Chapter 414
Chapter 414:
Now she just needed a reason for him to hand it to her.
She looked at the TV again. The news was showing a graph of Oracle’s stock in freefall.
Perfect.
When Lucian came to check on her that evening, Skye was sitting by the window, looking pensive.
“I heard you made a scene,” Lucian said, amused. “Throwing food? Very childish p>
“The food was terrible,” Skye said flatly. “But that’s not why I’m upset p>
She pointed at the TV. “Look at that p>
Lucian glanced at the screen. “Your company is tanking. So what? You have men now p>
“You’re a businessman, Lucian,” Skye said, turning to face him. “You know what happens when a CEO dies. The stock crashes. The board panics. Billions of dollars in value… evaporated p>
She stood and walked toward him.
“That’s my money. And if I’m going to be your… partner… isn’t it our money p>
Lucian raised an eyebrow. “Are you negotiating p>
“I’m being practical,” Skye said. “Let me post something. A picture. Proof of life for the fans. Just something vague to say I’m taking a mental health break. The stock stabilizes. You protect your future asset p>
Lucian studied her, searching for the trap.
But the logic was sound. Greed was a language he understood perfectly.
“One post,” he said slowly. “From my phone. I watch you type every letter p>
Skye smiled.
It was the first genuine smile she had shown him.
Sienna Quinn sat in a VIP chair at a high-end salon in the city, a rejuvenating mask plastered over her face. Her phone buzzed on the marble counter.
She picked it up lazily—an encrypted message from an unknown number.
She opened it. A grainy photo downloaded. It showed a woman in a sheer white dress standing on the deck of a yacht, looking out at the sea. Her back was to the camera, but the posture, the hair…
Sienna knew.
𝗔l𝗅 𝘆𝘰𝘂r 𝘧𝖺𝗏𝗼𝗋𝘪𝘵𝖾 𝗀𝘦𝗇𝘳𝖾𝘀 on 𝗯𝗲𝗹ո𝗈𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘴.c𝘰m
Skye.
“That bitch,” Sienna hissed, sitting up so abruptly the aesthetician jumped. “She’s alive p>
The message wasn’t from a crew member.
“I have a contact on the logistics crew,” Sienna had told Beatrice earlier. “Someone who owes me a favor for clearing his gambling debts p>
It was that contact who had snapped the photo surreptitiously.
Sienna’s mind raced. If Skye came back… if she survived this… Liam would never stop. He would burn the world to bring her back. And Sienna? She would be discarded. Or worse, exposed for her role in the past.
She dialed a number.
“Yes?” The voice on the other end was icy.
Beatrice Kensington.
“She’s not dead,” Sienna said, cutting to the chase. “Lucian has her. On his boat p>
Silence on the line. Then a heavy sigh.
“The girl is a cockroach,” Beatrice said. “What do you propose, Sienna p>
“We can’t let her come back,” Sienna whispered, checking the mirror to make sure no one was listening. “If she returns, she destroys Liam. She destroys the family. You know the curse, Beatrice. As long as she lives, the Kensingtons fall p>
Beatrice hesitated. She was superstitious, old-fashioned. And she was desperate. The family fortune was dwindling, her grandson was a mess in the hospital.