gag.
When I walk into the kitchen, Marjorie is standing by the counter, making a green smoothie that undoubtedly contains kale, spinach, and all the things I definitely do not want to drink right now.
She doesn’t even glance up from her blender, but the second I step into the room, she gives me the look. The one that meansshe’s about to tell me I still look like I’m about to keel over any second.
“You look awful,” she announces.
I groan. “I slept for hours, Marj. I feel like I’m being punished for existing.”
I pour myself a cup of coffee that could double as motor oil.
“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you push yourself too hard,” she says, still not looking up. “You’re not fine, Sunny. You need to see someone, like, immediately. I know you said you didn’t want to, but you must listen to me now.”
