Chapter 134
NATHAN
The pillar had fallen at just the right time. Senior Graham’s death was the opportunity I needed–a chance to infiltrate the Grahams and dismantle them from within. Everything was falling into place.
So why did it feel like I was slipping?
Raina was avoiding me. I could feel it. She hadn’t returned my calls or texts. Was it just grief, or was there something more?
And Alex.
Why had she let him stay?
The thought burned in my chest. Were they getting back together?
The voices in my head wouldn’t stop, spiraling louder and louder until they drowned out every other thought.
“They’re pushing you out.”
“She’s slipping away.”
“You’re losing her.”
”
“SHUT UP!” I roared, slamming my fist onto the desk. The sound echoed through the room, and for a moment, there was silence.
But the questions lingered, their whispers like needles in my brain.
Was it him? Was Alex the reason Raina wouldn’t let me in? My fingers curled into fists, my nails digging into my palms as I stared at the wall. She had to see the truth–Alex was the enemy.
When the chaos in my head finally settled into an uneasy quiet, my phone buzzed on the desk, the shrill sound making my nerves jump. Of course, it had to be Adelaide.
I grabbed the phone, my grip tightening as her name flashed on the screen. “What now?” I barked, pressing the device to my ear.
Her voice came through, shaky and laced with panic. “Nathan, I think Alex suspects me.
I froze for a moment, my mind racing. “Why the hell would you think that?” I demanded.
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“It’s the way he looks at me,” she stammered, her tone bordering on pathetic. “And… and he caught me.‘
I shot
up
from my chair, knocking it back against the wall. “Caught you doing what?”
“I… I was trying to listen in on the will reading. I thought maybe I’d get something useful, but Alex—he caught me,” she admitted in a rush.
My jaw tightened, and the tension rolled through
me like
a storm. “You had one job, Adelaide, One simple job!” My voice rose with each word.
“I tried!” she shot back, her panic replaced with a defensive whine. “I didn’t know he’d be watching me so closely.”
“That’s because you’re sloppy,” I snapped
something as basic as listening in?”
‘ve done nothing but screw this up since the beginning. What good are you if
you can’t even handle
Her silence on the other end only fueled my ang she was useless, just as I suspected.
room, ”
you
have anything to report? Anything at all?”
I ran a hand through my hair, pacing the
“No… nothing yet,” she admitted quietly, her voice barely audible.
“Of course not,” I muttered, biting down the
Before she could offer more excuses, I ended
trouble than she was worth.
urge
throw phone across the room. “Useless.”
the call with a sharp tap of my thumb and flung the phone onto the desk. Adelaide was proving to be more
Earlier during the funeral, I had pulled Adelaide aside, making it clear in no uncertain terms what she needed to do. “Stay out of sight. Blend in. Barely noticeable,” I had instructed, my voice low and firm. “I need to know the entirety of the contents of that will. Everything, Adelaide.”
She nodded quickly, her wide eyes a mix of fear and determination. “I’ll find out, Nathan.”
But now, it was clear she hadn’t done a damn thing.
After hanging up the phone, I slumped back into my chair, my fingers drumming angrily against the armrest. Not only had Adelaide failed to get the information, but she’d also almost gotten caught by Alex. Idiot.
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Chapter 134
+25 Bonus
My mind raced, piecing together what needed to happen next. Adelaide was a liability, one I didn’t have time to babysit. If I wanted results, matters into my own hands.
And the best way to get those results? Raina.
take
I leaned forward, elbows on the desk, rubbing my temples. Raina was still grieving; she was vulnerable. If I could find a way back into her good graces, would be the perfect opportunity to undermine Alex and make her see that he was the true enemy.
You can do this, Nathan, I told lean back with a sly grin.
It was time to play the
the
So confidant, the one she could lean on. She would never suspect my intentions–not until it was far too late.
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