Jillian spoke to me through the intercom. “Sir, I have Simone here to see you…” Everyone in the building gossiped, so they all knew about the bad blood with my brother. They all knew Simone and I used to fuck before she started fucking my brother.
I couldn’t believe that tramp had the audacity to come to my office. This was the beginning of the nightmare, the exact bullshit I wanted to avoid. Just because she was marrying Coen didn’t make her an executive of this company, but Coen didn’t have the balls to straighten her out. “Send her in.”
Jillian escorted Simone into my office before she walked out quickly, trying to get away from the drama about to unfold.
Simone stepped inside my glass office, wearing a black dress with heels and a gold necklace. She had short blond hair, practically a bob. Her hair used to be longer when we were together. I wasn’t a fan of short hair, regardless of how pretty the woman might be. She had a yellow folder in her hand, like she had data to share with me.
I could hardly look at her without hating her more. She was the evil wedge between my brother and me, the family-wrecker. She was so greedy that she didn’t care how it destroyed our family. I didn’t feel bad for Coen because he deserved this, but at the same time, I pitied him. She had a knife in his back, and she twisted it to manipulate him. Now he was at her mercy, unaware of all the blood he was losing. “You have no business on my property. All I have to do is call security, and they’ll throw your ass out.”
She didn’t flinch at my hostility. She was too focused on her goal to let my anger defuse her determination. “Half of this building will be mine soon enough. Good luck getting me thrown out then.”
I’d never wanted to hit a woman in my life, but now I felt the urge—the strong urge. I wanted to grab her by the neck and slam her head into the glass wall. Maybe a little damage would put her head on straight. “You aren’t getting half of this place. I’ll make sure of that.”
“Even if you do, it’ll still be mine when we’re married. So unless you’re thinking of killing me, you’re screwed.”
“Not the worst idea I’ve ever heard…” I stayed in my chair and kept my desk between us because the surge of violence was too strong. She probably wanted me to hit her, just so she could sue me and come after every penny I had.
She smiled at the threat. “I’m here to make a deal with you.”
“I don’t make deals with the devil.”
“You should.” She crossed her arms over her chest, still holding the folder. “Because he’s the most powerful man in the universe.”
“I think you’re forgetting someone…”
“He’s too weak, too forgiving, to see what’s coming.”
Wow, this woman really was evil. What the hell did my brother see in her? When we were together, her true desires were muffled. She hadn’t emerged as the slithering snake just yet. But now, she wore her evilness like a billboard.
“Here’s my offer.” She came closer to my desk, her thighs touching the wood. “Stay out of my way, and I’ll make this a pleasant working environment. I won’t interfere with your business or change anything. You won’t even have to see me. But make my life difficult…and I’ll make yours a living hell.”
“You haven’t done that already?”
She didn’t crack a smile. “You’ve already done some pretty shitty things, and nothing came from it. You’re running out of options to make this stop. I suggest you take my deal.”
“I don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
Her blue eyes narrowed with ferocity, and I couldn’t believe I ever looked into those eyes when I fucked her.
“I’ll just tell my brother and my mother about this conversation.”
“Go ahead. Your mother might believe you, but she has no power to stop this. And Coen is far too loyal to me to listen to anything you have to say. All I have to do is turn everything around on you, and I’m safe.”
My brother was absolutely pathetic. I was grateful I’d never been so stupid with Simone. I was grateful I had a man’s sac instead of the boy’s balls he carried. “You’ll be found out eventually. Secrets and lies don’t stay buried for long.”
“And I don’t expect them to. They just need to stay buried for another month—until I get what I want.”
A few hours later, I made the rare trip to his office.
He was a few floors below me, having an office as spacious as mine. He had three secretaries too, all tall and pretty.
I wondered how Simone felt about that.
I didn’t bother checking in with the girls, and they didn’t stop me either.