Madison
+25 BONUS
Alexander’s eyes met mine, gleaming dangerously as I stood my ground against Vanessa. I hadn’t planned on dumping water over her head, but the shocked expression on her face made it worth every drop.
“You little bitch,” Vanessa hissed, struggling against her restraints with renewed vigor. “You’ll regret this. Do you have any idea who my father is?”
“You’ve mentioned him about fifty times now,” I replied, placing the empty bottles on the table with a satisfying clink. “And yet, here you are, tied to a chair in a warehouse while your daddy has no idea where you are.”
Leo stifled a laugh, and even Alexander’s lips twitched upward.
“Alexander!” Vanessa shrieked, her mascara running down her cheeks in inky rivers. “Are you going to let this nobody talk to me like this?”
Alexander stepped forward, casually adjusting his cufflinks. “Ms. Harper makes her own decisions. And frankly, I think she showed remarkable restraint.”
“Restraint?” Vanessa sputtered, water dripping from her chin. “She just assaulted me!”
“Karma’s a bitch, isn’t it?” I couldn’t help but smile. “Next time, think twice before you pour water on someone.
#1
Anthony cleared his throat, clearly trying to hide his amusement. “Perhaps we should move things along?”
Alexander nodded, his expression shifting back to business. “Leo, make sure the confession is properly stored. Anthony, you’re driving Ms. Caldwell home once we’re finished.”
“I’m not going anywhere with any of you!” Vanessa thrashed in her chair. “I want my lawyer!”
“By all means,” Alexander gestured to her phone on the table. “Call your lawyer. Explain why you drugged a CEO at a public event. I’m sure that conversation will go splendidly.”
Vanessa fell silent, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“That’s what I thought,” Alexander said. He turned to Leo. “Get her out of those restraints. We’re done here.”
Leo moved forward and began untying Vanessa’s wrists. “Try anything stupid, and I’ll tie you back up so fast your head will spin.”
Vanessa rubbed her wrists once freed, glaring at all of us. “This isn’t over.‘”
“Actually, it is,” Alexander replied. “You come near me, my building, or any of my employees again, and that confession goes straight to the police. We clear?”
“Crystal,” she spat, standing up on shaky legs.
Anthony stepped forward. “I’ll take her home now.”
1/3
Chapter 280
“Make sure she gets there safely,” Alexander instructed. “No detours, no stops.”
+25 BONUS
As Anthony escorted a fuming, soaking wet Vanessa out of the room, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. The woman who’d humiliated me, who’d tried to drug Alexander, was finally getting a taste of her own medicine. Watching her mascara run down her face in black streaks while her designer dress clung to her like a second skin was the most satisfying thing I’d seen in weeks.
Leo waited until the door closed behind them before turning to Alexander with a thoughtful expression.
“Think this is the end of it?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. “Vanessa confessed, we have it recorded.”
Alexander shook his head, his jaw tight. “We can’t be sure until something happens–or doesn’t happen- again. This might be bigger than just Vanessa’s wounded pride. Drugging me for sex might not be the main objective here. There could be someone else pulling the strings.”
Leo raised an eyebrow. “You think Vanessa’s working with someone?”
“It’s possible.” Alexander began pacing the concrete floor, his expensive shoes echoing in the cavernous space. “Think about it. Why go to such lengths? Flying Selena in from London, paying ten thousand dollars, orchestrating this elaborate scheme just to get me into bed?”
“Because she’s crazy?” Leo suggested with a shrug.
“Or because there’s a bigger play.” Alexander stopped pacing. “Maybe she wants to marry me for my money. Or get company secrets. Or destroy Knight Industries entirely.”
I stood silently by the wall, watching the exchange between the two men. My mind raced with possibilities, each more disturbing than the last. The thought of someone targeting Alexander so deliberately made my stomach churn.
“That’s a bit of a leap,” Leo said, crossing his arms. “From failed seduction attempt to corporate espionage?”
“Is it?” Alexander countered. “The timing is suspicious. First, the drugging incident, then the stock crash a few weeks later? Someone’s trying to destabilize Knight Industries.”
Leo frowned. “Charles Caldwell does have connections in finance. If he wanted to manipulate your stock…”
“Exactly.” Alexander nodded. “And Vanessa is his daughter.”
“But why would Charles Caldwell want to harm Knight Industries?” I asked, unable to keep quiet any longer. ” You’re not direct competitors.”
Both men turned to look at me as if they’d forgotten I was there.
“Not yet,” Alexander said. “But we will be if the European expansion goes through. Caldwell Financial would lose significant market share.”
“So you think Charles Caldwell ordered his daughter to seduce you to… what? Stop the expansion?” The idea seemed far–fetched, even to me.
“Or to get inside information,” Alexander replied. “Or to compromise me in some way that would affect
2/3
Chapter 280
+25 BONUS
shareholder confidence.”
Leo whistled low. “That’s some serious conspiracy theory stuff.”
“Maybe.” Alexander shrugged. “But I’ve learned never to underestimate what people will do for money and power.”
I hugged my arms around myself, suddenly cold in the warehouse despite the mild temperature. The thought that someone could still be targeting Alexander sent a chill down my spine.
“So what do we do now?” I asked.
“We watch and wait,” Alexander replied. “And we stay vigilant.”
Leo nodded, checking his watch. “I’ll dig deeper into Caldwell Financial to see if there are any other connections we’re missing. And I’ll keep tabs on Vanessa to make sure she doesn’t try anything else.”
“Good,” Alexander said. “Keep me posted on anything suspicious.”
“Will do.” Leo clapped a hand on Alexander’s shoulder. “I’ll think more about whether there’s something other than Vanessa’s bruised ego at play here. This might be bigger than we thought.”
3/3
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.
