Page 86 of The Mastermind

The next day,fury pummeled me as I sat in my office reviewing the information my PI had given me last night when he had interrupted my date with Audri. Normally, I wouldn’t have caved to the interruption, but I had been waiting for pertinent information from him.

The call told me what to expect. Though I knew Mallory and Brian were a despicable mother and son duo, the facts still infuriated me. I hadn’t looked at the email thoroughly until now, not wanting to ruin my evening with Audri.

Before I dropped her off at her apartment last night, she teased me about Slash being overprotective. He had been fishing to see if I’d told her anything about the elusive “event.”

She would ask me one day; would I tell her?

I didn’t want to keep anything from her, but I had to be cautious. What if knowing too much would hurt her like Slash had warned? I couldn’t risk her safety. Audri had become so important to me and she occupied my thoughts more than anything else. I questioned my dark heart. Perhaps it could absorb colors.

I thrived in the dark until she sparked my flame, igniting my new purpose. I wanted her, but I had to keep her safe from the dark attached to me.

Needing a breather, I pushed away from my desk. I poured myself two fingers of Scotch, tossed it down my throat, and wandered to the window. Glancing down at the busy street, I let my mind drift. After a few moments, I headed back to my desk, stopping to look at Audri’s magazine photo in a wooden frame on my bookshelf, running my hand down the obscure lingerie. I took the frame back to my desk, wanting her closer to me.

I sat down and stared at a copy of the revised will that my dad had “signed.” His signature looked slightly different. Details mattered, and I was a man who paid attention to those little things others might miss. Like how the “a” in William was closed off. My dad had never closed that letter as a perfect “a.”

The new will gave Mallory and Brian a higher stock percentage in Starke Financial. Not too significant to be questioned by the lawyer, but enough to intrigue me.

Did my dad actually sign the will? Had he agreed to give a percentage of my mom’s shares to someone other than her son? My mom left all of her shares to me, and my lawyer had made certain that stuck in the will. My dad hadn’t objected back then.

No one could alter my mom’s will without her consent, not even my father. What else was going on here?

The fake document irked me. I had to speak to my dad in private. If he agreed to give my shares to Mallory and Brian—which he legally couldn’t—then he was no longer my father. I could ignore his neglect and tolerate his inability to be a loving father, but if he touched my mother’s belongings without my permission, it was unforgivable. He wouldn’t even have Starke Financial if it weren’t for her.

My anger wasn’t about the money; I had plenty. The shameful act of giving away a part of my mother was no different from them hiring someone to kill me back then. It didn’t matter if my mom had left me one percent or fifty percent. It was mine, and I would bring hell to them for taking what belonged to me.

Though the will was invalid, it could create more issues if I hadn’t caught it in time. What gave Mallory and Brian the balls to devise this false document? Were there others?

My phone buzzed with a text message from Audri, and my issues dropped away. I hadn’t shared everything about my family issues with her. She didn’t need this darkness to infect her.

A:You have 1 hour. I’ll pick u up, and we can head to my mom’s. Bring your appetite.

R:Appetite ready.

* * *

Audri handedme four pairs of chopsticks and whispered, “Have you done this before?”

“Held chopsticks?” I whispered back.

“Set the table.” She gestured her head to the dining table and narrowed her eyes. “Billionaires don’t do this kind of simple thing, do they? Don’t they have other people catering to them?”

“Maybe, but I’m breaking all kinds of rules for you. Why are we whispering?” I glanced at Mrs. Wu, who was stirring a huge pot of soup in the kitchen.

“My mom doesn’t know about us yet. She assumes you’re here because you’ve been a family friend for ages.”

“Does Grayson set the table when he comes home to eat?”

“Sometimes, but he’s used to it. Mom made us do it when we were kids.” Audri placed a bottle of hot sauce and hoisin sauce for dips on the Lazy Susan.

She was right. I’d never set the table, never wanted to. I hadn’t done it as a kid or an adult, until now. When I had company, I mostly ate out. When I was home, there was no point setting the table for one person. I watched Audri as she placed four soup spoons on the napkin beside the chopsticks. Somehow, she had nudged me to do something I’d never done before, and now I enjoyed minor tasks that had once bored me.

“Can you please get me four white bowls from the cabinet over there?” Audri jerked her chin toward the mahogany cabinet near the window while squirting hot sauce into the small condiment dish.

As I retrieved the bowls, Derek stalked across the backyard, kicking a pebble into the garden. He was on the phone, looking none too happy. I studied the backyard filled with abundant flowers. Would Audri love something like this? I’d never thought about owning a home in a suburb with a yard big enough for kids to play with their pet. The thought shocked me.

I was about to turn around when Derek cursed. He tried to muffle it, but I heard it.

“If we lose more money, we’re screwed. Play it safe. Get rid of them all. Make sure you check out the ones from Touro too. You know what to do.” Derek clicked off, mumbled something, and dialed another number.

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