Chapter 40 #2
Dad had paled slightly at the mention of the data leak. Charlotte’s expression was completely closed off, though, as a low murmur briefly rose from the other guests.
“After hearing what they’ve endured, Balak and I, along with his parents, set out to clear the rocks from their road, so to speak,” Kaya continued. “Abbye. Sophia. This is our gift to you.”
She partially angled herself toward the projection screen behind us. An image of payments from the shell company next to deposit records appeared.
The murmur was a bit louder this time and the people closest to my dad and stepmother noticeably stepped back.
“The accounts to the right belong to the arsonist,” Kaya said, “and the driver who hit Abbye Elmantas. They received payments from a Hildcrask subsidiary days before the incidents. This is the authorizing signature.”
Charlotte’s name was boldly displayed.
She looked surprisingly composed as a murmur of condemnation ripped through the room.
“But we found that’s not all you did,” Mom said, picking up where Kaya had left off.
“You also contacted every previous employer I had, bribing and blackmailing as needed until I was let go. At first, I thought it was for TAS shares, but it continued even after I sold every last one back to Denis. Why?”
Charlotte never looked at Mom as she answered, “Exes are not meant to be seen or heard. Yet, you continually tried to reappear. I was simply helping you stay hidden.”
A woman standing near Mom made a disbelieving sound.
Charlotte’s cheek twitched.
“Hidden?” I asked. “Is that why you kidnapped me and sent me to Hestian? To hide me, too?”
“I have no idea what you mean,” Charlotte said.
Lianna’s voice came over the intercom. “Charlotte Elmantas suggested I send Sophia to Hestian if I wasn’t willing to remove her permanently.”
Several guests gasped.
Dad, who’d been looking confused, paled and stepped back from Charlotte.
“That was your real goal, wasn’t it?” I asked.
“To erase us as if we’d never existed, which would be hard to do if I married into the Steele family.
That’s why you hired someone else to remove me today like Lianna and Hestian failed to do.
Once I’m gone and Mom has no connection to the Steeles, dealing with her would be easy again. Too bad your plan didn’t work.”
The doors at the back of the room opened, and security led in my would-be attacker.
Charlotte’s composure started to slip.
“I believe you’re acquainted,” I said.
“I’ve never seen this man in my life,” she said.
The guard held up a phone and played a recording.
“Three million in advance to kill Sophia Elmantas on Saturday and another million once it’s done. Understood?”
“Anyone’s voice can be faked,” she said sharply. “You’ll be hearing from Hildcrask Holdings’ lawyer for defamation.”
“Actually, we’ve already heard from him,” I said.
“He delivered the authorizing signature along with the Hildcrask family necklace I’m wearing.
It’s an apology on behalf of Frances Hildcrask for not catching the abuse of power before we did.
The evidence she provided, along with what we have from Lianna and this man, has been sent to the police, who should be here in a moment. ”
Charlotte’s eyes lost focus as she understood she’d been pruned.
I turned to Dad, who was barely keeping it together.
“And you? Did you know what she was doing?” I asked.
He sputtered several denials.
“Of course not.
“How could I?
“I never had anything to do with that company.”
“Miranda,” I called.
She came out of nowhere, grabbed my Dad by the shoulder, and spun him around. Her palm connected with his face with a resounding slap.
“That’s for cheating on your wife.” She slapped him again on the back swing. “That’s for trying to sell your daughter.” She hit him again, leaving a vivid white imprint of her hand. “That’s for trying to deny knowing anything. You know exactly what kind of woman you married.”
He dropped to his knees and looked at me, the corner of his mouth bleeding.
“I didn’t know what she was doing. I swear to you.”
His denial seemed to snap Charlotte back to the present. She scoffed.
“You pretended not to know, but you did. You saw the money moving and never asked.”
“It was your money, not mine,” he said angrily. “You never allowed me to touch anything outside of TAS.”
“Could you be any more pathetic?” she sneered. “My biggest mistake was marrying a social climbing loser like you.”
Dad’s face turned red. Before he could respond, the police walked in.
“We received a call about an attempted murder,” the officer said.
Balak stepped forward. “We captured the man before he could harm my son’s mate. He confessed and gave the name of the person who hired him. Charlotte Elmantas. It’s related to the Sophia Elmantas kidnapping case.”
“Thank you for choosing the legal route instead of killing her directly for harming your mate,” an officer said.
Dad swiftly stood.
“I’m filing for divorce,” he said loudly.
“We’re unsure if her husband is an accomplice or not,” Balak said.
Whispers rippled through the crowd as the police took the three of them away. Dad was still sputtering denials.
“I think we could all use another round of drinks after that,” Balak announced. “Everyone, grab a glass.”
Konni hugged me, and Kaya stood beside Mom, quietly supporting her until the doors closed again.
“I don’t know why you were so reluctant to say yes to a welcome party,” Miranda said, having snuck up next to me. “This was fun.”
I rolled my eyes at her. She looked at Konni.
“Payment in full next week as agreed.”
He nodded and pulled me closer to his side.
“Make sure to delete the picture you send me,” he said over my head.
She laughed as she walked away, and he growled slightly. I elbowed him.
“No growling at my friends. I’ll get jealous.”
The gold in his eyes promised a night of compensation ahead.
But then he surprised the hell out of me by stepping back and getting down on one knee.
A hush fell over the room.
“Sophia Elmantas. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were my destiny. Background. Wealth. Connections. None of it compares to the thought of waking up next to you every morning for the rest of my life.”
He opened the box he held, showing me an impressive engagement ring that matched the bracelet he’d given me.
“Will you marry me?”
“If you don’t say yes, I will,” Miranda shouted from the back.
Grinning, I nodded to Konni and held out my hand.
He slipped the ring on my finger, stood, and pulled me into his arms. The applause in the room was deafening.