Page 89 of Until You (Forgive Me)

“That’s not your call to make, Isabella. I run an international company. It cannot and does not run itself. My father made that mistake...” Christian said, trying hard to keep a rein on his growing temper.

Who did she think she was?

“Forgive me for caring. But Christian, you are not your father,” she said, walking away from him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Christian asked, following her.

“I am not arguing with you over this,” Isabella said, spinning around and facing him, her hands on her hips. “When you slept through your alarm, twice. I decided I’d call her. Whatever you tell yourself, Christian. You are not superhuman.”

“What the hell did you do to me last night?” he asked.

He never slept through his alarm.

“Nothing. I simply helped your mind and body relax with some guided meditation and breathing exercises.”

“Not to the point I can’t do my job,” Christian said. “I need to go.”

Christian turned on his heel and made it to the door before stopping, his hand on the handle. He turned to find Isabella standing in the centre of the room with a smug look.

“Tell me you don’t feel revitalised this morning,” she said, her hands on her hips.

Christian pursed his lips. He had to admit, he felt more energised than he had done in a long time, but he was damned if he was going to admit that to Isabella right then. Instead, he huffed and walked out of the door, Isabella’s laughter following him. Damn her. She seemed to know what he needed more than he did. He would see about that.

He’d send her some flowers to say sorry for being such a grouch. But he needed to get to work. Asia would not wait for anyone, and that problem still needed solving.

Chapter Thirty-nine

Isabella

Isabella sat opposite Toby in his office. Unlike White and Partner’s offices, Toby’s was still a much more traditional setting, and Isabella preferred it. The wooden furniture and leather chairs gave her comfort in the years-old traditions that was the law.

“Findings suggest that the money has been used for a number of things. There is evidence of some being transferred to Edward’s personal account. The rest looks like it was filtered into the company. The PI did some digging, but without going through the company accounts in detail, it’s hard to fathom the whole picture. There are however rumours, Edward has a gambling habit that has gone back years.”

“He always did like to play cards. It was aboy’sthing, he used to tell me. They played every Thursday night when we were together.”

“Well, thisboys thinginvolves the underground gaming halls. The stakes are high to get into those games, and it looks like Edward is not the world’s best card player.”

“So you think Pierce has been using my money to cover Edward’s gambling debts?”

“Not all of it. It looks like Pierce has taken some gambles himself with the company. Investing in several schemes that have either gone bust, or never materialised.”

“How have you found all this out?”

“It’s amazing what you can uncover if you know who and what to ask. Pierce and Edward are not the most popular people. They’ve trodden on a few toes over the years. There are many people out there who’ve been burned by them.”

“What do we do next? If the money was used to pay off gambling debts... then it’s gone.”

“We may be able to recoup some of the money. Pierce has a house that is worth ten million, a vineyard in Tuscany, and a flat in Paris. It won’t cover everything you’ve lost, but it will return some of the money he’s taken. The biggest question is, what do you want to do about the King and Lebroc Group?”

“You mean because Pierce and Edward currently run the company?”

“Exactly. If we go after him and ask for the funds to be returned from the company...”

“It will bankrupt. All my father worked to create over the years.”

“You need to think about what you want to do next.”

“I’m not going to take my money out of the company if that is what you’re suggesting. If Pierce had asked, I would have happily loaned it to him. This was my father’s legacy.” Isabella stopped. “If they go, who takes over? I know they can’t stay, but that company has always had a King or a Lebroc at the head.”

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