Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Teszner has no idea I already own thirty percent of the shares. As Tatiana’s legal trustee, he currently manages her fifty percent. Soon, I’ll be the majority shareholder. But I want everything, every single fucking share, and that’s where Bennett comes in.
I instruct my broker to bid as high as necessary if more shares come up for sale. Then I call my lawyer and tell him to get the contracts ready. I want to sign them on Monday.
Penelope checks in with a quick phone call, asking if the suite meets my expectations. I don’t ask how she managed to secure the suite because as long as it’s been done, I don’t give a shit about the how.
She tells me anyway, describing in great length how much effort has gone into convincing the parents and their two kids who were booked into the family suite to move to the guesthouse she’d first proposed to me.
She’s not wasting her breath and my time by relaying the whole sob story just because she likes the sound of her own voice. She wants me to understand just how difficult the task has been, no doubt so she can demand a bigger raise at her next appraisal, but she also wants recognition for the unfair jobs I expect from her, so I take the bait.
“Fine, Penelope. Tell me. How did you convince them to give up the suite?”
She sounds smug. “I offered them enough money to pay for their entire holiday, and then I simply booked a taxi to drive them to the guesthouse.”
“You threw my money at them?”
She snorts. “Don’t make it sound as if it was easy. I can assure you it was very difficult to change their minds.”
My tone is dry. “How difficult exactly?”
She clears her throat. “A hundred grand.” A pause follows. “Give or take a few thousand. The bank is waiting for your sign-off on the transfer.”
Ah, and there it is, the real reason for her call.
“Thanks,” I drawl.
As always, her manner is haughty. “You’re welcome.”
Penelope can be a pain in the neck. The only reason I put up with her is because she doesn’t ask questions, and she gets things done.
Before I disconnect the call, I give her a list of what needs to be delivered to my house in New York City. There won’t be time to do shopping when we arrive.
A text message announces Kent’s arrival. I go to the door and let him in.
He nods in greeting when he steps into the lobby. His blond hair is cropped in a military style brush cut. The frosty look in his eyes matches their ice-blue color. I’ve never seen him dressed in anything other than ripped jeans and a hoodie under a denim jacket. His worn but polished boots leave a mud trail over the tiles as he walks toward me. His dog is the only thing in the world he loves more than those boots.
I wave at the doormat. “Wipe your feet.”
He goes back and does so before returning. Getting straight down to business, he takes an envelope from his pocket and hands it to me. Kent has never been one for small talk.
I open the flap and pull out the folded sheet of paper. After unfolding it, I scan over the contents. “Did the landlord give you any trouble?”
He grins. “He didn’t dare. He took the money for the three month-notice period and said thank you for fixing the door. I think he was only too happy to see us leave.”
“Did he ask questions?”
“Not even if his tenant was alive.” Kent scoffs. “I asked him if he knew anything worth sharing about her, and he couldn’t even remember her name. He had to check what it was on the contract.”
The lease contract was in Tatiana’s false name—Stacia Delacy.
Kent’s steady gaze carries a clear message. “The man isn’t stupid. He’s not going to stir any shit by shooting off his mouth.”
In other words, we don’t have to get rid of him.
Still, I take nothing for granted. “Keep tabs on him.”
“I’ll arrange it.”
The atmosphere turns heavy as Kent continues to observe me quietly. The subject on both our minds weighs a ton. He was Lee’s best friend. He’s as invested in vengeance as I am.
I slide the contract into my inside jacket pocket before asking the question he’s not addressing. “Did you find it?”
He works his jaw from side to side. “We turned the place upside down. If it had been in Miss Teszner’s house, we would’ve found it.”
I let the disappointment sink in. I’ve searched every nook and cranny of Tatiana’s parents’ condo. I had floorboards ripped up and walls knocked down before having it all repaired again. The fact that it wasn’t there only confirmed that Tatiana had it and that she’d hidden it somewhere else. Leander definitely hadn’t gotten his hands on that necklace, or he would’ve sold it a long time ago to save his own skin.