Page 97 of Owned By a Billionaire

Drake took her hand, as though showing his support. She gave him a reassuring nod. “I have decided to clear my conscience, haven’t I?”

“It could get you into trouble,” Declan reiterated.

“I don’t care.” She squared her shoulders and showed me what courage looked like.

Drake didn’t share her determination, it seemed, going by his frown.

Carson joined in. “Savvie mentioned the cops were sniffing around at Elysium. They’ve been talking to all the staff.”

“That’s to be expected,” I said.

After we discussed at length the different methods of surveillance, everyone left but Manon, whom I’d asked to remain. Drake whispered something to his wife, likely expressing his concerns, before he left.

“You really don’t have to implicate yourself like that,” I told her.

“I’m determined to. I contacted one of the illegals, who is no longer that.” She half-smiled.

I fidgeted with my gold pen. “How did you locate her?”

“I remembered she’d told me something about working at a nail parlor in London.”

“Oh? That was quite a long time ago, though.”

“I know. Anyway, I contacted every nail place in and around London and found her.”

Impressed by Manon’s tenacity, I smiled. “You missed your calling as a sleuth.”

“I actually enjoyed it.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I found Tania. Natalia’s brothers had smuggled her into England. Natalia knew her back in Serbia and promised her a safe passage and a new life here. She told her that some friend had a nail business. Which was true.” She paused. “But then Tania was forced to auction her virginity at Rouge. She became legal but at an enormous cost. She’s still scarred emotionally—she can’t go near men. Although he paid for her, the man raped her repeatedly.”

“And she will testify after all that?” I asked, disturbed by what I’d heard.

“I offered to set her up in her own nail business.”

“But if Natalia gets wind of that, it might become inadmissible.”

“She won’t hear about it. Tania promised to wait until Natalia’s been kicked out.”

“Kicked out? She’s Rey’s widow. The authorities won’t kick her out.”

“She’s a criminal, Grandmother. Her brothers are not only smuggling drugs but also people, it would seem. And what’s more, Tania’s keen to report them.”

“Why hadn’t she earlier?” I asked.

“She was scared she’d be deported.”

“Mightn’t she?”

“I spoke to an immigration solicitor, and apparently if she’s been granted citizenship through the proper channels, she cannot unless a crime is committed.”

“And she received hers how? I thought the man who bought her facilitated that.”

“No. The nail-business proprietor sponsored her and got it on her own merits.”

“Well then, she’s safe.” I nodded slowly. “Good work. Only… are you sure you want to drag yourself through this?”

“I do.”

I went to her and gave her a warm hug. “You’re an impressive woman, Manon. Sharp, dependable, and smarter than most your age.”

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