Page 118 of Revenge (Corrupt Empire 3)

Chapter Twenty Three

Avery

After everything I’d learnt in the past hour, this was the last thing I expected Rick to say to me. Sell Daniels Holdings to him? Was he crazy? After everything they’d done, how could I just wash my hands of it? That wasn’t right, was it? I had too many thoughts running around my head and I had no fucking clue what to make of any of it.

Aiden hugged me to his chest, his arms tightening around me. I didn’t know how he felt about this either. It’s not like I could outright ask him in front of Rick. Or could I?

“Why would I do that?” I asked finally.

“You’re a wealthy girl already, so I don’t expect you want the money.”

I shook my head.

“You dismantle the company; all those people lose their livelihoods. If you give it to me, I will ensure the ones who aren’t dirty remain employed and taken care of. You and Aiden can do what you will with the proceeds of the sale.”

I hadn’t thought of that. Not once did it cross my mind how many people Daniels Holdings employed and if I exposed everything, the company would likely go down with me. All those people out of jobs. I couldn’t do that to them. It wouldn’t be fair. And yet, how could all the things the company had covered up go unpunished.

I turned my head to look up at Aiden. His expression was dark as if he was coming to the same conclusion as me.

“I don’t know,” I whispered.

His eyes told me he understood. His thumb circled my stomach, the action soothing my frayed nerves. I think if he let me go right now, I’d collapse on the floor.

This entire evening had been fucking crazy. Learning that my grandfather killed Aiden’s mother was horrifying. I didn’t need to ask how because Aiden already told me. I knew Nick wasn’t a good man, but this was worse than I ever imagined. The fact that he would just kill a woman he saw as a threat to his family sickened me.

For all Rick’s protestations at loving Lizzie and wanting to protect her, avenge her, he’d still been complicit in keeping her. Raping her. Abusing her. He’d allowed it all to continue when he could’ve stopped it. I might be glad he took revenge on Nick, but my grandfather was going to die anyway.

Everything else after that was just bullshit. He didn’t have to sit back and watch Aiden destroy the empire my family built. He could’ve done it himself. Instead, he decided to keep his hands relatively clean and allow his own son to do his dirty work. I already knew that was the case from our last dinner together, but knowing the whole truth just made it so much worse.

Everything Rick had done was sick. How could I sell my company to him? But it wouldn’t really be to him. It’d be to the Harris Corporation. Unlike Daniels Holdings, they were a public company with stock on the open market. That meant whilst Rick might be the CEO, he still had to answer to the shareholders and the board of directors.

Did that really make it okay?

Could I really rid myself of this mess?

“You don’t have to make a decision just yet,” Rick said.

I turned back to him.

“I still have things to show you.”

“There’s more?” Aiden interjected.

“I showed Avery the evidence I have for a reason. It’s yours, but there’s more. I have a gift for you.”

Aiden stiffened behind me.

“A gift?”

“Yes, of sorts. Come.”

He walked over to the door and opened it, stepping out into the hallway. I shifted out of Aiden’s hold, turning to look at him.

“What more could he possibly have to show us?” I asked, my voice low.

“I don’t know.”

He took my hand and led me out of the room. We followed Rick down the hallway. I recognised it and its ornate wallpaper. He opened a door to the right and waited for us to enter. I looked up at Aiden. His eyes were narrowed and his body tense.

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