19. A Naughty Game
nineteen
A Naughty Game
Nash
"Idon't want excuses. I want it done," he snarled over the line, not paying attention to the frail response, when the live transcript from Iris's phone lit up with dark red words on one of his computer screens. He sat in a space that could be mistaken for a command center for a super villain.
Dim lights and dozens of screens filling the wall in front of him.
He was deep underground, in a secret bunker that was known to very few.
Only the highest ranked member of the Umbra knew of its existence.
And even fewer knew its location. In the eyes of many, he was a super villain.
Most would condemn the power he held. But he didn't give a damn.
Someone was always going to hold a seat of power. Who better than him?
The screen closest to him on the left was dedicated to the camera feeds of the penthouse and the monitoring of his little flower's phone.
He had specially trained AI programs that were coded to alert him when certain situations arose.
Anything that was flagged as threatening would immediately alert him. And something just set it off.
His eyes traced the words as they appeared in front of him in real time.
A stain on the family's name. Such a vain, hateful child. You did this on purpose, trying to discredit us. Your own parents. You better fix this or I'll make your life miserable.
Without even reading the name, he knew who was speaking to her.
A rage fueled inferno whipped through him in a rampage.
Crashing against his self-control and blasting it to smithereens.
He ended the call without a second thought and scrolled to his top contact.
His eyes bounced between watching his mother-in-law's words appear in front of him and observing the image of his beautiful flower shrinking in on herself with ever snarled word.
He saw her eyes widen as his name appeared on the phone. There was a moment of hesitation, one that had his fist clenching in fury. If she ignored his call, there would be hell to pay. He was working himself like a dog to eliminate this threat against her. She didn't get to ignore his calls.
If I had known that you would pull something like this at such a critical time for us, I would have—
Lucky for Augusta, she never had a chance to finish those words. Iris finally swiped over, and then he heard her voice rising from the speaker on his phone.
"Hi," her voice was soft. Hesitant. Irritation climbed in the back of his throat, threatening to spew out. He closed his eyes, determined not to add to the stress her mother no doubt placed on her.
"Leave your mother to me," he growled over the line, his hand already moving to another screen to pull open the file he had compiled on the elder Blackworths.
He had copies on several hard drives. This was just one of many.
His eyes darted back to the surveillance cameras in the penthouse.
He saw as Iris's eyes widened. He had surprised her, obviously.
But then, he never told her he was watching her every move.
If he didn't think it would be a step too far that she could never live with, he would embed a tracking device under her skin.
Knowing she got away from him last time and he couldn't find her for years was a constant nail in his brain.
Hammering away at him day and night. He was sane enough to control that impulse.
Just barely.
"What?" Her one word spoke volumes. She was confused, her mind scrambling to make sense of what he was saying. Unable to stop it, he felt his lips turn up into a small smile.
"Your mother. Ignore her. And your father, too.
The article, the gossips, let them say whatever they want.
" His eyes moved once more to the docket he had on her parents, and he added a line to the long list of their offenses.
"It's not like it isn't true. They are terrible parents and I have every intention of ruining them socially.
Then financially and emotionally. They crossed a line. "
Bemused, he watched as Iris's mouth dropped open.
He enjoyed the show playing out in front of him.
It was like watching the power of evolution at work.
His innocent flower wasn't so innocent anymore.
No, life had taught her better than that now.
Better than the abuse her mother threw at her.
He saw the initial, instinctive anger rise and then quickly fade away.
Confusion, acceptance, and even a little anger all played out on her face.
He loved every minute of it. The second she stopped defending them was the second he ripped off the mask and showed them the monster they didn't know to fear.
But he'd teach them about what true power is.
And humility. It was a lesson that was long overdue.
If they thought all he could do was damage their reputation, they had another thing coming.
That's nothing but the first of many things he planned to do them.
"How did you know I was on the phone with my mother?" Was the only thing she asked him. No defense of her darling parents. His smile was a dark and sinister thing. Perhaps the time for his true revenge was even closer than he thought. "Are you watching me?"
Nash grunted, the smile that broke over his face was wide, not to mention rare. Happiness was an emotion he rarely felt in his life. Only with her. His flower. His Iris. He'd burn the world to the ground and rebuild it in her image.
Maybe he was a super-villain after all. He still didn't care, but he could admit his obsession with his wife was extreme.
"Ignore her," he barked out. "She's a bitter old hag who should have known better than to cross me. I told her what would happen if she continued pushing me. If she thought that the worst thing I could do to her was damage her social standing, she's even more idiotic than I thought."
"What are you going to do to her?" Her tone was mild, curious, but not angry or offended. Interesting. Very interesting. But not enough. She needed to be as hungry for their demise as he was.
"That doesn't concern you," he said harshly, angry at the thought that she might still be concerned about their well-being.
He watched like a man possessed as her body language stiffened.
With conscious effort, he softened his tone.
Pleased when he saw her body relax once more.
"Don't listen to a thing she said, ma fleur.
You are exquisite, and the fact that a shrew of a woman like her was able to create someone like you is one of life's great mysteries.
" The small, genuine smile that his words brought on burned into his brain.
"If your parents had cherished you as you deserved, I would reward them.
But after the way they continue to treat you, the way she speaks to you...
They'll be lucky if I leave them breathing.
"What I want you to do is hang up the phone when we disconnect, and then immediately block her. It was a mistake to allow her your number." His voice darkened once more. "An oversight I plan to correct. And soon."
As soon as that phone call was disconnected, the phone was ringing in his ear once more. He had business with a certain mother-in-law. The line picked up and he let the anger bleed into his words.
"Augusta," he growled darkly. He heard the sharp inhale of her breath. Good. She was afraid. She should be. "I warned you what would happen if you spoke to Iris that way again."
"I didn't speak to her in any way that wasn't true.
" Her shrill, lying voice grated in his ears.
"You shouldn't believe everything she says, son.
I know she has manipulated you into thinking she is an innocent little victim, but it simply isn't true.
" She let out a small pathetic sigh here.
"She's been a master at manipulation her whole life.
Really, I pity you that you have fallen for it so completely. "
Her words held the perfect balance of sadness and pain. As if she was a long time victim, rather than the perpetrator. Rage licked up his fingers, and he was desperate to feel his fingers closed around her lying throat.
But, he digressed. That was a matter for another day.
"Oh Augusta, you amuse me." He let out a dark chuckle. The breath over the line hitched, and he grinned.
"I don't know what she told you, but all I wanted to ask was for her to correct the assumption that the reporters made. I was polite, but begged her to spare us from her lies and—"
"It's hilarious that you think me so easily fooled," he cut in, the laughter leaking from his voice as if it was never there.
"That you believe so much in the ineptitude of those around you that you mistakenly take me for the same type of imbecile.
" He leaned forward and pressed send on a detailed account of everything that her parents did to Iris.
How they ran the company into the ground.
The unsafe work conditions in all their factories.
The attempted sale of her and refusals of the many suitable matches.
He left out certain details, like who the buyer was they planned to sell her too.
No need to have those bastards connected to his Iris.
He sent everything with very detailed instructions of what he wanted done.
Soon the mainstream media would be reporting on little else, but the financial ruin he saved them from as well as convinced them to spare Iris from a horrible fate.
The media would paint him the hero he really wasn't, and them the villains they truly were.