C7, PT. 1

She sensed his presence, a second before his hand slipped beneath the fall of her hair and clamped on her nape.

“Is the evidence sufficient?” he asked.

If he provided any more evidence, a jury wouldn’t need to deliberate. She wasn’t surprised that he returned once she finished. Based on his surveillance of her family, bugging her phone, and the cameras he had in his New York penthouse, she suspected this one was rigged as well. He had excused himself to let her look through the files and given her time to come to her own conclusions before he returned to hear the verdict.

It was tempting to believe he’d doctored the evidence rather than believe her family had made such terrible choices. But, Roth’s investigation was too thorough and meticulous to disregard. Also, there were details and contacts she could personally verify, which led her to believe the other data was certified and true.

“With this level of surveillance, they can charge you with stalking,” she said, gaze on the view instead of the man pressed against her side.

“I’d be happy to show the court why I had sufficient reason to look into their whereabouts.” He stroked the side of her neck with his thumb. “What are you going to do with what you’ve learned?”

“I have to talk to Ariana.”

“About?”

She looked up, realizing that he hadn’t given her leave to discuss what she learned with anyone. “I can’t let her addiction advance. She’s endangering herself, her family, and the company.”

When Roth nodded, she relaxed.

“I’ll talk to her before I get Colette involved.”

She had no idea how she was going to approach her sister about her drug addiction. They were trying to repair their stunted relationship. Broaching a topic like this was sure to be uncomfortable and unpleasant, but she had no choice. There was a high probability that Colette would fire Ariana out of hand if she knew about her addiction. And if that happened, Colette would be forced to return to her role of CEO less than a month after having Polara. Considering Colette’s high stress levels and difficult delivery, she wanted to keep her oldest sister in baby bliss for as long as possible. If confronting Ariana didn’t compel her to seek help, she had no choice but to get Colette involved.

“What about Rami?”

Before she read his file, she wouldn’t have hesitated to confide in her brother-in-law about Ariana’s addiction. Rami had always been kind and the voice of reason, but now she found herself second guessing whether it was a good idea to involve him in her sister’s intervention. A part of her recognized that she was mimicking Colette by cutting out the husbands and trying to sort out their problems within the sisterhood. But after reading about Rami’s past, she couldn’t help feeling leery of him. Could there be another reason other than shame that kept Ariana from seeking help from her husband? She wouldn’t hesitate to confront Arian about her secret, but Rami’s association with a violent underworld he potentially owed a favor to because of a past kidnapping was another matter entirely. She had no intention of touching that topic with a ten-foot pole.

“Is it possible that Rami paid off the organization and there isn’t a pending debt?” she asked.

“If that group is as smart as I think they are, they knew a favor at a later date when Rami had more power and influence was far more valuable than money.”

Her hands twisted together. “Do you think Ariana knows?”

“No.”

She looked up. “How can you be certain?”

“If Rami told her, she would have gone to him about her addiction without fear of judgment.”

She had to concede he was probably correct about that. “What about Kye and Bailey?”

“Rami’s not a stupid man. He knew who he was dealing with, the risks, and consequences that came with it. Hopefully, he’s prepared for every contingency.”

“And if he isn’t?”

He gave her nape a gentle squeeze. “I’m keeping an eye out.”

An hour ago, that would have sounded ominous. Now, all she felt was overwhelming relief. It was disturbing how quickly her perspective could change. She thought she was protecting her family from Roth. Now, the tables had turned.

She stared at the piles of paperwork. “How many people are you investigating?”

“Enough.”

“Do you investigate everyone you do business with?”

He nodded.

“Your employees? Johan, Mo, Sarai?”

“Yes.”

“Do they know?”

“Johan and Mo, yes. I’ve never discussed it with Sarai, but I’m sure she would understand.”

“Grayson?”

“Yes.”

“It must cost a fortune to survey all these people.”

“Knowing ahead of time what you’re getting into saves me more in the long run.”

She straightened and turned sideways on her chair to face him. “You must have hired a team to spy on my father. Did you uncover something that you were able to use to your advantage when he blackmailed you?”

His double blink was gratifying. So was the warm approval in his eyes and the faint, wry smile. “The rose colored glasses are coming off.”

She turned her face away when he came in for a kiss and tamped down the flash of pride she felt in catching him off guard. The fact that she was beginning to see things from his perspective and how he could benefit from any situation wasn’t a good thing. If she kept on this path, she would become just as jaded and paranoid as he was.

“What did you find?” she asked briskly, even as a voice in the back of her mind begged her to let it go.

He examined her blank face as his hand sifted through her hair. “I have my suspicions about past deeds, but no concrete proof, since he employs others to do his dirty work for him.”

“Just tell me what you think he’s done,” she said impatiently, unable to stand the suspense. She was already apprised of some of his illicit activities—blackmailing and destroying his son-in-law’s business, blackballing those he deemed unworthy to be in his vicinity, and strong-arming any who dared encroach on his territory. That wasn’t counting the dozens of bitter, humiliated peers he made over the years. She was sure their accounts of her father would rip the image she had taped together in her mind to pieces.

As if Roth could read her mind, he said, “My suspicions about your father aren’t worth destroying the relationship you rebuilt with him. As you said, he’s a changed man.”

She didn’t realize how tense she was until her shoulders dropped. He was skirting the issue to save her from more trauma. She was too relieved to be mad about it.

“Regardless of whether you had evidence, I’m sure that didn’t stop you from using it to your advantage,” she said.

His eyelids drooped over glittering, predatory eyes. “I couldn’t use my suspicions to negotiate, but it rattled him. That was enough.”

Her father and Roth were a match made in hell, always trying to gain the upper hand, even if it was just for a few seconds. “What deal did you make with him?”

When Roth raised an inquisitive brow, she prodded his chest.

“You didn’t accept a payout, but you’re too much of a businessman to let my dad get his way completely, even armed with blackmail.”

He braced his hand on the table and leaned in, so their faces were inches apart. She braced, unable to define his energy. She couldn’t tell if he was upset, flattered, annoyed… She didn’t know how to interpret his flat, level stare.

“Your father’s a legend in the business world. A brilliant strategist and uncompromising leader. He managed to stamp his name on every major city in this country. What makes you think I was able to negotiate anything under those circumstances?”

She didn’t back down. “I know you. My father pulled out all the stops to ruin you and couldn’t. He thought he was going to make an example of you. Instead, you became his protégé and beat him at his own game. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

His gaze brightened during her speech, though his expression stayed neutral.

“Tell me the terms of the deal you negotiated with him.”

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Confessions. Please do not share or distribute.

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