Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
“I was the pawn, stuck in the middle?” Theadora asks.
“Yes.”
“You wanted to use me this whole time?”
“Yes,” I tell her the truth.
“Am I free now?” she asks. “My sister too?”
“Your sister still owes me a lot of money. I was not lying about that.”
“Go after her husband,” she says, turning and walking off. “I’m fucking out. I don’t care. Kill me if you must, but I am out.” She flips me off and walks away.
“She didn’t know?” Chloe asks.
I turn to her scheming face. “No. She didn’t. You just lost the best thing that ever happened to your business.” I watch as she deflates in front of me, then my guards take both of them and lead them away.
“What do you want me to do with them?” Sydney asks, watching as they go.
“Get the papers drawn for them to sign all their assets over to me.” I hand her the form that lists everything I need. “And make sure Jesse understands that he’s lucky to be alive. Show him that.”
Sydney nods and walks away.
I look to where Theadora went and walk the opposite way.
It’s the right thing to do.
Even if black and white are fuzzy right now.
It is the right thing to do.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Theadora
I follow Ruby, it’s all I can think to do right now. I don’t need to go back to my room because I literally brought nothing with me, and I want my phone back.
“It’s nothing, really.” Ruby brushes a hand away from her face as they try to ice it.
“You’ll still be paid, Ruby. They will be paying for this for a very long time.”
Her eyes find mine, and I step forward and clutch her hand.
“We are going home,” I tell her.
She manages to smile, but it doesn’t last long. “You can stay with me until you are better if you want.”
“I have a home.”
“I know, but you need someone to look after you.”
“Sir will provide everything. He doesn’t approve of his girls being hurt,” Sydney says.
“Just me?” I snap at her.
Sydney has enough guilt to actually look away from me.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” I look back at Ruby. “You can stay with me. I will look after you. I have no job now, anyway.”
Sydney starts mumbling and then turns to look at us. She passes me something, and when I see it’s my cell, I almost sigh in relief.
“The plane is ready to escort you home,” Sydney states.
Ruby manages to sit up, clutching at her ribs as she does. I help her stand, as does Sydney.
“Will anyone else be on the plane?” I ask Sydney, who looks up to me as we help Ruby to a wheelchair and start pushing her out.
“No, just you two.”
“Good.” When we walk out, I spot Chloe, her eyes are filled with tears as she kneels with her hands on the ground. I look away, not caring nor wanting to know what else they have gotten themselves into. Their drama and my sister’s drama have fucked with my life, and I have done nothing but try to help the both of them.
As we get to the plane, I turn to help Ruby up and see Atlas standing off on the beach staring at us. My eyes narrow and I contemplate flipping him off, but instead I look away and climb the plane’s stairs, having had enough of everything.
I need to get the fuck off this island.
After two days, Ruby asks to go home. I take her, and we say our goodbyes after exchanging phone numbers. I don’t hear from Atlas or even his sidekick for the first week. I search for jobs and have absolutely no luck. When I check my bank account to see how much I have left to get some food, I drop my phone to the floor.
The balance reads there is over twenty thousand dollars deposited in my account.
I have never had that amount of money in my life. I work, and I pay my bills, then I repeat.
Atlas’s plane was my second ever plane ride, and the first was only due to Chloe not showing up to a meeting, which I had to attend in her place. Otherwise, we would have lost one of our most influential clients.
Calling Atlas’s number, he answers on the first ring.
“You put money in my account?” I practically yell at him through the phone.
“Theadora. Good afternoon. No. I did no such thing. Why would I when you owe me a debt?”
“So, if it wasn’t you…” I hang up, not finishing, and search the transaction. In the receipt area, it reads one name—Nicholas.
I start searching for him. He is easy to find, even without a last name. Bringing up his Instagram profile, I see that he has tagged himself in one of his hotels in my city, so I make a call.