Chapter 10.
Brian had woken up to a new day, his seventh morning as a billionaire.
He had enjoyed Constance under the water in the shower, her body a soft, willing presence against his, the steam still clinging to his skin like a lingering caress.
Holly had been gone when he woke; Constance had told him she was downstairs talking business with Gloria about something security-related.
He had accepted the explanation without question, his attention consumed by the pleasure of the moment.
Now, as he entered the dining room… a quiet, peaceful space filled with the soft morning light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows…
Dani stood by the door, a silent, formidable guardian.
Her posture was perfect, her storm-gray eyes already tracking every corner of the room before settling on him.
He looked up and smiled, a genuine, easy expression that seemed to warm the air around him. “Please join us, Dani,” he said, gesturing to the table. “There’s no need for you to be so vigilant here.”
Constance smiled and nodded, a silent encouragement.
Dani’s face, usually so composed, softened just a little.
She nodded and walked over to join them, her movements graceful and confident.
Knowing that the chair to his left was Holly’s, she took the second one further left and sat down, her presence a new, intriguing addition to their intimate morning ritual.
The maids entered and served breakfast, placing a tray of scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit in front of him. They quickly disappeared, returning with another tray just for Dani. The quiet was comfortable for a few moments… the soft clink of silverware, the distant hum of the city far below.
Then the door opened and Holly entered.
Her face was tight. The usual playful spark in her eyes had been replaced by a grim, serious expression that made Constance’s posture straighten immediately. Something was wrong.
“Holly?” Brian asked, his voice a low, gentle inquiry.
She sighed, a heavy, weary sound, and walked to the table without sitting. For a second she just stood there, as if the words themselves were heavier than she wanted to carry.
“One of our contractors for the north-side shelter is under pressure from a competitor,” she said, her voice low and raw. “His wife… Tina Unling… was taken three days ago. Gloria had her people out searching the entire time. They found her this morning.”
Holly’s throat worked. She forced the last word out.
“Dead.”
Brian’s fork clattered against the plate.
The sudden noise was a harsh punctuation in the quiet room.
A cold, hard knot formed in his stomach and spread outward.
The shelters had been his idea… his first real act as the new owner.
A second chance for people who had nothing.
The thought that someone had used that project as leverage to murder a woman made something dark and sharp settle behind his eyes.
“Three days,” he repeated, voice quiet. “They had her for three full days.”
Holly nodded once. “Gloria’s team was working every lead from the moment Niels Unling reported it. They moved fast. But according to the timeline Gloria pieced together… Tina was already dead before the first report even reached us. Nothing we said or did would have saved her.”
Brian’s hands curled into fists on the table. He forced them open again.
“What did they want?” he asked, the words low and dangerous.
“They wanted the contractors to use subpar materials,” Holly answered. “Thinner steel. Weaker concrete mix. Skipped seismic reinforcements. So the shelter would fail and collapse within a year. Preferably with people inside.”
Constance’s emerald eyes had gone cold. Dani sat completely still, but Brian could feel the shift in her… professional readiness layered over something personal and angry.
Brian frowned, thinking of the blueprints he had approved only days earlier. The careful planning. The hope built into every line. “And the one responsible?”
“The contractor believes it’s Apex,” Holly said. “Specifically the owner’s son… Vargas. Apex has been underbidding and cutting corners for years, trying to get Dranning contracts. This project would have put serious pressure on them. Vargas decided the easiest solution was to create leverage.”
Brian’s voice dropped even lower. “A woman is dead because some greedy bastard didn’t want to lose a few contracts.”
Holly met his eyes. “Yes.”
Silence stretched for a moment. The scrambled eggs on Brian’s plate had gone cold. He didn’t care.
“The contractor has pulled from the job,” Holly continued. “Niels Unling is… broken. He’s the one who received the video of his wife. Gloria has the file. It’s bad.”
Brian exhaled slowly through his nose. The fury was there…
cold, focused, and growing… but so was the part of him that still remembered what it felt like to have almost nothing.
Tina Unling had been someone’s wife. Someone’s everything.
And she had died because Brian Thomson had decided to build shelters for the homeless.
“Make sure we pay for the arrangements for his wife’s funeral,” he said, looking at Holly. “All of it. Make it honorable. Flowers, service, whatever the family needs. And make sure Niels knows the company stands behind him. He’s not alone in this.”
Holly nodded, the tightness in her face easing just a fraction. “I’ll handle it personally.”
Brian turned his gaze to Dani. The playful glint that usually lived in his eyes was gone, replaced by something colder and harder.
“Tell your sister I want the full truth of what happened,” he said, voice low and edged. “Every detail. Every name. And I want the responsible party taken care of. Properly.”
Dani’s storm-gray eyes met his without flinching. She was already reaching for her phone, thumbs moving with practiced speed.
“Understood, sir,” she said quietly. “Gloria will have everything on your desk within the hour.”
Brian sat back in his chair, staring at the untouched food. The morning light still poured through the windows, soft and peaceful, but the room no longer felt peaceful at all.
Three days. A woman dead. A project meant to give people hope already stained with blood.
He looked at the three women around the table… Constance, Holly, Dani… and the quiet determination in their faces told him the same thing he already knew.
This was no longer just business.
This was personal.
---
For the next two days, Brian was in no mood for sex or anything.
His mind was consumed by the family that had lost a mother, a daughter, a wife, all because of greed.
He sat at his desk, the same spot for forty-eight hours, the papers on his desk a blurred mess of meaningless figures.
Food was untouched on a silver tray. The bed in his master suite was un-slept in.
Dani, a constant presence by the door, was worried.
She had reached out to her father, and he had sent a team to investigate.
Brian read the news report on his tablet again.
The funeral had been beautiful, a quiet, somber affair.
He hadn't gone himself, but the news media had been there, reporting on the tragedy.
The circumstances of Tina Unling's death had been reported, and now the public wanted their piece of the cake.
He had been a billionaire for only nine days, and he had yet to see the world with his new eyes.
There was a knock on the door, a sharp, insistent sound. Brian didn't even look up. Dani opened the door, her face a picture of relief as she saw her sister and father. She smiled, her eyes lighting up. It was Hannah, in her Marine uniform, and John Kano, in his specially made security suit.
"Hannah… Dad…" she whispered, her voice a mix of awe and relief.
"Dani," John Kano said, his voice a low, gentle rumble as he hugged her. "Mr. Thomson," he said, his voice a respectful, professional tone.
Brian looked up. The exhaustion was etched on his face. He stood, a little unsecure on his feet, his body weary from lack of sleep and food. "Can I help you?" he asked, his voice a low, gravelly sound.
"I am John Kano, and this is my daughter, Hannah Kano.
We have some news, Mr. Thomson." John reached over and shook Brian's hand, his grip firm and reassuring.
Brian's eyes were mostly on the young woman beside him.
She was a fucking vision, a perfect blend of the feminine beauty of Dani and the muscular strength of Gloria.
She had a raw, powerful presence that was both intimidating and deeply arousing.
"My daughter, Hannah," John said, a note of pride in his voice.
Brian shook her hand. Her grip was firm yet soft and warm.
"It was actually Hannah and her group of Marines that found out the truth… the one responsible for the death of Tina Unling," John said.
Brian looked at him, ripping his eyes from the beautiful woman. "Who?" he growled, the word a low, guttural sound of pure, unadulterated fury.
"As you already suspected… Vargas from Apex. He's in hiding right now, but we have people searching for him," John said.
Brian sat down, a new, cold resolve settling in his heart. "Constance," he called out, his voice a low, firm command.
The door opened, and Constance walked in, a vision in her own right. "Call Apex. I wish to speak to the owner."
"Sir, I recommend you do not do that," John said, a note of professional caution in his voice.
Brian glared at him. "And why the fuck not?" he said, his voice a cold, hard murmur. "His fucking son had one of my contractors' wives kidnapped and killed."
Constance did not question Brian's request. She was already on the phone. "Brian Thomson for James Apex," she said, her voice a cool, professional sound. She handed the phone to Brian.
"Mr. Apex," Brian said, his voice a calm, menacing tone. "It would seem we have a problem here."
"Mr. Thomson, I have no reports of any problems," James Apex said back, his voice a low, placating sound.