Chapter 5 - Dominic
The phone rang twice before the private investigator answered.
“Mr. Quantum,” he greeted. “I’ve got your update on Ms. Montgomery.”
I leaned back in my chair, drumming my fingers on the desk. “And? What’s she been up to?”
Craig Ramsey wasn’t just any private investigator, he was a shadow in the city’s underbelly, with over twenty years of digging into secrets that people would kill to keep buried. I’d been using his services for nearly a decade. His job? To dig deeper than anyone dared into the lives of Emily, Victor, and Amber, nothing was off-limits. I wanted it all. Every detail, every weakness. I needed to know exactly how to destroy them, and he was the man who would get me the tools to do it.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” he replied. “Work, home, work again. That’s her routine.”
I frowned. That wasn’t surprising, but still, I wasn’t sure if I believed it. “And no... visitors? Male visitors?”
“No, sir. No one stops by her place. And no signs of her going on any dates either. She’s as predictable as they come.”
But I couldn’t shake the thought: a young, gorgeous girl like Emily could be out at exclusive clubs every weekend, laughing with friends, catching every man’s eye without even trying. She could have had the world at her feet if she wanted. So why didn’t she?
I felt an unfamiliar stir at the back of my mind, a flicker of something. I pushed it away. “Good,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “Keep watching. Let me know if anything changes.”
With each update about Emily, something about her began to linger in my mind. It was subtle at first, a fleeting thought, a passing curiosity. But the more I learned, the deeper the obsession sank. I couldn’t shake the need to know everything about her, every detail, every secret. It wasn’t just business anymore. I didn’t like the way it made me feel. But there it was, a growing need I couldn’t ignore.
Before Craig could reply, a soft knock at the door interrupted us.
“I’ve got to go,” I told him, already moving to end the call. “Keep me updated.”
“Will do,” Craig said before the line went dead.
I set my phone down and straightened in my chair. “Come in,” I called out, my tone firm yet inviting.
The door opened, and there she was, Emily, standing in the doorway, her tablet in hand. She looked effortlessly beautiful. Her brunette hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, the subtle makeup highlighted her blue eyes yet gave her a natural glow.
My breath hitched. Damn it. I felt the tightness in my groin before I could even stop myself. This was not the reaction I should be having. She was a tool, a pawn, nothing more.
“Good morning, Mr. Quantum.”
I forced myself to stay composed, but the ache in my pants wasn’t going to be ignored.
“Good morning, Ms. Montgomery.”
I leaned back in my chair, my eyes lingering on her as she closed the door behind her. The sway of her hips as she walked toward my desk was... mesmerizing. I had to force my gaze to stay focused.
She stopped a few inches in front of my desk, prepared with the day’s list of tasks in hand. I gave a slight nod, and she began rattling off the checklist of today’s tasks.
Despite my attempts to keep my mind on business, I found myself noticing how her voice seemed to command the room, how the subtle scent of her perfume lingered in the air.
When she finished, I forced myself to shift my focus back to the task at hand. “Have you returned Mr. Findler’s call to let him know his contracts are ready to be signed?”
“Yes, sir. And I’ve already contacted Mrs. Lopez and Mr. Harrison. I’ve informed them that their contracts would expire in two weeks and advised them to book an appointment for renewal. Also,” she added, glancing down at her tablet, “after reviewing the contracts, I’d like to suggest a few tweaks to ensure the security of those projects before passing them along to the company lawyer, if that’s alright, sir.”
I raised a brow, surprised at her assertiveness and somewhat impressed, but I kept my tone sharp. “And are you sure those tweaks are even necessary? Or are you just overreaching your role here?”
Emily met my gaze without hesitation, her voice steady and confident. “I believe they’re necessary, sir.”
I watched her, noting how she stood her ground without a flicker of doubt. She had been killing herself to succeed in every task I’d given her, and damn it if she wasn’t the best PA I’d ever had. She’d even adapted to my sudden mood swings with ease, something that no one had managed to do before, not even my brothers. Something that made the hair on the back of my neck prickle.
The problem was, giving her control, letting her push back like this, wasn’t something I was willing to entertain. Not if I intended to keep her under my thumb, holding the advantage over her.
I leaned forward, my voice lowering with authority, “Let’s make one thing clear, Ms. Montgomery,” I said, my gaze narrowing. “I’ve been in this business long before you even graduated elementary school. Your job as my assistant is to follow orders, not to question or alter documents you don’t understand.”
I watched her stiffen, just the slightest twitch of her posture, but it was enough. My smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.
Just then, my office door burst open, and Axel strode in, his usually laid-back demeanor replaced by a rare intensity. His jaw was set, and his gaze burned with urgency.
“Dom, we have a problem,” Axel said, bypassing formalities as he dropped into the chair across from my desk, completely ignoring Emily.
I glanced at Emily. “Ms. Montgomery, can you give us a few minutes? I need a word with my brother.”
“No problem, sir. I’ll be at my desk if you need anything.”
I waited until the door clicked shut behind her, the quiet amplifying the weight of Axel’s uncharacteristic tension, before turning my full attention to him.
“Axel,” I started, my voice sharp, “you know better than to barge into my office like that. I expect some damn courtesy.”
Axel winced but didn’t argue. “Sorry, Dom. It’s urgent. I just got a call from one of my best clients, Vaughn Prescott.”
“The guy we’re building the smart offices for?”
Axel nodded tightly. His company specializes in smart buildings—top-of-the-line automation and energy efficiency. Impressive work, and a big reason he partners with Quantum Tech to source the best tech solutions, ensuring both our companies thrive.
“Yes,” Axel continued, his voice taut, “and guess who just walked out of his office? Victor.”
My brow furrowed. “Victor? As in Victor Victor ?”
“Yeah,” Axel replied, his frustration bubbling over. “He was there, spreading rumors about Quantum Tech, telling Vaughn our security systems are unreliable and that he’s the better option. Vaughn is asking if we’re in trouble and if he should be worried.”
My jaw tightened as a sharp, bitter anger flared inside me. Victor. The man was like a leech. First, he’d stabbed me in the back with the Kingsley contract I’d spent years securing, shutting me out without so much as a second thought. And now? Now, he was circling my clients, spewing lies, trying to dismantle everything I’d built.
“The only person who’ll be in trouble is Victor,” I said, my voice low but loaded with venom.
Axel exhaled sharply. “It’s not just Vaughn, Dom. If Victor’s already approached him, God knows how many others he’s been to. This could spiral fast.”
I didn’t waste any time. Grabbing my phone, I scrolled to Leo’s contact and hit call. He picked up on the second ring.
“Dom? What’s up?”
“We’ve got a problem,” I said, my tone clipped. “Victor’s spreading lies about Quantum Tech and he’s poaching clients. Vaughn Prescott called Axel this morning, Victor has already been in his ear and now Vaughn’s questioning whether choosing us was a mistake. God knows how many others Victor’s spoken to.”
The thought clawed at me. Quantum Tech wasn’t just my legacy, it was the backbone of everything my family had built, integrated into every company my brothers owned in one way or the other. If Victor succeeded in planting doubts about our reliability, it wouldn’t just be my company bleeding clients, it could ripple through everything.
I couldn’t afford that. None of us could.
“Damn it. We knew he’d try something, but this?”
“I need everyone at my house tomorrow night, 6 p.m. sharp,” I continued. “Make it happen, Leo. We’re handling this as a unit.”
“You got it,” Leo said without hesitation. “I’ll take care of it. Anything else?”
“That’s it. See you then.”
“Alright, bro.”
I ended the call, dropping the phone back onto the desk. Victor had made his move. Now, it was time for us to strike.
Just then, a soft knock cut through the tension. Axel and I looked towards the door as it opened, and Emily stepped in. The confident air she’d carried over the past few weeks had vanished, leaving her looking like the same nervous PA I’d hired on her first day. Her eyes were wide, betraying an anxious look that immediately caught my attention.
One look and I knew something was wrong.
Great, just what I needed. After Victor’s mess, now Emily walks in with more problems. What’s next?
“How can I help you, Ms. Montgomery? Is there a problem?”
I braced myself for whatever was coming.
She paused before speaking, her cheeks flushed as she struggled to find the right words. Finally, she looked up, her eyes meeting mine with a hint of desperation.
“Mr. Quantum,” she started, her voice wavering, “I... I made a mistake. A big one.”
I leaned back in my chair, letting her squirm under the weight of my gaze. She faltered, her voice barely a whisper, and I didn’t rush her. I wanted her to feel every moment of discomfort, to experience the full magnitude of her error. It was satisfying to watch her fidget, her nervous energy filling the room. I didn’t particularly care about the mistake itself, it was trivial, whatever it was, it was nothing I couldn’t fix. But this was an opportunity to gain leverage. Emily was about to become indebted to me, and Victor was about to pay dearly for his betrayal.
Axel sat quietly, looking at Emily, his gaze shifting between us. I could sense his discomfort, but I kept my attention solely on Emily, enjoying her anxiety as she struggled to explain.
“I sent the wrong documents to the McGuire Corporation,” she stammered. “Instead of sending the vetted documents, I sent the incomplete drafts of the business proposal. They’re saying they’ll pull out of the deal… and we could lose fifty million dollars.”
I took a slow, deliberate breath, calculating my response. My face remained expressionless, but I could feel the impact of the number, a sizable mistake, indeed. I kept my voice steady, slicing through the air with a measured tone that made her flinch. “How did that even happen?” I asked, watching her squirm. Her face reddened, and she lowered her gaze, visibly shaken.
“I thought… I thought it was the final version,” she murmured.
“Did you even check?” I pressed; my words laced with disdain. The guilt in her eyes was undeniable. She opened her mouth to respond but found no words, only silence as she took in the full gravity of her mistake. I watched her unravel, her composure cracking with each passing second. It was almost exhilarating, the way she broke down right in front of me.
She began to apologize, her words tumbling over each other, each one more desperate than the last. She was practically begging for a way to fix it, and I knew she was at my mercy. “Please, there has to be something I can do. I’ll do anything to make this right.”
Anything. The word lingered in the air, and I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms as I studied her. I’d maneuvered her to this point, and now it was time to make my move. “You can pay me back the fifty million,” I said, my tone as calm as ever. “You have three days to get it to me. Or…”
I let the pause stretch, savoring her growing anxiety, watching her eyes widen as she tried to process what I’d just asked. She stammered, “You… you want me to pay you back fifty million dollars?”
I silenced her with a raised hand, standing abruptly from my desk. My chair scraped against the floor as Axel's gaze followed my every move, his expression unreadable. Ignoring him, I strode across the room with purpose, closing the distance between Emily and me.
Her wide eyes tracked me as I approached, but she held her ground, her chin lifting just slightly in defiance. Brave. Or foolish.
I stopped mere inches from her, towering over her smaller frame. The air between us was taut, charged with a tension so thick it felt like a live wire. Slowly, she lifted her head to meet my gaze. Her breathing hitched, but her gaze didn’t waver.
“Or,” I said, my voice dropping to a low, controlled growl, “you marry me.”
Her eyes widened further, and I could see the storm of emotions brewing in them: confusion, disbelief, and a spark of something she couldn’t quite mask. Axel shifted behind us, no doubt as stunned as she was, but I didn’t look away from her.
She looked as though the floor had just fallen away beneath her, and I allowed myself a moment of satisfaction as I took in her shock.
“You owe me, Emily,” I said, my voice unyielding. “And this marriage will settle your debt.” I could see the hesitation in her eyes, the sheer disbelief warring with the reality of her situation. She seemed to struggle for words, her lips parting but no sound escaping. Her innocence, her shock, it was almost endearing. But I pushed any sentiment aside; this was business, nothing more.
“This is the favor I’m offering you, an easy way out. Marrying me settles your debt, or in three days you pay me the money the company lost.”
Axel’s gaze lingered on us, his discomfort evident, but he didn’t dare say a word. He was nothing more than an observer, aware of the dynamics at play and wise enough to stay out of it.
The silence in the room grew thick, my ultimatum pressing down on her. She had nowhere left to turn. I had orchestrated this moment meticulously, and now I would see it through to the end. “The money or the marriage,” I said, each word deliberate, decisive. “Which will it be, Ms. Montgomery?”