Chapter 206
Brad’s POV
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I stood at the edge of the cliff, watching the waves crash against the rocky shore below. T my lungs as I finished typing the message to Elle, my fingers hesitating only briefly before The cookbook I’d arranged to be delivered would speak volumes that words couldn’t convey.
led
- nd.
Setting my phone aside, I remained motionless for a long moment, then finally rose and turned toward the
vast ocean.
“Time to close the net,” I said quietly to the wind.
Alex appeared at my side within minutes, his expression carefully neutral as always. “Sir, I have an update from Moonshade Bay.”
I didn’t turn around. “Report.”
“Mrs. Elizabeth had a… significant outburst around noon today. She called your mother directly.” Alex’s voice carried the faintest hint of satisfaction.
Now I did turn, meeting his eyes. “What was said?”
Alex consulted his tablet briefly. “The conversation was heated. Mrs. Elizabeth threatened your mother, telling her that if she continued to ‘meddle in affairs beyond her understanding,‘ perhaps it was time to ‘bring Lucas home.“”
A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. My grandmother had mentioned Lucas by name. Perfect.
“You’re certain of this?”
“Completely. Our contact confirmed every word.”
I nodded slowly, my mind already moving to the next phase. Lucas Rayne – the name that had been
forbidden in our household for over two decades. The name that represented my grandmother’s greatest
shame and my mother’s deepest wound. The bastard son who’d disappeared the same night my father
vanished, the same night my mother was seriously wounded.
I’d known the truth for years, had the whole sordid story investigated and documented. But blood was blood, and family loyalty ran deep – even when it shouldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to confront my mother directly about what she’d done, what she’d covered up. But I’d always known that someday, Lucas would be
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Chapter 206
useful.
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“The timing isn’t quite right yet,” I mused, walking back toward the house. “She needs one more push to make Elizabeth take a definitive stand.”
Alex fell into step beside me. “Sir, if I may express concern – bringing Lucas back could
position.”
our
I laughed, the sound sharp in the evening air. “Alex, there’s no one left in the Rayne family who could threaten my position. And Lucas?” I shook my head. “He’s hardly a threat now.”
My phone buzzed before Alex could respond. I glanced at the screen but didn’t answer, letting it go to voicemail. The familiar number told me everything I needed to know.
When the automated message played back, my mother’s voice filled the evening air, tight with barely
controlled panic.
“Brad, darling, you need to call me immediately. Your grandmother has lost her mind – she’s talking about
bringing that… that bastard home. Lucas. She thinks she can undermine your position, threaten everything we’ve
built. I’m flying back to Moonshade Bay tonight to stop this madness. We can’t let her destroy your future over
some misguided guilt.”
There was a pause, and when she continued, her voice had shifted to the calculating tone I knew so well.
“If Elle truly is a Blair, if she can reclaim her heritage… perhaps we shouldn’t oppose the match after all. The Blair influence could be useful against Lucas. Make your move quickly, darling. Court their support. I’ll handle your grandmother, but you need allies. The board meeting is in three days, and if she puts Lucas in play…”
The message cut off abruptly.
I smiled, satisfied. Everything was proceeding exactly as I’d anticipated. Faced with family control, my mother had done precisely what I’d expected – dropped he started seeking the Blair family’s political support.
“Sir?” Alex appeared in the doorway.
I gestured for him to continue.
“The Lucas
situation
The threat of losing
to Elle and
– your mother acted exactly as you predicted. When she returned to Moonshade Bay yesterday, you had our surveillance team mention his… activities in her presence. The photographs of him at the gambling debts, the drug connections – she saw just enough to make her panic.”
***
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Chapter 206
Alex’s expression showed grudging admiration.
My phone rang again this time, it was my grandmother.
“Elizabeth,” I answered formally.
“Brad.” Her voice carried the weight of authority that hall commanded respect for decad heard about my conversation with your mother.”
“I heard she was upset about something, but she hasn’t shared the details.”
补气54%
ume you’ve
“Don’t play coy with me, boy. I’m bringing Lucas home, and I want your word that his position won’t
threaten yours.”
I let silence stretch between us before responding. “Grandmother, I’m surprised. Why the sudden interest in
Lucas after all these years?”
“I’m old, Brad. Too old to carry grudges, too old to let family members drift without purpose. He deserves a
place at this table.”
Her voice softened slightly. “But I need your support. Will you help me bring him home? A birthday celebration, perhaps – he turns twenty–five next month.
“Of course,” I agreed readily. “Family should be together”
The satisfaction in her voice was unmistakable. “Good. Now, about Elle and the complications with your
mother – I think it’s time for more direct action.”
This was what I’d been waiting for.
“I’m listening.”
“Your mother needs to understand that Elle isn’t going anywhere. I’m transfern.
ve percent of the
company’s unmarked shares directly to Elle’s name. Shell have a board seat, protection from your mother’s… displeasure. And I’m finally going to honor the commitments we made when this arrangement
began.”
Perfect. Everything I’d hoped to achieve.
“That seems appropriate,” I said carefully.
“Will you help arrange Lucas’s welcome celebration?”
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Chapter 206
“Absolutely. I’ll handle every detail personally.”
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Lucas would come home, certainly. But the broken young wolf my mother had created would pose no threat
to anyone.
–
The irony wasn’t lost on me to protect Elle from my mother’s schemes, I’d orchestrated that would likely destroy whatever remained of my mother’s peace of mind. But Elle’s safet
amount of family drama.
I raised my wine glass toward the ocean. “Let the games begin.”
union
15
worth any
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
