33. Phoenix
Phoenix
U nless we’re away on holidays, Dad, Slate, Wilder, Roman, and I kick off the week with a seven a.m. ‘Konig’ two-hour meeting––no VPs, directors, or executive assistants––either in person or via a video call.
We hold a ten o’clock meeting with the board members afterwards, so this is our time to discuss openly behind closed doors.
Since Dad had a doctor’s appointment, it’s just the three of us.
I may be the interim CEO, but my father has been at the helm of this company for a long time.
He’s given me the reins, but now that he’s back on his feet, he likes to be kept abreast of everything that happens.
“Good call on requesting an audit on the budget for the two Spain renovations,” Slate says, wrapping up the meeting. He’s careful not to meet my gaze.
Since last night’s call, things are icy and tension is more real than it was between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
I’m in no mood to justify my relationship with my wife to my own brother.
He may not have much faith I can pull this off, but I know I can do it with Michaela by my side.
“I agree,” Wilder says.
“If the renovations in three locations in Italy can come within the allotted budget, why shouldn’t it happen for Pompadour, Barcelona and Pompadour, Madrid?” I say.
Granted, during the conference call in Paris my wife’s sexy, naked body straddling mine was distracting, I still made a mental note to circle back with the VP of our Spanish locations at her request for more money.
“On a different note,” Slate says, “did Bryce get back to you?”
“His team is still busy following the breadcrumbs,” I say. “He tends to hold back information until he has the full picture. However, he promised a call at six p.m. today with an update.”
“Should we sit in on the call?”
“That’s a good idea,” Wilder says.
“I agree. This impacts all of us. We’ll patch Dad on the call as well.”
As a board member, Potter doesn’t work for us. So, tapping into his work computer or his company phone was off the table. In order to find out what the weasel has up his sleeve, Bryce’s team had to go at it the old-fashioned way––surveillance.
“I can’t wait to find out what kind of dirt he was able to find on Potter,” Wilder says.
“I hope it’s enough to kick his ass to the curb,” Slate says.
“From your lips to God’s ears.”
My phone rings.
My eyes drop to the screen.
I snatch my iPhone off the conference room table and accept the call. “Good morning, Niels.”
“Good afternoon from New York City,” he says. “Am I catching you at a bad time?”
“I’m finishing up a meeting with Wilder and Slate,” I say. “How can I help you?”
“Are they still with you?”
“Yes, they are. We’re sitting in one of the conference rooms.”
“Can you talk or would you prefer I call at a later time?”
“No, now is fine.”
I swing an apologetic gaze towards my brothers.
They nod their understanding.
Wilder points to the door.
I shake my head and gesture for him to wait.
“I just hung up with the lead investigator you so generously hired to help figure out who was behind the fire that incinerated my house to rubble,” Niels says.
This should be good. “Niels, is it okay if I put you on speaker phone? I want my brothers to listen in on the conversation. Dad isn’t here, but I can fill him in later.”
“Works for me.”
I place my phone on the conference table and tap the icon on the screen.
“You’re on,” I say.
“Can you hear me okay?” Niels’s voice booms through the speakers.
“Loud and clear,” I say.
After a round of greetings, I cut to the chase. “So, what’s the verdict?”
“There’s no arguing. The fire was a crime. The insurance will kick in and I’ll will get the money.”
“Good news.”
“You can say that again.” Niels lets out a long breath. “It was Thana. She was charged this morning. The lead investigator confirmed it.”
She’s been sitting in jail since the fire because she didn’t have money to post bail.
All signs pointed to her, but this is America. You’re innocent until proven guilty. Now, we get to nail the bitch for shattering my wife and her father’s life.
“She was so infuriated at me and so gung ho on revenge, she did a piss-poor job of covering her tracks,” Niels says.
“She knew I had canceled the home monitoring security service because I couldn’t afford it anymore.
Here’s the kicker. I never bothered telling her the company granted me an extra month as a courtesy for being a long-time customer.
There’s irrefutable video proof placing her outside and inside the house. There’s also…” His voice trails.
“Also, what?”
“In some of the footage, the callous bitch was laughing her head off while pouring gasoline all over my house.”
“Jesus,” Slate says.
“She’s a nut case,” Wilder says.
“The woman is psychotic.”
“She’s deranged, for sure,” Niels says. “She didn’t even bother renting a car. She parked her Toyota Camry right in front of the house, so there’s video footage of her license plate. Thana made it easy for the police. Stupid bitch.”
“Thank God you were still at the hotel,” Wilder says.
“I doubt she would’ve cared.” The harshness in Niels’s voice doesn’t go unnoticed. Not that I can blame the guy.
“We can nail her ass for arson?”
“Yes,” Niels says. “The neighbors that flank our house will also press charges since Thana caused them to lose everything.”
“Added to the other charges against her, she’ll be in jail for a long time,” I say. I have a dream team of lawyers working with Niels on making sure that happens.
“There will be even more charges,” Niels says.
“What else did the investigators find?”
Slate is as eager as I am.
“She set my house on fire because that morning, I told her I was onto her, which is why I had served her with divorce papers. Soon after she came barging into my office that morning, things escalated. She was livid. Freaked out, my executive assistant called 911. Thana was removed from the premises. You, Phoenix, came into action and hired a team of bodyguards. The hotel was secured, so she couldn’t come back unnoticed.
Ian urged me to stash her desktop and laptop computers––which were company property––at his place. I’m glad I listened to his advice.”
That woman is certifiable. “Were the investigators able to find more incriminating information to further your other cases against her?”
“You’re not going to believe what they found,” Niels says. “I was dumbfounded.”
My brothers and I exchange a look.
“Try me,” I say.
“It’s no wonder Potter knew so much private information that was never divulged. He had insider intel?—”
“Thana and Potter know each other?”
“Yes, Wilder, they know each other well ,” Niels says.
His words send chills down my back. “Motherfucker.”
“Thana had a series of meetings with Potter,” Niels says. “My financial debacle was pillow talk.”
“What are you talking about, Niels?” What he’s implying doesn’t even make sense.
“I’m well past being embarrassed by my soon-to-be ex-wife’s indiscretions, but for all intents and purposes, Thana was sleeping with Potter.”
The news has the same impact as a bomb detonating. “Are you serious?”
“I couldn’t believe it myself, but some of those emails are pretty explicit and leave nothing to the imagination,” Niels says. “It was there in black-and-white.”
“What about her lover?”
“Yeah, what about him?” I piggyback on Slate’s question.
“Thana was sleeping with multiple men at the same time, Phoenix.”
My eyebrows shoot to my forehead, my eyes widening in shock.
“I should say she was prostituting herself,” Niels says.
I frown. “You’re going to have to translate that.”
“These key men needed favors or information. Thana had a price. According to numerous exchanges—I would prefer to still be oblivious to—the financial kickbacks were a given. The sex was to seal the deal and because… I wasn’t adventurous enough in bed.
” He lets out a sarcastic laugh. “The things she let those men do to her… disgusting. Adventurous, my ass. Thana is into twisted kinks I wanted no part of.”
Good God. “Un-fucking-believable.”
“Oh, but there’s more,” Niels says, bitterness lacing his words.
“What more?”
“She was sleeping with a third man.”
I flinch. “Three men?”
“Probably four,” he says. “She was courting this vendor for God knows what reason.”
I’m incredulous. “What the fuck?”
“From the emails I read, it seems she tried to lure Brock, but he reminded her numerous times he was married. And faithful.”
“How honorable?” I sneer. “The backstabber decided not to cheat on his cheater wife.”
“Among the men, Thana was sleeping with––”
A knock at the door interrupts Niels in midsentence.
Dammit.
“Give me a sec, Niels,” I say.
“No problem.”
I swing my gaze to the door. “Come in.”
Lydia pokes her face through the door. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”
“How can I help you?”
“Bryce Van Der Linden is calling on the landline. He’s been trying to reach you, but it goes straight to voicemail. It’s urgent.”