Page 43 of One Eye Open (The BlackWater)

“Sit down.” He replied.

She could feel her whole body shaking with rage. She was seething as she stared down at him. She pulled the chair out, further from the table and away from him and sat again, fists clenched, ready to spring up and attack at any moment.

“That’s better.” Alfred said pouring out a fresh mug of coffee. “It’s not quite the way you like it but it’ll do.” He said passing it across to her and she swallowed down the bile in her throat.

“What do you want?” She asked.

“For starters I want to get to know you better. You’re my daughter after all.”

“I thought you knew about me from your PI?” She taunted and he laughed.

“You are so like me Maddison. The way you talk, the way you act. We’re one and the same you and I.” He stated.

“We are nothing alike.” She snapped back.

“Oh but we are. We both know what it is to fight for survival, to have everything stacked against us and still come out on top.”

“What are you talking about? When have you ever had to fight for anything?” She retorted. “When you want something you simply throw money at it.”

“I wasn’t always this wealthy Maddison. I worked hard for what I have.” He said and she frowned at the strange echo of Cole’s words from only days before.

“I don’t care about your life. I don’t care what you’ve worked for, what you think you deserve. I know enough about you from how you behaved that night.”

“You know so little Maddison but we will have time to change that. You and I.”

“Whatever you think this is, whatever you’re trying to do it won’t work. I’m not interested in having any kind of relationship with you. I don’t want anything to do with you. If I never see your face again it won’t be a moment too soon.” She stated and he smirked.

“Perhaps I can change your mind on that.”

“I’d like to see you try.” She retorted.

Alfred grinned then, nodding for one of the suits to do something. She watched as he pulled a phone out and passed it to him.

Alfred flicked through the screen before sliding it across to Maddie who frowned staring at it.

“What…?” She began.

“Do you know what that would do?” He asked and she looked from the screen to his face.

“What?” She asked feeling her stomach twisting already.

“With my connections I could bring down Cole Black’s entire empire. All of Black Industries, Black Tech, BlackWater, the entire house of cards.” He stated. “Every investor, every penny would go. His company would be in freefall. Worthless. I’d crash the entire damn market.”

Maddie frowned trying to understand his words and what he was getting at because it made no sense.

“That email would bring his entire empire to its knees. And the best bit would be I’d make millions doing it from shorting all his stock….” He stated and Maddie gulped.

“You’re blackmailing me?” She said and he tilted his head as he watched her.

“Call it a means of persuasion. You’ve been enjoying the fruits of his labour, now you have to put some effort in to earn it too.” He said and she scowled.

“I am not with him because of what he has.” She stated.

“Sure you’re not Maddison. But I reckon his multi-million pound lifestyle is a nice extra. That car you showed up in today certainly suggests it…”

“What are you saying?” She cut across ignoring the insinuation that she was little more than a gold-digger. That she was simply whoring herself out for Cole’s money.

“You want Cole Black to keep his empire, to keep his kingdom, then you have to make a sacrifice too.”

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