Page 17 of Beautiful Revenge
Janie shifts a blank stare from her phone to Harlow. “It’s your father.”
Harlow’s eyes widen. “What about him?”
Janie shakes her head. “I don’t know.”
Harlow tenses and demands, “Is it his doctors? What are they saying?”
Janie shakes her head and tears fall down her face. “He’s gone.”
“Gone?!” Harlow’s expression falls and her hand flies to her mouth. “He died?”
“No.” Janie shakes her head in pure shock as she swipes at her cheeks. “I mean, he’s gone, Harlow.Gone. They can’t find him.”
Harlow’s frown deepens and her voice trembles. “He’s unable to walk on his own. He has an entire medical staff assigned to him twenty-four-seven, not to mention the security at the penthouse. He couldn’t go anywhere if he wanted to.”
Janie grips her phone and exclaims in hysterics, “Your father is missing!”
“Missing?” Harlow’s tone gets edgier with every word. “How the hell did he go missing?”
A missing billionaire. This is what I get for wondering if their level of drama could reach a new level. But this is not on me. Thank fuck I looked up the families. I know for a fact that Patrick Madison is nowhere near my manor.
Or, at least, he wasn’t.
I am not taking a hit for a missing billionaire. His daughter’s wedding will be enough of a marketing nightmare. I should bow out of their latest family catastrophe. I have enough shit to do and guests to appease until they check out.
But at the moment, I’m consumed by a billionaire’s daughter, her stepmum, and the tension in this room that’s strung so tight, someone’s bound to snap at any moment.
And there’s the fact I’m nosy as fuck and want to know how an old man on his death bed goes missing.
Janie drags a hand through her hair that’s now disheveled and a mess—just like the rest of her. “I don’t know. The head nurse just called and wanted to know what they did wrong since I gave orders to have him moved out of their care on such short notice. Whatever was done, it wasn’t me!”
Harlow’s rage radiates off her in waves. “You’re his medical power of attorney, Janie. I wanted that responsibility, but you fought me on it. You convinced me you’d be the best choice since you’d always be available and don’t have an actual job. The way you had him in your snares before he got sick makes me furious. He’s all I have left and was still comatose when I saw him a few days ago. How the hell was he moved without you knowing?”
“I don’t know!” Janie exclaims and echoes my thoughts exactly. “As if this day could get any worse.”
Harlow cuts the space between her and her stepmum like a finely honed knife. I have no idea what the history is between these two behind closed doors, but I’m getting the impression it’s on the stormy side of turbulent. They’re practically nose to nose, and I’m impressed with the bride-who-never-was when she throws a warning at Janie Madison’s feet. “Find my father. If you don’t, I’ll go public with the fact he went missing under your care, and I don’t give a shit what Stonebridge says. The public will finally know about his health condition. I don’t give a shit about stock valuation. I want my father back even if it means taking you down on the public stage. I will ruin you, Janie. Find him.”
And just when I think the Madisons can’t up their drama, they say “hold my pricy-as-fuck champagne.”
CHAPTER FIVE
THE MISSING BILLIONAIRE
Devon
“Okay, I take back everything I said to you earlier. This is a horrific mess. Did you tell the bride there was no availability for her to stay?” Bella asks.
“No. She just canceled her wedding and found out her father is missing. Her stepmum ran out of there with her tail tucked between her legs, and Harlow told me she had calls to make. I’ll break it to her tonight.”
“There’s really no availability? You can’t shuffle things around for the poor woman?”
I exit the lift and head through the atrium to my office. “You haven’t seen her in action. She can hold her own. Plus, I gave your friends the last room, Bells. What do you want me to do, invite her to stay with me?”
Bella contemplates the least of my problems at the moment. “My heart breaks for her. Sure, she got cold feet and called off the wedding at the last moment, but that’s her prerogative. And, by the way, when you explained the family dynamics, who would blame her? Not me, and you’d better not either.”
I plaster the fake smile on my mug that I’ve perfected as I nod to guests who have started to file back in from the garden. Felicity is dealing with a small line at the front desk. Maybe my dreams will come true, and they’ll start checking out early.Once I get out of earshot, I get to the point. “I didn’t call to discuss the drama. I need a favor.”
“I’m not sure what I can do from here to ease your problems. My only advice is to turn up the charm. I’ve seen you fake it in the past—I have faith you can pull it off like the skilled operative you are.”
