Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27995 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27995 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Lucian King steps forward, flanked by three men in dark coats. His smile is thin, bordering on sleazy.
“Well, well. Rayne Silva.” His gaze slides to Ronan, narrowing slightly. “And company. How ... convenient.”
Ronan’s arm tightens around me. “Can I help you?”
“Not you.” Lucian’s eyes fix on me. “Ms. Silva and I have unfinished business. Don’t we, darling?”
Fear curdles in my stomach. “I have your money. All of it. I was going to call tomorrow—”
“Interest accrues daily.” He steps closer, and I can smell his cologne, cloying and too strong. “And I’ve been so patient.”
“Step back,” Ronan says, his voice deadly quiet.
Lucian’s eyes flick to him, assessing. “You look familiar.”
“I’m not concerned with whether you know me. I’m concerned with you bothering Ms. Silva.”
Lucian smirks, lifting a hand as if to touch my face. “We go way back, don’t we, Rayne? Your mother’s treatments aren’t cheap. Someone had to help when the banks wouldn’t.”
It happens so fast I barely register the movement. One moment Lucian is reaching toward me; the next, Ronan has him by the throat, lifting him slightly off the ground. Lucian’s men move forward, but suddenly they freeze.
I glance around and realize why. Four men in suits have materialized from seemingly nowhere, hands inside their jackets in a clear threat.
“Listen carefully,” Ronan says, his voice colder than I’ve ever heard it. “You will stay away from Rayne. You will stay away from her mother. If I see you within a hundred yards of either of them, you will regret it.”
He releases Lucian, who stumbles back, rubbing his throat. For the first time, I see fear flicker in the his eyes.
“You don’t know who you're dealing with,” Lucian rasps.
“No.” Ronan's smile is terrifying. “YOU don’t know who you’re dealing with. But you will. Expect my call.”
Lucian’s jaw works, but he takes another step back. “This isn’t over.”
“It is.” Ronan places a hand at the small of my back. “Leave.”
Lucian hesitates, then signals to his men. They melt back into the shadows, and Lucian follows after one last venomous glance.
My heart pounds against my ribs. “Ronan—”
“Let’s get you home.” His voice is gentle again, all the steel reserved for Lucian is gone.
As he guides me to the car, I look around at the men in suits, still standing at alert. “Where did they come from?”
“They’re always around.” He opens the passenger door for me. “You just don’t see them.”
The drive back to the mansion passes in a blur. My mind spins with the events of the day—the million-dollar transfer, my mother’s warm acceptance of Ronan, and now Ronan standing between me and my worst nightmare.
Everything feels surreal, dreamlike. But as Ronan’s hand finds mine across the console, I realize one thing with perfect clarity: For the first time in years, I feel safe. I feel happy.
And I’m going home with Ronan.
9
RONAN
Marcus stands before my desk, hands clasped behind his back. The Christmas tree in the corner seems at odds with the conversation we’re having. I don’t even know why it’s there to begin with. Must have been my secretary’s doing.
“I want every loan record Lucian King has ever touched,” I tell him. “Every property he owns, every shell company, every bank account. I want his empire dismantled brick by brick.”
Marcus nods, unfazed. He’s been my right-hand man for years, handling the tasks that require absolute discretion. “We’ve already frozen his accounts. His men have been advised to seek other employment.”
I lean forward, resting my elbows on the desk. “I want him out of business permanently. No more preying on desperate people who have nowhere else to turn.” The memory of Lucian’s hand reaching toward Rayne’s face flashes in my mind, and my jaw tightens. “Make sure he understands the consequences of defiance.”
“Of course.” Marcus’s expression remains neutral, but I catch the glint of approval in his eyes. He’s seen firsthand what men like Lucian do. “The legal team is prepared to assist anyone who’s been victimized. We’ve identified seventeen cases so far of predatory lending with interest rates that would make a shark blush.”
“Good.” I stand, moving to the window. Snow falls gently outside, coating the grounds in pristine white. “I want all their debts cleared. Anonymous Christmas gift. Make it happen.”
“That’s ... generous.” For once, Marcus sounds surprised.
I turn to face him. “No one should live in fear of men like King, especially during the holidays.”
What I don’t say is how Rayne’s face has haunted me since last night—the momentary flash of terror when she saw Lucian, followed by the resignation. She’d been living with that fear for months, maybe years, believing she had to face it alone.
Never again.
After he leaves, I stand for a moment, watching the snow. My empire was built on cold calculation and relentless drive. I’ve never been sentimental, never allowed myself to be vulnerable.
But now there’s Rayne. And Ryan. And somehow, inexplicably, Elena has worked her way into that same protected space in my heart. I’ll use every ounce of my power, every dollar of my fortune, to keep them safe.