Chapter 35
AXEL’S POV:
“I’m sorry about that,” he said, his voice dripping with insincere. It man you were too lenteas with her. She need to ke who is in charge. However you want me to compensate you for her troubles. I will
There was so much venom in his tone that it caught even me off guard. This was a man who had spear for year xated o Avery, and yet there wasn’t a shred of care or remorse in his voice. To him, the was nothing more than a day–min be used and discarded at his convenience.
I studied him for a moment, my eyes falling on the black band on his wedding finger
“I see you replace them like clothes, I noted, mockery in my tone. “Already onto your word marriage, and to her some to less. What’s so special about that family that you keep taking their daughter
Chase’s chest puffed up with pride, as though he had accomplished something worth celebrating
“They’re just pawns in the bigger game,” he said, his tone smug, “The kids are gullible!
“And you’re not?” I countered. “A thirty–five–year–old man preying on naivety for your own selfish gin
He coughed awkwardly, adjusting his tie as though it might shield him from my scrutiny.
Changing the subject, I pointed toward the door. “I take it the old man is your father. What happened to him?
“Oh, yes,” Chase said with a dismissive wave. “The old thing is my father. He’s got late–stage carter Can barely talk because it hurts his throat. Should be dead in a year or less, the doctors said.”
The lack of emotion in his words was appalling, but it wasn’t surprising Chase was the kind of man who valued power above all else, even family.
“And you can’t wait for him to die so you can take full control?” I pointed out.
His face betrayed him, but he tried to cover it with a weak laugh. “Of course not,” he said unconvincingly.
I let the silence stretch, watching him squirm before finally standing. “The deal is on,” I said. “Tll allow Grayson Enterprises to handle my next property acquisitions. Congratulations–you’ve earned my business.”
Chase practically fell apart the moment I stood up from the chair. He dropped to his knees, gripping the armrests of the chair I had just vacated like it was his lifeline. His voice, trembling with desperation, filled the conference room.
“Thank you, sir. Thank you for saving Grayson once more. You have no idea what this means to us–what this means to me. You’ve secured our legacy. I’ll never forget this!*
I didn’t respond. His groveling was sickening. It wasn’t gratitude–it as opportunism wrapped in feigned humility. I turned on my heel, my shoes clicking against the floor, and headed toward the door without sparing him a second glance. His voice followed me.
“Wait! Why are you leaving so early? I had entertainment planned for you. A special dinner, music–everything tailored to your taste!”
I stopped briefly at the door, my hand resting on the handle. Without turning to look at him, I said, “I’m a busy man, Chase. Too busy for frivolities.”
“But-”
I didn’t let him finish. My patience with him had run dry. “I’ll see myself out,” I said coldly, cutting him off and stepping into
1/3
14:12 Tue, 22 Apr
Chapter 35
the hallway. His presence, his entire existence, left a bitter taste in my mouth. Disgusting.
84%
Outside the building, Ryan was waiting for me, his usual calm demeanor in place. Without a word, he handed me a small packet of disinfectant wipes. I tore one out, methodically wiping my hands, erasing every trace of the man I had just interacted with.
“Invest a few million into Grayson,” I said casually, tossing the used wipe into a nearby trash can.
Ryan’s expression frowned with confusion. He tilted his head slightly, his brow furrowed. “Are you sure? This isn’t like you. Grayson’s a sinking ship, and you don’t make bad investments.”
“Just do it,” I replied firmly. My tone left no room for argument. “I have my reasons.”
Ryan hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding. “Understood.”
“Good. Now let’s get going. I want everything set for tonight.”
Ryan confirmed with a quick “Of course.”
Outside, the chopper blades whirred impatiently, cutting through the morning air. Ryan opened the door to the waiting helicopter. I climbed in, fastening my seatbelt as the rotors began to spin faster. The hum of the engine was a welcome reprieve from the cloying atmosphere I’d just left behind.
As we lifted off, I pulled out my iPad and opened the live feed of the cameras. It took no time to locate her as she filled my screen. There she was–my little prisoner.
Avery looked like a shadow of herself on the camera feed. Her once fiery spirit, which had dared to defy me, had been extinguished, leaving behind a fragile, defeated figure. Good. I was eager to put out what was left of that fire.
She was still hung from the wall, her wrists bound by the weighty chains that pulled at her slender frame. The shackles bit into her skin, leaving angry red marks that matched the exhaustion etched on her face. Her head lolled forward slightly, her hair falling in limp strands around her pale cheeks. She didn’t cry, didn’t beg. Instead, she just hung there, her chest rising and falling with slow, labored breaths.
Her eyes, half–lidded and glassy, stared at the floor as if searching for some reprieve that didn’t exist. Even through the cold screen, I could feel the heavy weight of her despair. It was intoxicating. She was breaking, slowly but surely. Not in one dramatic moment, but piece by agonizing piece. My lips curled into a smile, the kind that came with the satisfaction of knowing I was winning. Soon, there would be nothing left of her defiance–just submission.
The low vibration of the helicopter didn’t even get my attention as it stayed fixed on her. Then my phone vibrated, interrupting the feed with a name I couldn’t ignore. Sea.
I relaxed into my seat, exhaling and setting my tone to be welcoming.
I answered immediately, my voice softening in a way it rarely did. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Daddy!” Her excitement was felt through the line. “How are you? I miss you!”
The tension in my chest eased just a little. “I’m good, Sea. I miss you too. I’ll be home for dinner tomorrow, I promise.”
There was a pause, her tiny voice growing hesitant. “What about breakfast? Will you be there for that?”
I sighed, hating that I was going to miss it. “I’m sorry, love. I have an early meeting tomorrow. But I’ll make it up to okay? Pancakes for dinner? Extra syrup, just the way you like.”
Her disappointment melted into a giggle. “Okay. But you better keep your promise! And tell Uncle Ryan I said hi.”
“I will,” I replied, smiling. “Be good for me, alright? I’ll see you tomorrow.”
9/3
14:12 Tue, 22 Apr
Chapter 35
“I will! Bye, Daddy!”
As the call ended, I looked over at Ryan, who had been silently listening. “Sea says hi, I said, sliding the phone into my pocket.
Ryan smirked faintly. “She’s not going to stop asking about Avery, you know?
84
I exhaled sharply, my fingers brushing the edge of the iPad. “I know. But she’ll forget soon enough. Kids are easy to distract once something new comes along.”
Ryan gave a small nod, though the doubt stayed in his eyes. I ignored it, turning back to the screen. My gaze returned to Avery. She was still hanging there, her body slack, her head tilting to one side. And then, my stomach clenched
The camera revealed something that sent my fury spiraling out of control. A guard came into the room. He wasn’t supposed to be there. His hand grazed along Avery’s arm as he leaned closer. I saw her flinch, her body recoiling from the contact even in her weakened state. My jaw clenched so tightly that my teeth ached
Then the bastard had the audacity to reach up, his fingers brushing against her face before another joined. Her head jerked slightly, but the chains held her still. They both…
That was it. My blood ran cold with rage.
“Oh, my world,” I muttered, my voice low and venomous. “He’s dead. I’m going to kill him.”
Before I could even give the order, Ryan’s voice interrupted my fury, calm but insistent. “Axel, the shipment scheduled for II PM has been moved up. It’s arriving at 8 PM. We need to head to the location now if we want to ensure security and avoid surprises.”
I let out a breath, forcing the anger down. They would pay, but not right now. Business had to come first. “Of course, it has to be now,” I muttered, running a hand over my face.
Shutting off the iPad, I nodded at Ryan. “Fine. Let’s go. I want every inch of that shipment secured. No mistakes.”
Ryan gave a quick nod. The helicopter shifted course, the city lights below drawing closer as we descended. My hands curled into fists, my anger simmering just beneath the surface.
I’ll deal with that garbage later. But for now, I had a job to do.
AD
