Page 226 of Mad As Hell

He’d been all too happy to help. Bishop and Knight were around here somewhere, too, along with a handful of men they’d selected from their old squads to help us take control of Cain Industries.

I was amazed that these men had dropped whatever they were doing to help us. Or I had been until Ryan told me how much they were being paid.

Yeah, I probably would’ve jumped at the chance to make six-figures in a month, too.

“These gentlemen were just on their way out,” Ryan said in a clipped tone, jerking his chin at the remaining board members, gaping at the new guards.

Beckett slammed a fist on the table. “You can’t do this!”

“Watch me,” Ryan replied with a dark chuckle.

The security guards stepped toward the men, who quickly threw their hands up and started for the door with disgruntled and disbelieving expressions.

Royal eyed Beckett and Gary with interest. “Want me to stick around?”

“Just make sure we aren’t interrupted,” Ryan replied, glaring at his father, who was wiping blood on the cuff of his shirt.

Royal nodded. “You’re the boss.” He went to leave, pausing to smirk at me. “Maddie.”

The corner of my mouth hooked up as Gary blanched, realizing I knew Royal.

Once the door was shut, Ryan resumed rifling through the briefcase until he found the file he wanted. He tossed it across the table at our fathers.

“This is all the documentation you need proving that as of midnight, Phoenix International owns the majority share of Cain Industries,” Ryan informed them.

“Phoenix International?” Disdain dripped from Beckett’s tone.

“The company that Grandpa helped Ash, Linc, Court, and I set up with the sole purpose of ruining all of you,” Ryan replied. “We own every company you’ve invested in for the last year. Every concept, every patent, every stock… It’s us you’ve been paying.”

Beckett’s face paled and he grabbed the file, flipping through it. “How…”

Ryan turned to Gary. “We also own Praxis Tech. I believe you just invested a significant amount to acquire fifty percent of their stocks because you hoped it would destroy my father?” He glanced at me. “That was the plan, right, Mads?”

I nodded slowly. “Sounds about right.”

Gary’s gaze snapped to me. “What have you done?”

I simply stared back, happy to let Ryan dismantle their world. I was happy enough just to bear witness to Gary and Beckett lose everything.

Ryan folded his arms across his chest. “Let’s call it what it is, boys. You’re broke. For the last three years, it’s been my goal in life to see this moment happen. To see both of you end up with nothing.”

Beckett tossed the papers down with a sneer. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Seems you’ve forgotten something, son.”

Ryan held up a hand. “If this is the part where you threaten Corinne to make me fall in line, it won’t work. There’s no inheritance. Not for me and not for Cori. Grandpa signed Brookfield away.”

“He can’t do that,” Beckett snapped. “The company has to go to—”

“A familial member by birth or marriage,” Ryan parroted with a vicious smirk. “I’m aware. Grandpa signed everything over to my wife this weekend.”

It was like all the oxygen was sucked out of the room as he dropped that bomb. Gary and Beckett turned their stares to me, the former with fury and the latter with fear.

I stepped up to Ryan’s side, curling my fingers around his arm so they could see my wedding band. “Surprise.”

“No congratulations?” Ryan taunted them when they didn’t speak.

Gary started laughing. “Thank you for doing exactly what I wanted.”

I shot him a withering look as Ryan pulled out another file and slid it over to him.

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