Page 59 of Enigma: The Final Chapter
Her smile lowers into a frown when her eyes flicker like she's recalling a memory. “I have to give it to him, he was very clever. Not only did he break down my walls, but I also believe he cared for me.”
Alex does care for Regan. I could see it in his eyes during our exchange. He had the same unbridled rage that scorches my veins when anyone challenges me regarding anything associated with Isabelle.
“As the weeks went on, I got careless.”
“Because you trusted him,” I interject.
She nods. “Yes.”
It was the same with Isabelle and me. I let my defenses down within a matter of days of making Isabelle mine, so I can comprehend Regan doing it in weeks. I thought my carelessness in being so trusting of Isabelle was my biggest downfall. It wasn’t. It was the sneaky, underhanded tactics of people who were part of my life well before Isabelle arrived in the picture that deserved my suspicion.
“Are you certain it was him who deceived you?”
Regan’s lips set into a firm line before she nods. “I went to take a shower one morning. When I came out, my laptop was open and turned on.” Her nervous cough bounces around the office. “It was the laptop I had Theresa’s files saved on. At first, I brushed it off thinking maybe he was checking his emails or googling movie times for a flick we were going to see, but it didn’t take long for my suspicions to increase that he had looked through my files.”
I cross my arms in front of my chest. “What caused your wariness?”
“He mentioned numerous times his dislike of his boss. He never said what he did for a living, but he shared stories about how she was underhanded and shady, and how he’d run things differently if he were in her position.” Her eyes lift to mine. “A couple of days after my laptop was open, he arrived at my apartment, beaming with excitement because she’d been removed from her position, and he wanted to celebrate.”
She smiles like she's recalling a fond memory. “Not very often did Alex drink. He's usually more controlled, but since we were celebrating, I encouraged him to loosen up. I soon realized why he doesn’t drink. After a few too many spiked drinks, his lips loosened up as well.” She cringes like she’s embarrassed. “With the snippets of information he shared earlier, it didn’t take long to realize what industry he was in. When he was asleep, I rifled through his belongings. I didn’t find anything concrete bar a locked cell phone, so I called Hunter.”
My brows arch high as my jaw muscles tense, but there’s no reason for my snapped response. “Hunter didn’t know what my request pertained to. I told him I needed to hack into a guy’s phone to send his wife pictures of her cheating husband. You know how much Hunter hates cheaters.”
I nod. Hunter won’t hesitate to ruin a man if he's found guilty of adultery. He had great pleasure in ensuring Mr. Marco, the now ex-DA of Ravenshoe, was aware of his dislike of cheaters.
An angry scowl scours Regan’s face before she continues, “Hunter explained how I could gain access to Alex’s phone without needing the passcode. When it unlocked, not only did I find hidden emails corresponding to you and your empire, but I also found photos of Theresa’s files from my laptop.” Her gaze shifts to the window as a pained grin crosses her face. “You know the stupidest part?” Even though she asked a question, she continues without waiting for my reply. “The passcode on his phone was my birthday. That’s how good he is. He played the devoted boyfriend act very well.”
She brushes off a stray tear rolling from her eye before returning her eyes to me. “I tried to lead him astray, but I think I made matters worse. Not only does he believe you're the man your FBI file says you are, he thinks we—”
“Had an affair.” Her face morphs into shock, surprised I knew. “I gathered that after my run-in with him. He doesn’t hide his jealousy well. Is he the reason you moved back to Texas?”
She nods. “Yes. I didn’t want to run the risk of running into him.” She folds her arms in front of her chest. “I wanted to tell you. I tried a few times before I left, but I was ashamed I let him play me like a fool. If I honestly thought he had anything significant that’d hurt you or your empire, I would’ve told you, Isaac, but he had nothing. He still has nothing.”
I stay quiet, giving her time to regain her composure when her voice cracks.
Once the glistening in her eyes dampens, I seek her eye contact. “You don’t owe me anything, Regan. Me helping you wasn’t under the stipulation that you would owe me. I did it because you’d be an asset to my empire, not to gain your moral obligation for the remainder of your life.”
Her face scrunches up as new tears well in her eyes.
“If he's your Achilles heel—”
Her eyes snap to mine faster than a bullet being dislodged from a gun. “He isn’t.”
“Ifhe is, your loyalty the past seven years repaid any debt you think you still owe me, so don’t feel obligated to choose between your employer and the man you love.”
She stares into my eyes, silently pondering for a few seconds before whispering, “Even if I do love him, it doesn’t make a difference. He lost my trust. He can never get that back.”
“Hugo once told me—”
Regan chuckles. It isn’t a full-hearted laugh, but I'll accept a small chuckle over hearing her cry any day. “Why is everyone suddenly taking advice from Hugo?”
I shrug, my smile picking up. “It was good advice.”
She releases a big breath. “All right, hit me with it.”
“He said, ‘Not all mistakes are unfixable. If you work hard enough, even the most broken things can be repaired.’”
She twists her lips and nods but remains quiet.
