Page 83 of Twice as Forbidden

“Then who the fuck is he working with?”

“His mother.”

“He’s been lying to you.”

“How? Specifics, Dad. Seems you’re the only liar—”

“He never went to college.”

“That’s bullshit—”

“Noah, fucking listen to me. I don’t have time to get into all this. Georgia’s in danger. Vince is unhinged and wants revenge. He wanted something from me and tried to go through Georgia to get it.”

“The ledger?”

My eyes widen. “He told you?”

“No, Georgia tried to, but I didn’t believe her. Not that I had a chance, 'cause Vince started going off about you and her—”

“That doesn’t matter right now. We need to find him. We need to findher.”

He finally nods, pulling out his phone. Thank fuck. I stand, my hands shaking, as he types out a message. “Call him,” I command, and he dials his number.

“Voicemail.”

“Fuck!”

“What’s going on? You’re starting to freak me out. Why would he hurt Georgia if he wants to hurt you?”

“It’s not just him. It’s also his mother.”

“Say that again?” I ask, my gaze fixed on Craig.

“Veronica Hallstead, or Veronica Sheldon. In hopes of staying off the grid, she was using her maiden name.”

“What the fuck does she have to do with this.”

“Like Vince, we’ve been tracking the wrong Hallstead. Veronica has been busy the past few years.”

“She’s a ruthless bitch, but she doesn’t have the brains to conjure up something like this—”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Burt was going broke no matter what. His wife was flying through money—”

“Because she’s a money-sucking cunt.”

Craig chuckles. “She was definitely living lavishly, but that’s not where her money went.”

“I assume you’re going to tell me?”

“She’s been having you followed.”

My mind races. “That’s impossible. You would’ve known.”

Craig smirks, shaking his head. “I was impressed. I’ll give her that. The deposits and withdrawals were all disguised as transactions for high-end art purchases—nothing that would raise suspicion. Her husband didn’t question a thing. Probably thought anything to keep his wife happy was worth it.” He pauses. “Here’s where it gets interesting—under the name Veronica Hallstead, everything checks out. Fancy art purchases, perfectly legit. But dig into her maiden name, and a whole different story emerges. A single account loaded with deposits for years. She’s been tracking you for years.”

I let the weight of his words sink in. “Why?” I ask, though I already know the answer. She’s a greedy snake. Once she realized she screwed up, she wanted me back.

Craig shrugs. “I haven’t been able to get to the bottom of it all yet. There’s too much, but one thing’s clear: your ex has quite the obsession with you.”

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