Page 79 of His Little Secret in Discretion
A manila folder landed on his desk with a casual flick of my wrist, papers spilling just enough for him to see the boldheaders, the signatures, the crooked numbers, a small glimpse of the carnage that tied every shady string neatly back to his name.
“You’ve been a busy bee…” I drawled, watching his brows furrow.
“Is this about her?”
A low chuckle left me. “Is this about Maia? My Sunshine? Of course it is.”
Felix’s nostrils flared. “She made her own choices.”
“Well, of course she had to.” I shrugged. “Come to think of it… You didn’t give her any to begin with. I’m simply returning the favor… So go on,” I said, leaning back, spinning the chair lazily. “Take a look at your greatest hits. Vanguard Solutions, the shell corps, the loan sharking; very creative, I must say.”
He opened the folder reluctantly, eyes scanning frantically. Probably hated not being the one in control. Too bad.
“Impressive résumé. Unfortunately for you…” I tilted my head, let a grin curve around my mouth. “…I own every last one of those strings now.”
“I don’t know what game you're playing at, Porter, but whatever you think will happen, it won’t. My investors have too much at stake—”
“You mean Calvin?” I quipped, and he went silent as I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. Lockwood will pull out the second this ship starts to sink, clear his name, and leaveyouat the bottom. Which means you’re mine to buy out. Every debt, every desperate little scheme, everything you thought you built. All. Fucking. Mine.”
I slid one last sheet across the desk, his eyes following it angrily. “Sign and every asset, every share will be handed over nice and clean.”
“And if I don’t?” he asked.
I stood, rounding the desk as he watched cautiously. Narrowing my eyes, I tilted my head.
“You’d be the first to know what happens when someone doesn’t have a choice.I’m making this easy for you.”
Felix’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His hand was twitching by his side.
I popped the lollipop back in my mouth, smirking around the stick as I patted his cheek twice, not missing the slightest flinch.
“Clock’s ticking, princess.”
Chapter thirty
Maia
Things were quiet… way too quiet for the chaos I’d endured for the last few months. I checked in on my uncle, and he was doing okay from what he’d told me.
The conversation didn’t last too long. He’d just apologize and hoped I could forgive him. Said he would be going back to rehab soon enough, when he could finally realize how much he lost.
He hadn’t reached out since. Felix was radio silent, and oddly enough, I’d received a few hiring offers and applications in my work email that I used to beg the universe for in the past.
I knew Blaine was behind all of it. But he hadn’t said a word, hadn’t so much as dropped a hint to me that Felix was out of my life for good now. I just had to infer that that was the case.
“You’re seriously not gonna take my offer?”Brielle said into the phone, bringing me out of my thoughts as I took another sip of tea while still being huddled on the couch in the living room.
“You know I’m not looking to date anyone right now,” I murmured.
She scoffed.“I’m not asking you to marry the guy, I just want you to get to know him. He’s a sweetheart. He’s funny, charismatic—”
I rolled my eyes. “By the way you’ve described him, I’m pretty sure he’s a bit crazy too…” I giggled, and she huffed into the phone.
Interestingly enough, Brielle had been doing her best to get me to go on a date with a colleague of her soon-to-be husband, Killian.
Apparently, in her words, not mine,“You’d be perfect for each other.”As if Mr. Porter hadn’t told me that since the day we met. Hearing Brielle say it repeatedly was just the icing on the cake.
“Bri, really, I’m fine,” I said, curling deeper into the couch. “I don’t need a date. I need… I don’t know, maybe a vacation.”
