Page 69 of Revenge (Corrupt Empire 3)

Chuck paced away, clearly agitated. I wasn’t sure he’d bought what I’d told him.

“Is this true, Avery?” he asked, not looking at either of us.

“Yes,” she said, her voice a little unsteady.

He was silent, his back to us. Ed was still seated, watching all of us with trepidation. Time felt like it wasn’t passing. We were all just stuck there, waiting for someone to say something.

And then the last person any of us were expecting strolled into the room with his hands in his pockets. He eyed the scene for all of ten seconds.

“Well, this is quite the party.”

My fist clenched. Avery let out a quiet moan of pain so I loosened my grip on her hand a little. What the actual fuck was he doing here?

“Rick?” Chuck said.

“Charles, long time no see, old friend.”

Holy mother of all fucks. This fucking man knew no fucking bounds. Walking in here like he owned the fucking place.

“What are you doing here?”

Avery wrapped her other hand around my arm, giving it a squeeze. I was not fucking prepared for this shit today. Not one bit.

“Are you okay?” she whispered.

“No, I’m fucking not.”

I was practically shaking with rage. How fucking dare he turn up here. How fucking dare he come to my fucking wife’s office. I told him to stay away from us. I warned him.

“I’m here to meet my daughter in law,” Rick said, his voice as smooth as fucking butter.

“You knew about this?” Chuck asked.

“Now, now, Charles, did you think I wouldn’t keep an eye on my own son’s activities?”

“Does everyone fucking know about this shit except me?”

“I didn’t know,” Ed piped up.

Chuck turned and gave him a death stare. Ed shrank back in his seat.

“Did I interrupt something?” Rick asked.

His expression told me he knew full well he’d walked into a shit storm. Chuck put a hand up.

“No, no, Ed and I were just leaving.”

He turned, walked over to me and gave me a warning look.

“You and I are not done. I’m not buying this shit from you and her,” he told me in a low voice.

Then he turned, aimed a finger at Ed and pointed at the door before he walked out. Ed got up and hurried away after him, leaving Avery and me alone with my scumbag sperm donor.

He quietly closed the door behind them. Turning to us, he didn’t bother plastering a smile on his face.

“I warned you, but y’all hell bent on throwing caution to the wind now.”

“I didn’t fucking well ask for your opinion. What the fuck are you doing here?”

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