Page 9 of Grand Love

He mumbles something under his breath that I don’t catch.

“Here.” I hand him the forecast for the next four months, glad I don’t have to deal with it anymore. “Don’t miss the figures on Rosehill. Hector will only ask if you forget it.”

He snatches the piece of paper from my hand, frowning as he reads through the figures.

“You good?” I smirk.

He ignores me, letting the sheet of paper fall to the table and then he turns to face me.

He’s relentless.

“Just give her a text? Ask to drop off or pick up from hers?”

“You’re wasting your time,” Charlie says from the door. “She’s too stubborn to let you back in so easily.”

“Aldridge is right. Let her go, Montgomery. I have.” I pat his back as I walk past him and towards Charlie at the door.

“You’ve let her go, my arse! Where are you fuckers going anyway?”

“Golfing,” Charlie replies, grinning wide.

I watch as Elliot’s frown only gets deeper.

“Elliot.” He snaps his eyes to me. “Don’t fuck it up.” I nod to the paper on the desk and leave. Years of being in the office alone while Elliot did whatever the hell he wanted is finally paying off.

Rounding the reception area, I eye George. “Get Vinny for me and—”

“Already here.” He points to my office.

“What?”

“He’s in your office, right now. Came in like a flapping fairy.” He pinches the bridge of his nose as if it’s all too much. “I told him you were in Elliot’s office and that I would help him, but he refused. Silly stubborn man.”

Charlie looks just as perplexed as I’m sure I do.

Walking into my office, I see him sat at my desk, reading glasses on and focused on a file in front of him.

“Vin?”

He looks at me over the top of his glasses, looking older than his fifty years. It takes me back to my father sitting behind the very same desk. It seems like a lifetime ago now.

“I found her, Mase. The woman from that night. I finally found her.”

My body goes rigid, unsure if I’ve heard him right.

“She ran out of money, by the looks of it. Scott found her in Stratford.”

I snigger, completely shocked and lost for words. Fucking months of searching for the hooker who ruined my life, and she was under our nose this whole time?

“You have eyes on her?” I ask.

“Yeah. That’s not all though.” His face is grim as he rises to his feet. He removes his glasses, chucking them to the table in defeat as he brings me the piece of paper. “You should see this.”

“Jerry Lockwood,” I read aloud, studying the piece of paper.

Nina’s biological father.

“Her dad.”

I jerk my head up, confused. “Whose fucking dad?” I snap.

“Jasmine Lockwood.” He pauses, his own anger evident as he swallows the lump in his throat. “She’s Nina’s half sister, Mason.”

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