Page 6 of Beautiful Revenge
Before I get the chance to thank him or confirm the details for tomorrow, he’s off.
I have no idea who this man is, but I hope he’s prepared for what I have planned. If he only knew what was in store for him, he might’ve waited one more day to fire Marsha.
His offer to be here for anything I need will be put to the test.
I have bigger things to worry about at the moment.
The most important thing.
My future.
CHAPTER TWO
BILLIONAIRE BRIDE
Devon
“I’m sure it will be brilliant, Dev. It has to be. What could go wrong with two of the richest families in the northern hemisphere uniting? From the way you described it, their budget is beyond sky-high. If there’s an issue, they’ll just throw money at it. Poof—it’ll be fixed in a jiffy. Plus, they sold the exclusive rights to their wedding story to a national magazine. A magazine, Devon. There’s really no choice other than utter perfection.”
My sister. Bella Donnelly Carson.
There was a time she wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows, but that was back when she was hiding from the western world because the arseholes who were running the British Secret Intelligence Service back in Vauxhall had it in for her. I had to go dark and jump in headfirst to dig my little sister out of that mess.
Her CIA husband—who wasn’t her husband at the time—and his off-the-grid friends did their parts too. But I like to think it was all me since I did take a bullet for her.
I blame those same shitheads at Vauxhall for the long list of pains in my arse at the moment. Not that they held a gun to my head and forced me to buy a run-down place in the States.
That was all because of my mum and baby sister.Bella was the one who found it. She told Mum, and the next thing I knew, my arse was touring this spectacle of a place because I needed an investment and a distraction for the next depressing stage of life. My cover was blown. There was no way I could continue as an operative for the British government. The world knew my name and face. I was done.
Bella picks the worst times to call for a chat, like I don’t have better things to do. She bloody knows it.
I grip my phone as I stalk through the atrium to the lifts and fake a smile as wedding guests begin to make their way to the back lawn. Stragglers. Damn them. The ceremony is set to start soon. The last thing I need is Janie Madison on my arse about anything else. The sooner she gets the hell off my property, the better.
“That’s easy for you to say, Bells. You’re not here dealing with this shit. I had to fire my event coordinator in the middle of the rehearsal dinner last night. My biggest regret in life right now—other than you and Mum strong-arming me into buying this money pit—is not looking the other way when I caught my employees pulling on company time. It’s made today even more of a thorn in my arse.”
Bella has the nerve to laugh at my current hellish state of affairs. “I love this. Something you’ve never had to deal with before—a new challenge. This is exactly what you need. It will soften your edges.”
“If this was playing out the way it was supposed to, my edges wouldn’t need softening. Outsource everything so I could work in the shadows—that was the plan. If I knew I’d get stuck being a fucking bridal assistant, I would’ve hidden out in the countryside for the rest of my days.” Harlow was supposed to ring when she was ready, but I haven’t heard one word from her. I hurry to catch the lift as guests exit. Before the doors shut on me, I swipe my security card to take me to the secured top floor where there are only two private penthouse suites. The bride to be is in one, and the other is mine.
“Devon Donnelly, you were an MI6 operative who brought down the scum of the earth, dodging governments, warlords, and bullets. Surely you can get through one day with a billionaire bride. I swear, men can be the biggest drama queens. And I would know since I’m a woman in amale-dominated industry. You can get back to delegating tomorrow.”
“Maybe you could zip across the country and take care of the bride. And she’s not a billionaire until her old man kicks the bucket, but I hear he’s close. Hell, he’s not even here to walk his heiress down the grand aisle my people worked on for weeks. The only things I know about her are she travels the world sprinkling her daddy’s money around like confetti, and she didn’t look happy when I gave her a ride back last night.”
“You mean your winning personality hasn’t put a smile on her face yet?” A car door shuts and the call transfers to Bluetooth. “I’m on my way to pick up Abbott from her art class. If I survived a year on the run in the Middle East, you can be the bride’s assistant today. This is going to put The Manor at Winslet on the map, which it needs. Everyone with a dollar to burn will be begging you to make room for them. But that’s tomorrow. Make sure the bride’s day is everything she wants it to be. You’ll forever be linked with the happiest moment of her life.”
When the lift doors part, I’m met with a team of men and women in the hall outside the suites. They’re dressed head-to-toe in black carrying bags and wheeling carts. Hair and makeup. I sent them up hours ago when they arrived. I thought they’d be too well paid to be complaining in public about the bride.
Agrumpybride.
Fucking great. All I need is Harlow Madison pissed off about her hair … or the way the wind is blowing.
I turn my attention back to Bella. “I’ll take a terrorist any day over a bride. I’m hanging up. Don’t call until this is done, and I’ve had time to erase it from my brain forever. Harlow Madison will never make it down the aisle on time if I don’t get this show on the road. If you never hear from me again, it’s because I died from being glared at too many times by the bride’s step-mum.”
Bella ignores every complaint and remains the cheery woman I never thought she’d become. “I can’t wait to see the pictures. I’m sure the estate will shine like the diamond she’s become. Do remember my friends will arrive this week fortheir honeymoon—Rocco and Teagan Monroe. Do me a favor and shower them with all the extras. They’ll be the least high-maintenance guests you’ll ever see.” She pauses before continuing on. “Oh, look at that, Crew is calling. I’ll check in later. Happy wedding!”
I don’t have a chance to say goodbye. Bella rings off in an instant. Now I need to make sure the bride isn’t late to her own gig.
Though, I doubt she gives a shit who has to wait on her even though the mums went down more than thirty minutes ago. She is an heiress to billions, after all.
