Chapter 20 - The Game Continues
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The phone on my mahogany desk began to ring.
It wasn't my personal cell phone. It was the secure, unlisted landline I had installed in the library after the divorce, a number only known to my financial advisors and my lawyers.
I walked slowly across the room, the diamonds of Ashley’s former bracelet catching the light of the fire with every movement.
I picked up the heavy receiver.
“Hello,” I said, my voice perfectly level, devoid of any fear or hesitation.
“The bracelet suits you, Claire,” Mark’s deep, gravelly voice echoed through the line. The sound of clinking glasses and faint jazz music played in the background. He was back at the speakeasy. “Much better than it suited her.”
“You broke our agreement, Mark,” I stated calmly, looking at the cryptic note still resting on the desk.
“Agreements are for business partners, Claire,” Mark chuckled, a dark, dangerous sound. “I’m calling because I need an associate. A highly specialized associate. The acquisition of Daniel’s firm was a massive success, but the board is getting restless. They need a new CEO. Someone they already trust. Someone who knows how to keep the skeletons buried.”
My breath hitched slightly, but I didn't let him hear it.
He wanted to install me as the puppet CEO of his newly acquired, massive real estate empire. He wanted me to be the legitimate face of his syndicate’s money-laundering machine.
“If I say no?” I asked quietly.
“You won't say no,” Mark replied with absolute, terrifying confidence. “You’ve tasted the power, Claire. You burned your entire toxic family to the ground and walked away richer and stronger. You’re bored in that big, empty house. You want the crown.”
I stared at the blazing fire in the hearth.
He wasn't entirely wrong. The peace I had fought so hard for had quickly morphed into a stifling, suffocating quiet. I missed the adrenaline. I missed the power of moving pieces on the board and watching my enemies fall.
“If I take the position,” I said, my voice dropping into a lethal, commanding register that rivaled his own, “I don't answer to your lieutenants. I answer only to you. And I get complete operational control over the downtown developments.”
A heavy, appreciative silence fell over the line.
“You drive a hard bargain, Claire,” Mark finally said, genuine respect lacing his tone.
“I’m just getting started, Mark,” I promised, a dangerous smirk touching my lips. “I’ll see you at the office on Monday.”
May you like
I hung up the phone.
The good, naive sister was gone forever. The queen of the ashes had finally taken her throne, and the real game was only just beginning.
