Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 34
LUCIAN
“My, my, your new little pet seems to be keeping busy.” Mary Quinn Astrid was sitting on my desk as I walked into my office first thing in the morning.
I had no idea what the fuck she was doing here, but whatever it was, I had not had enough coffee to tolerate it. I really needed to have a conversation with my assistant about allowing access to my office when I was not in.
“Leave. You have no business here,” I said, refusing to look at her.
Mostly because I knew that was what Mary Quinn hated the most.
She spent so much of her time, so much of her energy, looking the way she did. Perfectly polished and poised, somehow looking like she was aging gracefully but not aging at all.
I used to think it was a feminine power she had, but after a few years, I could just see it was a desperate attempt at appearing powerful. She was no more than a manipulative shrew. All it would take was one scandal to unravel all of the influence she had.
That wasn’t power. At least not the kind I coveted.
“I do actually have business to discuss with you.” She stood from the top of my desk and walked towards me, not even the faintest wobble on her sky-high stilettos.
“Then you should have made an appointment with my assistant.”
“No.” She sauntered up to me and placed her hand on my chest as if she somehow had the right. “This is personal business. I have been made aware that you are now in possession of the Deiderich heir.”
“In possession of? Do you think I keep her in a little box?”
I have never pretended to be a good person.
Mary Quinn pretended when it suited her, and I did not hold that against her. But after hearing how she treated her daughters, seeing evidence of bruises on my daughter-in-law, and hearing the stories about her drunken tirades and unprovoked violent streaks, it was abundantly clear that I needed to distance myself.
Mary Quinn was no longer an ally who came with more benefits than liabilities. She was a walking time bomb.
“Well, I don’t know what else you would do with a woman that stupid. But there are a few eligible bachelors that I could point you in the direction of. I’m sure you are eager to get her out of your house.”
I took a step back just out of her reach, hoping she would get the hint and not touch me again.
“And what exactly gives you the impression Stella is anything other than brilliant?” I asked.
“Well, I know she was friends with Amelia as a child, and she always seemed so simple. One-word answers never add any value to conversations. I hear the only reason she survived that hit was because she let the assassin feel her up.”
“She was found by the paramedics by crawling through broken glass half frozen to the front of the car and hitting a metal flask on the roof to make a noise. She was nearly dead,” I growled with narrowed eyes. “But what do you mean, assassin? It was a car crash. The driver was drunk.”
Mary Quinn rolled her eyes. “It was made to look like a car accident. But I assure you it was very much intentional. Deiderich has some particularly ruthless friends that your friend Ronan doesn’t want in the city, let alone this country.”
“So you are saying the car accident was a hit.”
Christ. The wounds from her parents’ death were still fresh for Stella. I wouldn’t even know how to break it to her that it wasn’t a terrible accident. Next time I saw Reid, I would have him use his contacts to investigate. I was certainly not going to trust the word of Mary Quinn on the matter.
And perhaps having a mutual project would mend some of the bad blood between myself and my new son-in-law.
Recent events had changed my mind about how I wanted to deal with my children and their spouses in the future.
“If the rumors are to be believed. Just like the rumor you now control Deiderich’s entire fortune and will soon be looking to get rid of the little orphan girl. Then splitting her inheritance between yourself and her new husband. I have come with a few suggestions of age-appropriate men who may be in the market for a new bride.”
I could see the rumor mill was still thinking the absolute worst of me.
“No, Stella’s prospects have already been secured. I do not need any assistance.”
“Well, that makes sense seeing how beautifully both of your daughters’ marriages turned out.”
“They are both married to extremely wealthy men, who can keep them safe from conniving bitches like you. I would say that is a stunning success.”
Her head flew back in a fit of false laughter. “Oh, I do enjoy this banter.”