Page 122 of False Play
His grin was diabolical, calculated. “You look stunned. Can’t say I blame you. But this is what I do. If someone’s trying to get close to the Anderson name, I make sure I know who they are.”
I crossed my arms and balled my hands in a fist, letting my nails bite at the flesh of my palms. I was entering anger territory and holding on by a single thread. “To be honest with you, Mr. Anderson, I couldn’t care less what Henry’s last name is.”
He clicked his tongue with a quick nod. “You should. Not every woman can carry the last name gracefully. Henry’s mother certainly couldn’t.”
Oh, this motherfucker.
I bit the inside of my cheek until pain shot through me. There was so much I wanted to say. But I couldn’t destroy the trust I’d built with Henry. Not over a man like the one who stood in front of me.
“Nothing to say?Interesting.” His voice was laced with a quiet malice that clung to every word. “I’ll keep talking, then, and you listen, okay?”
I furrowed my brows, stunned by how casually he kept sputtering shit out of his mouth like he didn’t give a damn about anything. Like the world revolved solely around him.
“You’re going to break up with my son,” he continued, and this time he slowly stepped toward the other side of the kitchen island until we both faced each other, right in front of the fridge. “In exchange, I’ll pay off your debt. I’ll even put in a good word with the team’s owner about that director position you’ve been eyeing. He and I go way back. I can cash in the favor at any moment.” He shrugged like it was nothing. “You could go far with me in your corner, Kennedy.Realfar.”
My blood ran cold. Anger curled in my stomach like a fist, and my chest tightened to the point of pain. Every breath I took was harder than the last. This man acted like humans were transactions. And right now, I was another deal to him. A woman with debt and ambition. A problem with a price tag. This was my first time meeting him, and he already spoke to me like he had me all figured out.
There were no words to explain the fury that ran through my veins like liquid fire. It burned my insides. Suffocated me. Who the fuck did he think he was? Was he delusional enough to think I’d turn against the man Ilovedfor money?
Yeah.Loved. I loved Henry with everything I had. He didn’t know it, but that didn’t change the fact that it was the truest thing I’d ever felt.
I smoothed my expression, forced my shoulders to relax, and met his gaze with a stare as steady as ice. “You can memorize all these facts about me, but don’t get it twisted. This doesn’t mean that youknowme.” A humorless laugh bubbled out of me. “It’s funny you think you can buy me.”
He clenched his jaw and glanced toward the fridge. I saw it then—a flicker of annoyance, maybe even surprise.
Good. I hoped it pisses you off, I thought.
His gaze lingered on the fridge, a slight frown tugging at his features—then a low, menacing chuckle slipped from his throat. “You don’t want to make an enemy out of me, Kennedy,” hesaid smugly, reaching behind me to grab something from the fridge. When he pulled back, my blood ran cold. He held up a single sheet of paper, casually pinched between his fingers like it was nothing. “I wonder what the organization would think if they knew about this?”
My stomach twisted, nausea rising in my throat the second I recognized it. It wasn’t just any piece of paper. It wasthecontract.
This is not the time to freak out, Kennedy. Get. It. Together.
I lifted my chin and took a steady breath, trying to calm the pain in my chest. I casually reached for the piece of paper. To my surprise, he let me grab it. “Good thing I’m not in the business of pleasing men who threaten me.” Every word I spoke was cold. Strong. Filled with venom. God, I hated this man. For everything he’d put Henry through. For him, striding intoourhome and thinking he could get away with anything.
He grazed his teeth with his tongue, keeping his smug smile in check. “You have until the day after the gala to decide what you want to do. Break up with him, and everyone comes out unscathed. Go against me, and I will tell the organization the discovery I made today. I will make it seem like you took advantage of his kindness, and your career will be over. His will be over, too. They’ll drop him. I will make sure of it. Is this what you want? For everything you’ve both worked for to go up in flames? Are you willing to ruin his career?”
“Why are you doing this?” My question came out breathless. I couldn’t understand it. Why was he trying to make his son so miserable? Hadn’t he done enough damage already? How could someone be soevil?
Before he could answer, the sound of keys rattling and the door opening made me jump.
“Kenny?” When Henry came into view, his eyes landed on me first. They were soft and welcoming, but whenhis gaze flicked to his father, he stopped dead in his tracks. His jaw ticked. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Mr. Anderson took a casual step back, his expression morphing into a fake smile. “We were having a little chat,” he said. “Getting to know each other better.”
“No, I mean, what are you doing here in Chicago? Inourfucking apartment?” Henry asked through gritted teeth as he took a few steps closer.
“I heard through the grapevine that tonight was your comeback. Against our home team, no less, so I came to watch. I dropped by to say hello, but you weren’t here, so I asked Kennedy if I could wait.”
Henry narrowed his eyes with a scoff. “Okay, so…you already said hello. You can leave now.”
A few seconds of uncomfortable silence fell between us. Then Mr. Anderson met my stare. They held a silent warning that was hard to ignore. “It was lovely to meet you, Kennedy.”
“Likewise,” I forced out.
Mr. Anderson took a few deliberate steps until he stood in front of Henry. “Let’s hope this wasn’t a happy accident and you’re actually able to lead the team to a win this season. You’ve been on this team long enough, it’s time you make a statement with our last name once and for all.”
“Aaandthere it is,” Henry muttered to himself. “Is that all?”
