FORTUNE SECRET WITH THE BILLIONAIRE'S

he first time:stained carpet, flickering fluorescent lights,

ss his desk were photographs, documents, and what

n they entered. "Congratulations on

a seat, Damien close besi

is dirty. Very dirty. But proving she killed yo

n," Dam

the time your father died, she was siphoning off roughly fifty thousand a month." Jack showed them bank statements with highlighted transactions. "Sh

erine Ashford told me he called her the night he died, s

toria about the embezzlement." Jack pulled out another document. "Here's where it gets interesting. The night your father died,

calling?" S

er about the embezzlement around nine-thirty-the housekeeper heard raised voices. Less than twe

eone to help her stage it

nd then someone helped her make it look like an accident. Whether she physicall

Victoria had been calm enough to make a twelve-minute

need physical evidence. Witnesses. Something concrete." Jack leaned back. "The good news is, the embezzlement alone is

carlett said. "Ho

Ashford's testimony, they'll have enough to justify a second look. But Scarlett-" He met her eyes. "This is going to g

y since she kil

A for next week. In the meantime, you two need to be careful. V

ad compiled. In the car, Scarlett stared at the bank

as stealing from him for three years, a

Damien said. "That

hink? That trust is

Trust earned over time is smart." He looke

tements, and independent analyses. Every single one concluded the same thing:

m. Victoria

und sur

u. It would make things simpler if you were the villain she claims. B

dead fathers," Damien said. "

mediately that something was wrong. The front door was op

" Damien asked,

alled the police, but-" Mrs. Chen's hands wer

She ran inside and up the st

pulled out, contents scattered, clothes ripped from ha

rror that made he

LD DIGGER WHORE. And below

d, his voice deadly calm. "The pol

ng at the violation of her space, the threat against h

ictoria,"

't know

ld call me a gold digger?" She turned to face

out his phone. "Brooks? I need you to pull all security footage from the pa

photographed everything, and dusted for prints. They were professional but

stepmother would do this?" the

ng me. Sending texts,

saved th

showed them Victoria's messages.

don't prove she broke into your home. We'll interview her, bu

security cameras

ze, with this many staff members coming and going,it's poss

ughly, but Scarlett could hear the

m, but she couldn't bring herself to sleep there. The memory of that m

en said. "Tomorrow we'll figure

ontrolled, like him. There was a sitting area with a leather couch, floor-to-ceiling

he couch," S

d. I have a late call with Shangh

of his shirts because she couldn't bear to touch her own clothes,he

ld sleep,

u. But neithe

Damien lay down beside her, both of them on top

arkness. "For my father. For me. For our baby. Victo

hers. "But carefully. Legally. We're not going t

areful. I want

revenge." He squeezed her hand. "Trust me on this. I've spent years wanting reve

does s

ilure." He turned to look at her. "You want to honor your father? Reclaim his company, restore his reputatio

I do

But priorit

How are you so calm about this? Someone brok

ind whoever wrote that message and make them regret being born. But acting on that impulse hel

ike you've h

came for me. Threats, vandalism, lawsuits, smear campaigns. I learned early that react

I am? A strate

umb stroked across her knuck

am I

er, eliminating the careful distance between them. "Something

t. "The contract says n

ed to her face, tilting her chin up. "We're having a baby together, Scar

hat i

out." He leaned in, his mouth hoveri

hout adding feelings into the mix. But his lips were so cl

she whi

. Not the fierce, desperate kiss from the car, but something slo

e beginning of

both breathing hard, Damien re

es everythi

kno

contr

" She met his eyes. "I want you, Damien. Not your mone

nd want and fear all mixed together. "I'm not good

We'll figure it

an't? What if

aged, Damien. Both scared. But maybe that means we underst

they lay there in the dark, holding

t said quietly. "The real story. Not

ard Wolfe, was charming. Brilliant. Charismatic. He could convince anyone of anythin

inancing me

one step ahead of creditors. It worked until it didn't." His voice was flat, emotionless. "When I was twenty, he borrowed heavily from the wrong peopl

already

mptons. My mother knew about the mistress but stayed because she loved him

held hi

company. Falsifying documents, inflating property values, moving money through shell corporations. He stole from his partners, his employees' pensions, even

mie

for not stopping him sooner. Said I must have known what he was doing, that I was comp

is sh

rom me and Dad's legacy as possible." He took a shaky breath. "I send her money every year. Anonymous depos

sor

ight calls, the way he'd snap when questioned about finances. But I was twenty and stupid and conv

It wasn't your

s arms tightened around her. "That's why I'm so controlling now. Why I need complete transparency in every

out power,it was about protection. He'd failed to protec

with me," she said. "I'm

"True. You're possibly the most

ne to kn

ther in his bed, two broken people findi

with his phone to his ear, speaking in rapid Mandarin. He was shirtless, wearing

santly sore from their activities after talking-activitie

r staring. A slow smile

d into the phone, then cross

eyes tracked the movement with cle

late. I didn't w

up pret

the bed, his hand moving to her

flat abdomen, like he was trying to connect with the bab

he covered his hand with hers.

expression was complicated. "With the baby announcement, he's convinced we're stable and committed. Ironically, the

ucceeding a

er softly. "I have meetings all day, but tonight we ha

other. The one who's sick and was suppos

her Margaret is eighty-seven and healthy as a horse." He grimaced. "Also terrifyin

hon

ngement. But she'll want to know if it's becoming somethin

know what this is yet, b

ou're direct. She a

n Victoria. With the embezzlement evidence, they could destroy her stepmother financially and possibly get

k statements when h

t answer, but cu

do you

hing like her usual smug superiority. "We n

thing to s

ers, moving money, talking about teaching you a lesson." Elena sounded ge

ou warn me?

e ever loved me, and I resented it. But that doesn't mean I want Mother to hurt you. She's become

ena had never done anythin

t if it

e. W

Fifth and 63rd. On

ne wen

She should tell Damien. She should bring secur

ad information about Victoria's

at Fifth and 63rd. Back in two hours. and

orner, looking nothing like the polished socialite who'd been sleeping with Marcus. She wor

lena said, re

ten minu

gs with a man named Viktor Kozlov. Russian, ex-military, the

ind of

sterday. She was saying something about 'removing obstacle

veins. "You think she h

tion, the pregnancy announcement, your marriage to Damien,you've taken awa

ou telling

se I was jealous and petty and wanted to hurt you. But I don't want you dead. I don't

d go to t

y'd laugh me out of the station. But you have resourc

, looking for deception. But El

Why warn

th you. She was gathering information, Scarlett. And when I asked why she needed to know, she said-" Elena's voi

ia was actually plann

. "This Viktor Kozlov. Where d

rmation. Mother keeps files in her study

access th

se. I could-" Elena stopped. "

She murdered my father, Elena. She pushed him down those stai

w she was stealing from

me prove it, maybe you get to s

sat there, tears streaming d

d." She pulled out her phone. "Give me your n

and Elena stood to leave.

erything. I know it doesn't

ee she hadn't touched and the knowledge that her st

k to the mansion. She

ep-sister.Think she's really on your side? Or is this another trap? Eit

, her heart pounding. Victoria was wat

being

ulling out her phone to call Damien. But bef

e need you to

visible. Not Damien's securi

are

questioning regarding the

how convinced the police that Scarlett wa

t kill m

tion. Please come quietly, or we

ecording. This would be all over social media in min

hat Victo

d car, her mind racing. She needed a lawyer.

b, she saw a familiar figure standing a

tor

be Viktor Kozlov-tall, broad-

ad hired to make S

't just a

an elim