Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Isabella’s POV
Soft lips moved against mine, slow and tentative, like he was savoring the taste of me. And me? I stood, frozen in place, feeling sensation creep over my skin, feeling the heat from him wrap around me.
“You taste good, Isabella,” he drawled, nipping my bottom lip. “So fucking good.”
My entire body was vibrating with need. Despite the fact that I had on a nightgown, I felt naked. His hands moved over my body, in a slow, steady rhythm, like a tease. His fingers trailed over the bare skin on my shoulder, moving to my neck, and then he dipped his head lower and kissed my neck.
I threw my head back with a moan. “Dimitri…”
God, it felt so good to be touched again. To be touched by him.
He continued to kiss my neck, moving lower, down to my cleavage.
And with one hand, he slipped the strap of my nightdress from my shoulder, exposing my bare breast. The cool night air from the veranda hit me, hardening my already peaked nipples, and Dimitri wasted no time latching onto them, covering the peaks with his hot mouth.
It was at that moment that he abandoned slow. Things became rough.
He slipped the strap off my second shoulder and my nightdress dropped to my waist. Then he gripped my waist, pulling me against the railing of the veranda while he sucked—no, devoured—my nipples with his mouth.
My moans were fast turning into cries. Wanton cries of pleasure.
“You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted you, Isabella,” he murmured against my breasts, his mouth still on them. “No idea.”
Dimitri lifted my leg, hooking it around his waist as he yanked my nightdress up. I was almost naked, standing on the highest floor of the penthouse with the city below us.
And then when his hands gripped my thighs, slowly moving between my legs, I—
My intercom buzzed.
I blinked rapidly into reality, realization hitting me that I’d been fantasizing, yet again, about Dimitri—a married man, my supposed stepbrother.
And the father of my daughter. It had been constant ever since that night on my veranda.
I’d replayed talking to him in my mind at least ten times now.
But in this version, his phone didn’t ring.
When he closed the distance between us, he kissed me.
He ravished me. And we…had sex right there. On the veranda.
I shook my head vehemently, only now realizing that my hands were on my breasts and I was biting my lip like a horny teenager. My reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window, which I’d been staring at, was abysmal. And let’s not even talk about the sensation I was feeling between my legs.
Fuck, what the hell was wrong with me?
This was all Dimitri’s fault. Why wouldn’t he just stay the hell away from me?
My intercom buzzed again, and I tried to collect my thoughts, going back to my desk to push down on the button.
“Yes, Penelope?” Penelope was my assistant.
Her chipper voice sounded through the receiver. “You have a delivery from…”
I didn’t need her to complete it. I knew exactly who it was from. Dimitri Ravencrest.
Sighing, I fell into my seat. “Send it up.” And ended the call.
Since Dimitri found out about Adele—which was barely forty-eight hours ago—he’d been sending gifts. Toys, books, stuffed animals. A few came with a note. Others just came with a tag from him.
I’d ignored his calls since then. Not just because I didn’t want Adele getting dragged into the complications of our life and his pack, but also because I’d been having wet dreams about the man since he nearly attempted to kiss me. And I’d nearly wanted to give in to the kiss, too.
Thank God for that call. Otherwise, we would have crossed a line I wasn’t ready to.
The door to my office opened, and in walked Penelope, carrying a box of chocolates and a plush dragon the size of a toddler, emerald green with golden eyes and tiny embroidered wings.
“The investors just rescheduled the meeting for tomorrow, so you have the rest of the afternoon off, Estelle.”
That should have been good news. But given the circumstances—my wet daydreams—I wanted to keep busy.
“Thank you, Penelope,” I said.
After she exited the office, I opened the box of chocolates. It was a variety—dairy milk, Snickers, Toblerone. A smile formed on my lips. I could already picture Adele grinning from ear to ear when I give her the chocolate.
I usually gave her the gifts he sent and made sure to tell her they were from him. I didn’t know why, but it just felt like the right thing to do.
My intercom buzzed again.
“Estelle, you have a delivery—”
“No, that’s it.” I snapped. “That’s enough deliveries in one day. Send him back and tell him to make sure to tell Mr. Ravencrest that I do not want any more gifts for me or for my daughter!”
“But these aren’t from Mr. Ravencrest…” There was something in her voice. Panic. Fear. Both.
“It’s from an unknown sender.”
My brows drew together. “Send it in.”
A few seconds later, Penelope burst into my office, her hands visibly shaking, her eyes filled with horror.
“What?” I shot up. “What is it?”
She dropped the box on my desk, thrusting the opened envelope toward me. All the color drained from my face when I saw what it was—a picture of Adele and me smeared with a message written in what I suspected to be blood.
Blood never lies. A homewrecker begets another. A bastard child is always the result.
I dropped the note like it burned. The horror on my face mirrored that of my assistant.
“What’s in the box?”
“I-I don’t know. I couldn’t check.”
I opened the box, fully expecting the worst, but when I saw what was inside, I stumbled back in utter shock.
It was a heart. A real animal heart covered in blood. Penelope retched, clutching her stomach.
“Have security track down the delivery man right now!” I said, and she scurried out of my office. “And have them come take away this nonsense!” I called after her.
I closed the lid of the box, pushing it away from me.
I wasn’t dumb. This was a clear threat. A warning. For not just me, but for Adele as well. Apparently, whoever sent this message knew about me and Adele. Only forty-eight hours since Dimitri found out about Adele, and I was already getting death threats.
White-hot fury slammed into me as I searched for my phone on my desk. Anyone could threaten me, call me names, whatever the fuck they wanted. But no one dared to threaten my daughter.
I dialed Sarah and she answered on the first ring. “Hello?”
“Where’s Adele?” My voice came out more frantic than I intended, sharp with urgency.
“Um, she’s here watching Finding Nemo.” I could hear the confusion in her voice, probably wondering why I sounded like I was about to have a heart attack. “We’re about halfway through—”
“Good.” I cut her off, relief flooding through me so intensely my eyes actually burned.
At least Adele was safe. At least she was home, away from whoever had sent that sick message.
“Make sure all the doors are locked and don’t open them for anyone until I return.
No one. I don’t care who they say they are. ”
“Ms. Crawford, is everything okay?” Now she sounded worried.
“Yes, Sarah. Just do as I say. Please.”
I hung up immediately, searched for Dimitri’s number, and dialed it. Straight to voicemail.
Shit.
I didn’t know why, but I felt this strong conviction that I knew exactly who this message was from.
It couldn’t be from Dimitri. He would never threaten my daughter, much less in this theatrical way.
But I highly suspected it had something to do with his fucking wife, and someone needed to remind him to keep his wife in line because if she dared to come after Adele, she’d incur my wrath.
I’d barely dropped my phone when a message popped up. I saw the ID and froze. Edmund.
Edmund: Urgent. Need you at Ravencrest Global immediately. Lawyers are here. Important matters regarding Adele. Please come.
My heart stopped, then started racing so fast I felt dizzy.
Lawyers?
Forty-eight hours after Dimitri found out about Adele’s parentage, and he was talking to lawyers?
The fury that had been simmering within me exploded into white-hot rage. My vision actually blurred at the edges.
Was he seriously trying to take my daughter from me? After everything—after abandoning me, rejecting me, letting his pack tear me apart—he thought he could just waltz back into my life and take the one thing that mattered most to me?
My hands were shaking again, but this time it wasn’t from fear. It was from pure, unfiltered rage.
I yanked open my desk drawer and grabbed my car keys with such force that several papers flew off my desk. I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything except getting to Ravencrest Global and putting an end to this.
I’d been too passive in the last two days, letting Dimitri and Selene think they could come at me without expecting a fight. I’d even let myself be lulled into a false sense of security, thinking maybe—just maybe—we could find a way to co-parent without it turning into a war.
But I should have known better.
They were about to see just how much I’d changed and how far I was willing to go to protect my child.
I grabbed my purse and stormed out of my office, barely registering Penelope’s still-horrified look.
“Estelle, are you—”
“I’m leaving for the day,” I said without stopping. “Cancel everything. And I want a full security review of this building by tomorrow morning. Find out how someone got past our reception with that—” I couldn’t even finish the sentence. “Just do it.”
The drive to Ravencrest Global was a blur. I barely registered the traffic lights, the other cars, the pedestrians. All I could see was that photograph of Adele, defaced with those hateful words. All I could think about was someone watching my daughter, stalking us, planning God knows what.
And Dimitri. Dimitri with his lawyers, probably sitting in some conference room right now, surrounded by his pack and his Beta, discussing how to take my daughter from me.
The parking garage at Ravencrest Global was familiar in the worst way. I parked haphazardly, not caring that I was taking up two spots, and practically ran to the elevator, not bothering with the receptionists who called after me.
Some of the employees at Ravencrest stared at me in shock, recognition registering in their eyes. But I didn’t have time, nor did I care about any of that. When the elevator doors opened, I made my way to the conference room, familiar with the ins and outs of the building.
The conference room doors were closed, but I could hear voices inside. Multiple voices. Dimitri’s deep timbre stood out above the rest.
I didn’t knock. I shoved the doors open with enough force that they slammed against the walls, and every head in the room turned to stare at me.
The conference room was full. At least ten people sat around the massive table—executives in expensive suits, several people I recognized as Ravencrest’s board members, and three other men I couldn’t recognize who had to be the lawyers Edmund had mentioned.
Edmund sat to Dimitri’s right, his weathered face registering surprise at my dramatic entrance. And Dimitri—Dimitri sat at the head of the table. His eyes widened when he saw me, his expression shifting from surprise to something that might have been concern.
“Isabella?”
“What the hell is this?” I snapped.
He stood. “It’s good that you’re here. I was just about to make the announcement.”
His gaze shifted from me to the board members, commanding the room’s attention.
“Four years ago, I became a father. I didn’t know it at the time—a failure I regret more than I can express.
But recently, I discovered I have a daughter.
” His voice softened when he said the word “daughter”, filled with such genuine warmth that my anger faltered.
“Her name is Adele. She’s four years old, and she is brilliant, beautiful, and everything I never knew I was missing. ”
My heart was still hammering in my chest. What was he doing?
“As a Ravencrest, Adele is entitled to her inheritance,” Dimitri continued. “Which is why I’ve called you all here today. The lawyers have prepared the necessary documentation to transfer fifteen percent of my personal shares in Ravencrest Global to Adele.”
Fifteen percent?
My mind reeled. Ravencrest Global was worth billions. Fifteen percent would make Adele one of the largest shareholders. Would give her—would give me, as her guardian—a voice on the board. That was power. Power I was sure that even Maia Ravencrest didn’t have.
“However,” Dimitri went on, “Adele is only four years old. She can’t exactly attend board meetings or make decisions about corporate strategy.” A few nervous laughs rippled through the room. “So, her shares will be held in trust and voted by proxy until she comes of age.”
He paused, his eyes finding mine across the room.
“To that end, Isabella Garrett, as her mother, will act as Adele’s representative on this board.
She will have full voting rights for Adele’s shares and will be granted a seat at this table as a member of the Ravencrest Global Board of Directors.
” And then he smiled at me. “Welcome to Ravencrest Global, Isabella. “