Page 49 of The Revenge Plan

“That’s what you came to hear, isn’t it? If you must know,” he cradled my head, brushing my hair, “she helped.”

“I knew you weren’t to be trusted.” He spat at me. I searched for guilt, but I felt none. He measured us both up and down before storming out of the office.

When I felt my heart slow down, I tried to break away from Caiden, but he held me to him. He lifted my arm and tilted it gently to look at my elbow, “Did he hurt you?”

I snatched it away and rubbed it, “No. I’m fine,” I stepped away from him, “When did you come back?”

“A few minutes ago.”

“You should have said. I didn’t know where you had gone.”

“I didn’t trust you enough.”

I was a bit taken aback by his direct response.

“I didn’t know how loyal you were to your father.”

“And now?”

“I trust you a lot more. And if you must know, I was returning the deed to its original owners.”

I frowned, “Shepard’s relatives?”

He laughed, “Shepard hated his relatives, and they hated him in turn. No. The true owners. The people of St. Nebula.” When he saw my frown he added, “A little island of the coast of Madagascar?”

“I know where St. Nebula is.”

“So, you do care about the family business.”

“How can I ignore what has been described in the news as close to slavery.”

He strolled over to the liquor cabinet and poured a drink, “Want one?”

After being man-handled by my father, I needed one. I nodded. He poured the same drink into another glass and handed one to me. I took a sip and savored the taste of the golden liquid as it coursed down my throat. He strode over to the sofas. I followed him and we sat down.

“Julian,” he drawled, “was the latest in a long line of business men taking advantage of that island. A long time ago Julian and Shepard, back when they were still friends, bought prime property on the island with the hopes that there would be a discovery. For years there wasn’t and then they had a falling out and your father still had the deed. Shepard wanted it returned to the locals. Your father didn’t. Then the emeralds were discovered and the rest is history.”

Hearing the story from another angle was a revelation.

“After I stole it back from your father with your help,” he waved his glass at me, “I went to the island and gave it to them. The locals. After all, they needed the emeralds more than two billionaires. That’s where I was. Your father might have heard about it somehow, and that’s why he was like that.”

All this time I thought he was doing it for his own selfish reasons, and I didn’t know that he was doing it to help a group of people. The longer I knew him, the more he surprised me. “I thought you stole it to spite dad?”

“That too,” he grinned, “The face Julian had when he came in here was precious. I will never forget it.”

“But that still doesn’t excuse you going to another country and living me alone and not saying anything for three days.”

He stood up and walked over to where I was sitting and placed his drink on the table next to me. He took my drink and set it down, then he lifted me up into his arms, “Trust me, you were in my thoughts the entire time.”

“I thought you hated me.”

“I do. I hate that you are always on my mind. I hate that I want to be with you, even though I know in my bones that it’s not a good idea. But I can’t help myself. So fuck it.”

That was a compliment sandwich if there ever was one. Yet, I couldn’t stamp the glimmer of hope that was burning inside me.

“Now remove that pout so I can kiss you.”

My lips remained pouted. He kissed me anyway.

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