Page 5 of The Revenge Plan

“You sold mom’s house?”

“It had to be done,” he shrugged, “I needed the money.” There were no depths he wasn’t willing to sink to, to get what he wanted and I was tied to him. The only way to break free was to do what he wanted for now, then get out.

“I need to think about it.”

“Five minutes,” he said and walked out.

???

I couldn’t stay in the library alone. I was feeling claustrophobic even though I was alone. The room was closing in on me and I was getting a little breathless. I rushed out. No one was outside the door. Everyone had sort of dispersed. I trotted down the hall to the study. I wanted somewhere I knew I would be alone, and Dad rarely used the study. Expecting to find no one there, I opened the door. Before I could open it wide enough for anyone to see me enter, I heard voices. It sounded like Caiden was speaking to someone else. Ax. It must be.

“Why are you doing it though?” that was Ax, “I don’t get you sometimes.”

“What’s there not to get?”

“You hate her? Weren’t you the one who said that she’s everything you despise?”

“I said that?”

“After that video of hers leaked.”

“Huh. Who said I’m not marrying her out of spite?”

“So that’s what you’re doing. It makes little sense though,” venom laced his tone, “After what she did?”

“She’s a means to an end.”

“What means?”

“A means to an end.” I leaned in closer to listen. I wanted to know what he wanted to do to me. Their voices became muffled as they moved further into the room, then they became clearer when they moved again, closer to the door. I heard Axel say, “She’s still hot though.”

“Really. Didn’t notice.” Caiden’s voice was cold and unaffected. I wonder if father had heard this, would he still think that Caiden liked me?

Socks, the house cat chose that moment to rush through my legs and into the study. I shrieked at the unexpected brush and rushed out of there before they caught me. Father was in the boardroom with my brothers. I had made my decision. If these two men wanted to use me as a pawn for their little schemes, I was going to show them I wasn’t one to be played with.

I announced to the room, “I’ll marry him.”

2

Coming back to the Lyndell Mansion taking something from them I had always envisioned. It fueled me all day and night. Whenever I felt like things weren’t going my way, I would imagine Julian, his two bastards and his precious daughter, all begging me to spare them. I never imagined it would happen so soon, though. That much was because of them being greedy and incompetent, and less to do with me. Well, technically, I had contributed a little to their downfall. Nudged a few things here and there. Whispered a few words, that sort of thing.

“Ugh. Why does this place look so… cliché?” Ax asked as we entered the study.

The Lyndells had invited us to their Hamptons beach house for the deal. I had been here before, when I was a teen. As one of the maid’s children, the Lyndells would ask me to do little errands for them that included watching over their many homes. The last time I was in this study, though, I was with Hailey. And what we had done—

That was the past. This now. I turned my attention to the present. Ax was right, the place did indeed look like it was your standard mansion here. Everything was white or some shade of blue, a blue brocade covered most of the furnishings and wallpaper. Apart from the enormous desk in the center, there was also a smaller desk on the left side that had awards and medals of all sorts. Most of them were business related. Some were of sailing. The old man was into the sport. Loved it more than his children. At least that’s what he told me once upon a time.

I lifted a paperweight with a giant gold anchor within a sea of tiny goldfish. It looked expensive. Like it had the same value as a Fabergé egg. “That’s what old money looks like,” I said, examining the gaudy piece before putting it down, “Dull and garish.”

Ax scoffed, “They won’t be old money for too long.”

He was right; they were in a crisis even though they didn’t want to show it. Having the meeting here was probably a show of force. Trying to make me feel like he still had options. The man had none. The pitiful financials of Lyndell corporation were proof enough.

I had planned for this moment for far too long, and finally it was paying off. The Lyndells were going to pay for what they did. Too bad they still had some leverage.

Ax echoed what I was thinking, “How did that slime know we wanted the company?”

“Probably had some people look into us. Still, we’re in a better position. They’re the ones begging.”

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