Page 56 of Revelation (Love Isn't What It Seems 3)

Aren’t we all hiding something?I was tempted to ask. But if Layla was in trouble, I wanted to know and help her.

“What makes you say that?” I inquired instead.

“He found there is a transaction repeated every year for the same amount. One hundred thousand each year, in the same month.”

I frowned at that comment. That wasn’t that much money, especially for people in our circles.

“Go on,” I encouraged him. There was more, I knew there had to be.

“The money is withdrawn in cash and never spent.”

“Maybe she is stuffing her mattress.” Yeah, it was far-fetched, but there were still people that believed in storing their money in their homes.

“Her last two withdrawals for that sum of cash had tracked bills. They were spent in Southern France.”

Each of Layla’s cash withdrawals had serialized bills. Daniel’s guys were able to hack into the banking system and follow the trail of money. It was the reason why his guys were the best. They did a detailed background checks using legal and illegal methods.

That was where her mother lived. Layla knew about her mother?

“Has your guy been able to dig up any kind of trace of contact between mother and daughter?”

It took me no time to become obsessed with Layla. I loved the games we played last night and her fucking response to me was perfect.Shewas perfect. She laid her vulnerability and desires at my feet and trusted me to pick them up. She trusted me to give her pleasure no matter what I did to her. It was the best kryptonite ever.

Yes, I bought one night with her for ten million pounds. Fuck, I would have paid twenty. But she knew, as well as I did, that there was a damn, exhilarating connection between us. I would give her space for a bit, and then I’d approach her again. As me… Maxim Caldwell.

“No, not a single communication between mother and daughter.”

“Then how does her mother end up with money? Unless-” I stopped myself. No, it couldn’t be. Would a mother do that to her own daughter?

“I think Layla is being blackmailed,” Daniel voiced my unspoken thoughts. “By her mother.”

Shit, that was bad. Really bad. No wonder Layla acted like an ice queen. She has had to fend for herself her whole life.

“Let’s dig some more,” I finally told him. “We want to know everything, before we start bringing people down.” I wouldn’t let any more people hurt this woman. “And Daniel?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t want your men after Layla,” I growled. “But I would appreciate it if they’d keep an eye on her and ensure she is safe till we bring all this to an end.”

“You got it.”

Chapter Nineteen

Maxim

This has been the craziest night of my life. The longest. And quite possibly the wildest.

The orgasms this man had given me were out of this world. Each time, I was sure I died and went to a happy place. This must be what addiction was all about. It was a one-night deal, but the craziest part was that I wanted more.

I glanced to my right to find Luke sound asleep. Naked, of course. He had the most amazing body I had ever seen. His solid, rock-hard abs were mouthwatering, his broad shoulders strong. He had ink on his right bicep. I wanted to lean in to see it better, but didn’t want to wake him up.

The only thing I couldn’t distinguish was his face. Behind that phantom mask, it was impossible to see a lot of his facial features. I couldn’t shake off the image of Maxim’s face. It was wrong on so many levels, but he reminded me of Maxim. My hand reached out, debating whether I should peek behind that mask. I quickly pulled back.

No, it is better to not know.Maybe I could pretend it was a wild dream. Or just imagine it was Maxim’s face behind that mask.

I glanced at the clock and noted it was approaching five in the morning. I didn’t want to be here when he woke up. Silently, I got out of bed and tiptoed out of there. My gown and shoes were still in his living room.

“Holy shit,” I whispered to myself as I took in this penthouse on my way out. This place was gorgeous. What the hell did this guy do to be able to afford something like this? I thought the view was magnificent last night, but I didn’t realize just how breathtaking it was. The view from the vast windows overlooked the Palace of Westminster and the River Thames with the Westminster Bridge in the foreground.

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