My chest aches.
Did she follow me here? I told my staff to keep her in the mansion until Zach came over. He’s the only one I could confide in knowing full well that he’ll keep a level head about the entire situation.
Still, my smashed-over heart resurrects from the ashes at the thought that she’s here.
Maybe she wants the box back.
Maybe I don’t want to give it away.
I turn around and the first thing that registers is a slash-like sound as a dark figure slams into me.
“Chris sends his bloody regards,” he whispers near my ear, then pulls back.
That’s when a blinding pain explodes in my abdomen and a hot liquid soaks my shirt. My hand grabs the area and it’s drenched in dark red.
Fuck.
I’ve been stabbed.
Before I can wrap my mind around the information, the world is pulled from beneath my feet.
33
NICOLE
I’m still reeling from the letter Daniel left me.
I finally sit down after pacing the extravagant living area like a lunatic under Lolli’s judgmental eyes.
My hands shake and my mind crowds with so many theories and questions.
Like, what was he thinking?
How dare he?
And most importantly; what the hell am I supposed to do now?
The thought of stepping on my pride again makes me nauseous, but that doesn’t compare to the pain of never seeing him again.
Lolli bumps her head on my side as if knowing exactly the amount of distress I’m going through. I pet her black head and stare into her shiny black eyes.
“What should I do, Lolli?”
“I don’t think a cat can offer advice.”
Both Lolli and I jerk up at Zach’s distinctive voice.
I stand on wobbly feet, hiding the letter and all its mysterious contents in my jean pocket.
“I got a call from the London branch lawyer and he was notified that Christopher Vans pulled the custody claim,” is what Aspen told me half an hour ago over the phone, sounding as perplexed as I am.
What did Daniel do to make that lowlife give up Jay…and me?
I was so sure he’d want a claim on my brother just so he’d get to me. That was the whole point behind the custody case because I know for a fact he doesn’t care about his son.
Then, there’s the chef apprenticeship.
The mansion.
Jay’s education.
The staying in London bit.
Just what was Daniel thinking and when did he plan all of this?
Unless he was planning to leave me anyway and this was always the course of action he intended to take.
My lips tremble as I focus on Zach. He has always been attractive, athletic, and so outgoing, he gave Daniel a run for his money when we were younger.
Whereas the old Zach was the charming and handsome type, he now appears detached, bored. The cold and lethal type.
“Do you know where he is?” I don’t recognize the brittleness in my voice.
He checks his thick Rolex watch. “On his way to New York.”
My lips tremble. “But why? Why did you let him?”
“Why not let him? It’s his choice and as much as I don’t understand the sentiment behind it, I can’t exactly lock him up here.” He pauses. “Although that could be arranged.”
“Did he tell you to come to find me?”
“Yes. He wanted you to know that you have a small fortune to your name extracted from his shares that you can use to open your own restaurant. Not to mention that this old thing is being processed to be in your name as we speak. You take the staff that comes with it, too, or you’ll have to do some satanic ritual to be able to fire them.”
“Why?”
“I’m sure they would prefer to work here for free rather than leaving the place.”
“No, why did he do this?”
Zach appears perplexed. “I believe the right word would be that he’s an idiot, but I hope for your sake that you’re not. I’ll be watching what you do with his shares and if I smell a gold-digger who used my brother, I’ll make sure you eat dirt for the rest of your life.”
“I don’t want his money! I only ever wanted him, but that’s never been reciprocated. And now he’s doing this and confusing me…”
“Are you daft?”
“Excuse me?”
Zach’s expression doesn’t change. “You’re either daft or too oblivious to notice. Daniel has been following you like a lost puppy ever since we were kids. He’d ask Mother to lie and say she got you the birthday gifts and he never asks Mother for anything. And he’s now leaving you a fortune that will make your grandchildren live like kings, not to mention that he beat up the scum who assaulted you and cut off his dick like a noodle, then made him drop the custody case for your brother. So please enlighten me, which part in that sounds like he never reciprocated?”
My jaw hurts from how much I clenched it and all I can think about is the last bit he said. “Daniel beat up Christopher?”
“Yes, he didn’t tell me so himself, but I found out on my own. See, he might have chosen to stay away, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let that idiot run loose. When he bought his penthouse in New York City, I made the owner sell me the building so I can get daily reports about him. I did it under another company name, of course, so he doesn’t catch up. Since he landed in London, I had a skilled PI watch him from afar. And before you ask, he didn’t tell me about your assault, I found out about that myself as well. Apparently, Christopher likes going around telling stories about the women he takes advantage of.”
Daniel beat up Christopher and probably threatened him, which is why he dropped the custody case. It must’ve happened that night he came back bleeding and with a devil’s expression on his face.
An onslaught of emotions attacks me and I grab the chair for balance.
The arsehole.
How dare he do all that for me, then leave me behind?
How fucking dare he?
The course of action I have to take clearly materializes in my head. “Zach?”
“Yes.”
“You have a private plane, right?”
“I do.”
“Please let me use it so I can wait for him in New York with a sledgehammer.”
“I will not allow you to hurt my brother.”
“It’s a figure of speech. I’m not actually going to do it.”
He narrows his eyes. “Fine.”
I’m just about to get ready when his phone vibrates. He answers with, “Sterling.”
He listens for a bit, then hangs up. Zach’s expression doesn’t change when he smashes my world to pieces. “Daniel was stabbed.”
My heart has been stuck in my throat ever since Zach told me the news about Daniel’s stabbing.
As in, Daniel is hurt.
As in, he was bleeding on the streets.
The only reason I held on to my cool during the drive to the hospital is the innate need to believe that it’s not as bad as I think.
He will be fine.
He has to be fine.
Or else…
I shake my head, my fingers strangling each other. Zach remains completely detached, typing on his tablet and replying to emails as if his younger brother couldn’t be dead as we speak.