Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 96404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
He didn’t even see her that night at the charity event since she left before he made his brief appearance.
Though I’m sure the two fuckers, Daniel and Knox, tattled after all the jokes they made at my expense.
Naomi lifts the cup of coffee that’s on the table and takes a sip, slowly savoring it before her eyes meet mine.
I keep the contact, even when she slides her attention to Nate. “My husband will make an offer to Sebastian to become his acting attorney for the new branch he’s opening in New York and I’d like for you to deny that offer.”
Well, well.
Akira does want us to work together, after all, and Naomi hates the idea.
Good. This will be my perfect fucking opening.
“Why would I refuse such an important work opportunity?” I ask nonchalantly.
Her gaze slides back to mine, slightly widened. “Why would you want to work with him?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know. The past, maybe?”
“You said it yourself. It’s in the past. We shouldn’t let personal affairs get in the way.”
She purses those blood-red lips, and for some reason, it brings back memories of that fucking cell when she pressed her T-shirt on my wound in a desperate attempt to save me.
Only so she could stab me in the back afterward.
Her attention returns to Nate. “You need to stop him.”
“I don’t really interfere with how he or anyone else takes on clients unless there’s a strong reason to do so.”
“There is a reason. I don’t want to mix the past with the present.”
“But you won’t. Sebastian will be working with your husband, not with you, Mrs. Mori.”
A muscle clenches in my jaw when Nate calls her by her husband’s last name. I thought I’d never hate anything as much as the way she fucking disappeared, but here it is.
Her name attached to another man.
Her name with another fucker.
It’s almost as bad as the pain I felt after she broke up with me via phone.
Almost.
“Does that mean you won’t stop him?” she asks Nate with a note of impatience.
“I’m afraid not. I have no compelling reason to interfere. Take it up with him and convince him yourself.”
Her glare falls on me and I give her a smile, a genuine one, with an edge of darkness. Because there’s no way in fuck I’m letting this golden opportunity slide.
I like the way she glares. How her lips still twitch at the corners and how a pink hue covers her pale cheeks.
Some things never change, after all.
“You’ll both regret this.” She jerks up and snatches her handbag, then storms out of the office.
I relax in my seat to stop myself from standing and going after her. Maybe grabbing her and pushing her into a dark corner. Maybe touching her and imprisoning her.
Nate raises a dark brow, forming a steeple at his chin with his fingers. “Do I need to know what that was all about?”
“She’s back in town.”
“I’m not blind. I can see that. She’s married, too.”
“I know that.”
“Apparently, you don’t, because your eyes are shining with that impulsiveness again, Rascal.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“The last time you said that, I had to write checks and settle with random people at bars.”
“I’m not young and reckless anymore. I’ll be fine.”
“You better be. We don’t want Mr. and Mrs. Weaver to say I told you so. And I definitely don’t want my nephew to get caught up in the wrong crowd.”
“Wrong crowd?”
“Akira Mori is known to deal with criminal organizations. He has no morals when it comes to business, and that means he also has no boundaries with interpersonal relationships.”
“I wouldn’t call myself someone with morals either. So this should be fun.”
He leans over in his seat, interlacing his fingers at his chin. “I’m not a fool. I’m well aware you’re doing this for her, not for the challenge or work-related reasons. I was there and saw you at your worst, Rascal. So you can’t tell me this whole thing is just a business venture for you.”
“But you can believe it is. That way, you get the profits and a clear conscience.”
He sighs and relaxes back. “I warned you, but I can’t hold your hand and stop you, so suit yourself. You’re not a kid anymore.”
“Thanks, Nate.” I stand.
“Put the firm in jeopardy and I’ll kick you while you’re down. I’ll even get Daniel and Knox to help.”
I roll my eyes as I leave his office and head back to mine.
My mind is crowding with options of how to go about destroying Akira Mori and Naomi through business ventures.
If she already knows he’ll make an offer, then the opportunity will present itself soon enough.
I stop by Candice’s office for today’s schedule, but instead of finding her multitasking a thousand things at once, she’s bringing a glass of water to someone sitting at her desk.
“You have a guest,” Candice tells me as I step through her doorway. “She doesn’t have an appointment, but she says she’s a personal acquaintance.”