Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Then it all made sense. I could see the webs of deceit and bullshit in my mind and how the strings linked together, and more importantly who might be pulling them.
“So this wasn’t Harrison’s doing, and we have no idea what is pushing DuBois this far,” my father summed up, “and you have been wasting my time.”
“No, this isn’t Harrison, but do we know another Astrid who would want to prop Harrison up and garner as much attention as possible?” I asked, spoon-feeding my father the answer.
He turned to look at me, confusion in his eyes until the realization set in.
I swore I could practically see the light bulb turn on behind his eyes.
“That meddling old bitch,” he said, eyes wide.
“That would be the one,” I said.
“You think Mary Quinn Astrid is behind DuBois taking Olivia?” he asked.
I had to spell this out for him. Slowly, using small words. My father was not a stupid man, but he constantly underestimated the people around him if he believed they were beneath him.
Even more so if they were female. He not only thought of himself as better than most people, he also believed the only value a woman could have was if they were literally beneath him.
Seeing him clearly for the first time, I was even more grateful to Amelia for showing me the error in that way of thinking. If it wasn’t for Amelia, I would be just as ignorant as my father.
“That woman was livid at my and Amelia’s union. Not only because of the very public way I humiliated her, but the blackmail too, and I may have been less than respectful in the way I dealt with her.”
“But that doesn’t mean she could.”
“She is the only one that could have orchestrated this. Before she agreed to DuBois’s proposal, she would have done her research on the man himself, not only his holdings and assets but also what mattered to him, how he could be controlled. Amelia told me about the dossiers she’d had made up for the eligible men in the area.”
“So she knows about his business.”
“She knows everything about his business and what he does and doesn’t care about. She would know how to press his buttons to control him. She did the same research on me and found that I could not be easily manipulated. So she disapproved of our union. More to the point, this puts her son in the limelight in a Prince Charming sort of way. This could help not only with career ambitions, but I bet she is looking for a mini version of herself to be Harrison’s wife. Someone she can groom to be her pawn. Putting him in a favorable light will help her do that.”
“She can also use it as leverage for us to keep our mouths shut about Harrison’s paternity.”
“Exactly,” I said. “She is punishing DuBois for not being man enough to take Amelia back from me, punishing Amelia for marrying me by dragging my name in the mud through Olivia, and propping up her son in a way that makes sure we won’t want to reveal her secrets. We just need proof.”
“Why?”
“So we can take it to Harrison and demand he get his mother in line and stop all of this from going further.”
“What kind of proof?” he asked.
“The kind we can only get by finding Olivia,” I lied. There were other ways, easier ways, to prove Mrs. Astrid was behind everything, but if I used them, my father would lose focus on getting Olivia back sooner.
Olivia came first, and then revenge would swiftly follow.
When I was done, Mary Quinn Astrid and Marksen DuBois would both wish I had just involved the police.
Because I was going to destroy them.
I pulled my desk chair back to the desk and grabbed my phone to call about having the glass in my wall replaced when Henry, my assistant, poked his head through the now empty space where the wall used to be. To his credit, he didn’t even blink at the shattered glass.
“Sir, we know where she is being held. Mr. Dubois took her to Newport. The infiltration team is already en route. The secondary team is gearing up now. If you would like to accompany them, we need to leave immediately.”
“I’ll call once she is safe,” I said over my shoulder to my father as I ran out of my office to the elevators, leaving him leaning over a cigar box I kept for clients, focusing on selecting one for himself. Without looking up he said, “Who’s safe?” Already no longer interested in his daughter and more interested in his immediate needs.
To hell with him.
My baby sister was coming home tonight, and then Marksen was going to regret ever being born.
CHAPTER 25
MARKSEN
The darkness was broken by a flashing beam of light, then another and another.