Revealed

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Ashton Rose

I fucking despise loose ends. It’s the reason I never neglect punishing those who have failed me.

Knowing there are individuals walking this Earth believing they’ve escaped my wrath fuels my desire for murder.

It’s the cornerstone of the distinct reputation I’m cultivating for my reign as head of the Rose empire and my wife, Francesca, has officially tested that repute.

To make matters worse, the whore still breathes.

It was easy to convince people in my world that she was killed in retaliation for the hell I’ve caused my enemies.

The church was full of such believers today.

So many, eager to pay their respects to the traitorous bitch.

She didn’t deserve the funeral I gave her, but I’m playing the long game.

Planning to make her pay. Kennedy needs to feel the hurt of losing her mother.

She needs to feel that pain so that I can help her twist it into something of use.

Revenge. She can have hers, and I can have mine.

Practicing restraint isn’t my strong suit, but I’ve become intrigued with the idea of psychological warfare.

It’s why I’m waiting for the perfect moment to kill my father.

His insistence that I produce an heir, even before the responsibilities of the empire were mine, was the reason I was forced to take a wife.

It just so happened that George Eden, Francesca’s father, controlled a territory which could expand the Rose empire’s reach.

A union was made. Of course, when he ignored my urging him to install video surveillance equipment, he not only legally bound me to that problem of a wife, he also took away my ability to control her.

Seated in my study, I massage my jaw, attempting to relieve the pressure that’s been building all day from cataloging the amount of work left.

It would be best to keep this pain from turning into a full-blown migraine–I need to be able to concentrate.

The funeral services took time that I didn’t have room to give.

A knock sounds on my office door, and my eyes narrow at the entrance as a heavy sigh expels from me.

“Come in,” I command.

My house manager, Kathy, answers in a voice thick with melancholy. “I’ve got your coffee, sir.”

She steps over the threshold with tearstains on her rosy cheeks.

I can no longer fight the sneer that forms on my face when I notice those mourning Francesca.

I study the devastation in her features and wonder if she knew anything about the betrayal.

Her shaky hands place a cup of coffee on my desk.

She’s still wearing the simple black dress from the funeral.

Her light brown skin is devoid of makeup and the area under her eyes is swollen.

I was aware of the friendship between Kathy and Francesca but didn’t realize the bond had become so airtight.

Right now, everyone on the property is under scrutiny, but it doesn’t feel right to question the loyalty of Kathy.

“Tomorrow the surveillance company will be here. The cleaning and kitchen staff need to be off the property all morning. Security will tell you when it’s clear for them to come back.”

I sip my coffee, gauging her reaction to the news of heightened security measures.

“I’ll alert the staff tonight,” she says, pulling a small notebook from her pocket and updating her to-do list.

“Where’s Kennedy?” I ask, choosing to ignore the knot of distrust forming in my belly.

“I believe she’s in her room. Would you like me to retrieve her?” she asks through her sniffles.

“No. I will go to her. You’re dismissed.”

She nods before quickly exiting the room.

My hands tighten around the coffee mug, wishing it was someone’s neck.

The deeper I think about the betrayal the more I wish I would’ve actually killed her.

This lingering fury could’ve been expelled if I had taken Francesca to the torture warehouse and made her suffer.

When the treachery was fresh, my need to cause a different sort of pain had doused the flames of my bloodlust. Now, my mind clings to the idea of retribution as I leave my office to visit the key in making my plan work.

The door to Kennedy’s room is open, giving me a direct view of her back as she stands near the window, taking in the scenery.

I quietly move through the space, observing how long it takes her to notice that she’s not alone.

Eventually she turns and startles at my presence.

Her hands quickly wipe away the tears on her cheeks as she pulls herself together.

My teeth clench at yet another person in mourning.

All these tears for that fucking bitch and no one cares how any of this affects me.

The muscles in my right eye twitch as I take in Kennedy’s face that’s so much like Francesca’s.

She just turned eight years old, but she was always going to end up here, having this conversation, no matter the situation. That was the deal.

“Is everything okay, Daddy?” Her stuffy voice is full of concern.

I take a seat in the chair across from her bed. Her eyebrows scrunch together as she also sits.

“We received intel on your mother’s murder.

It was an inside job. She cleared the security checkpoint with Michael that night.

He delivered her to an opposing crime family to prove his loyalty is no longer with the Rose empire.

” I soften my tone, appealing to the weakness her mother fostered within her.

Her gasp lets me know that Michael was the last person she suspected to be involved with Francesca’s death.

“We know who did it. We can tell the police!” she exclaims innocently.

I want to growl at the ridiculous notion.

This is what happens when you allow the mother to control the upbringing of children.

Kennedy should’ve started her training by now, but I foolishly acquiesced to Francesca begging to put it off.

If it were up to me, she would already understand that the only justice you get in this world is the vengeance you snatch yourself.

“No. Kennedy, your mother has coddled you, but that ends today. That pain that you’re feeling, I’m going to show you how to use it,” I snap.

“What do you mean?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.

“The police won’t make your mother’s case a priority.

It could take years for justice, if justice comes at all.

It’s time you became acquainted with your birthright and what the Rose empire can do for you.

” Her tears stop falling and she watches me with a hesitant interest. Always curious.

“I want to teach you how to take control of your feelings and use them to make the people who took your mom from us pay.”

I can practically see the wheels turning behind her deep, hazel eyes.

That piece of humanity Francesca nurtured within my heir.

I’m going to manipulate it, turning Kennedy into who I want her to be.

Francesca will see her precious daughter turned into the cold-blooded leader I envisioned as a successor.

“They shouldn’t get away with what they did.” Her voice strengthens.

“Today we become a team, working together to avenge your mother and the life that was stolen from us. My men are already finding as much information as they can to make sure we're prepared.”

“Will they come back for me?” Her eyes dart to the window and then the door looking for threats that aren’t there.

“Possibly. But I can train you to be ready if they do. Your purpose is greater than just becoming a victim, Kennedy. All that I own will be yours and I’m going to prepare you for what that entails.” I stand, planning to leave now that the seeds of revenge have been planted.

“I don’t want to be a victim,” she says with soft bravery.

“You won’t. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be training with Nathan in the mornings,” I say with finality, ending our little talk.

My scheme sliding into place eases some of the tension I was feeling earlier.

Satisfied, I return to my office to get started on my work for the day.

I need to confirm that Kennedy’s tutors and instructors are set to begin teaching this week.

The first step of this plan is isolating her from any influences that oppose or distract from my goals for her future.

I’m barely five minutes into my work before someone else is knocking on my office door.

“Come in,” I growl through clenched teeth. It’s the head of my security team, looking as though he would rather be anywhere else. “What?”

“All our leads on the targets are dead ends,” he stoically relays.

My finger twitches with the need to empty the magazine of my gun into his head. If he’d been doing his job, we wouldn’t be in this place to begin with.

“What did you find?”

“All the men assigned to Michael’s team are gone. Not a single one showed up for their shift. This was thoroughly planned. The car used that night was found abandoned in a hotel lot.” His jaw flexes with words he’s left unspoken.

“Any more news you need to share?” I feel my temperature rising. The need to cause harm is overwhelming me.

He winces but continues. “Maria Eden is missing. Never returned from her vacation. Francesca’s dad mentioned it after the services today but didn’t appear upset that she was gone.”

That explains why she wasn’t present for the funeral.

My switchblade clicks open as I move around my desk, standing in front of the man who has served as my head of security for the past six years.

I hold the knife under his chin. Victor, my former second in command, would've never let something like this transpire. “Give me a reason not to slit your throat, because I pay you a lot of money to make sure shit like this doesn’t happen.”

“Sir, Michael’s team was fully vetted. According to his paperwork, there were no issues before Mrs. Rose arrived.” He swallows deeply and I watch as my knife bobs with the motion.

There’s no thought as the knife slices through the skin of his neck.

Warmth spurts across my face as I watch his eyes widen.

I take a step back, maintaining eye contact, as he clutches his throat and drops to his knees.

I want to see his light flicker out. When his body falls forward, and the twitching of his final moments ceases, I return to my desk.

I don’t bother changing my clothes. Instead, I allow the blood that covers me to be a reminder that failure will cost you everything.