37. Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Celeste
I scrolled through the old articles like I was peeling back the layers of an old wound just to see if it still hurt. Spoiler: it did, just a little less than before.
There they were, in every headline and thumbnail. Liam, Vigo, and Dante - looking smug and self-made, like the poster boys for bootstrapped brilliance. Manticore Tech’s rise had been meteoric, sure, but they’d made sure to use my name as rocket fuel on the way up.
“Unlike others, we didn’t come from money. We know what it’s like for the common person,” Liam declared in one of the first big interviews, sleeves rolled up like he was about to renovate a kitchen instead of build an empire. Very salt-of-the-earth. Very punchable .
Then there was the ad. Ugh, the ad. A grainy, half-lit video of me at a private party - tipsy, laughing, doing nothing worse than being twenty and well-dressed. It had gone viral, one of the few times I’d ever been able to let loose, yet a tipsy heiress attempting to run her family’s business was the talk of the entire entertainment news cycle. Then, Manticore released their ads. They were several over the top caricatures of a drunk, sloppy, ditzy rich girl, clearly referencing my viral video. And the taglines “Protect your data - don't party it away.” and " Would you trust her with your passwords ?”
Real subtle.
Back then, I’d wanted to throttle all three of them. Now? I don’t know. Somewhere between the headlines and hindsight, the sharp edges had dulled. I could see the hunger behind the smirks, the hustle behind the mockery.
And maybe, just maybe, I was starting to get why they fought so hard. Hell, I was even starting to like them. Which, frankly, was already a very slippery slope. Just as I was starting to spiral about our messy history and even messier future, my phone buzzed with a message from Bella.
"Package is at the post office. Enjoy!”
That was ominous.I made my way to the location that Bella directed me to and retrieved the small box, eyeing it suspiciously as I carried it back to my car.When I opened it, I found a delicate gold bracelet nestled inside, sleek and elegant, something I’d actually wear. But knowing Bella, there was more to it than just aesthetics. I turned it over, searching for clues, and sure enough, there was a password etched into the underside. And tucked into the clasp was a tiny, hidden thumb drive.
Of course.
I sighed, shaking my head with equal parts amusement and awe. I sent her a text thanking her, and she quickly responded.
“For your hacking pleasure. Try not to get arrested. xoxo, Bella.”
I groaned. "Bella, I swear - "
This little drive, if it worked the way Bella promised, could crack encrypted files. Which meant I could finally start digging into where Pack Lockwood got the documents they used to blackmail me. Which meant… I might just get out of this mess before I lost the last shreds of my dignity and fell head over heels for all three of them.
Or, more likely, I’d fall anyway, but at least I’d have some leverage.
I’d have to wait until I found something I could actually use this on. They kept most of their laptops in their rooms, and I had yet to venture out on another snooping expedition after my last one landed me in orgasm land with Dante. But with this…
I thought hard on the ramifications. I might finally find out who gave them the blackmail information. And, if I could find proof of the kidnapping…
An image flashed, of the three of them being hailed off in handcuffs. It should have made me feel elated, but now I just felt hollow at the thought. It was bizarre. They deserved to be punished for what they did - and I was sure it was them behind it - but now, after being around them, I couldn’t imagine putting them through the public and private humiliation again.
I fastened the bracelet around my wrist, the hidden drive cool against my skin. I didn’t need to use it yet, but just knowing I had it gave me a strange sense of control. Still, a knot twisted in my stomach. What if I really uncovered the truth? What if it confirmed everything I feared?
I told myself I was ready. That I wanted justice. But deep down, I wasn’t sure anymore. Because once I opened that door, there’d be no going back - and I wasn’t sure whose side of it I wanted to be on.