Chapter 726
Chapter 726:
Beatrice looked as if she had been slapped. She staggered back, clutching Arthur’s arm for support. “Fiancé? Liam has been gone for three days! You are still legally married to him p>
“Technically,” Skye shrugged. “But Liam tried to kill me. He tried to kill Alistair. Our marriage ended the moment he picked up that knife. I’m just waiting for the paperwork to catch up with reality p>
She turned to her secretary, who was peeking through her fingers.
“Sarah,” Skye called out. “Send the bill for the vase to Mr. Thorne’s office. He’ll cover it p>
Skye reached into her pocket, pulled out a checkbook, and scribbled a number. She tore the check out and tucked it into Alistair’s breast pocket, patting his chest.
“Consider it a down payment on redecorating,” Skye said to him, loud enough for Beatrice to hear. “I never liked Liam’s taste anyway p>
Alistair looked down at her. For a second, he looked surprised, but he recovered instantly. He wrapped his good arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
“Whatever you want, darling,” Alistair said, kissing the top of her head. “We’ll burn the whole building down if it makes you happy p>
Beatrice made a choking sound. “You… you are monsters. Both of you p>
“We’re survivors, Beatrice,” Skye said, her eyes hard. “Now get out of my office. I have a company to run p>
Arthur stared at Skye for a long moment. His shark-like eyes flicked from her to Alistair, calculating, assessing. He didn’t look angry. He looked… interested, as if a new variable had just entered his equation.
“Come, Mother,” Arthur said, guiding the sputtering Beatrice out of the room. “Skye is clearly under a lot of stress p>
The door clicked shut.
The moment they were gone, Skye’s posture collapsed. She pulled away from Alistair and leaned against the edge of her desk, exhaling a breath she felt she’d been holding for ten minutes.
“Fiancé?” Alistair asked, arching an eyebrow. He picked a shard of porcelain off his sleeve. “You play hardball, Skye p>
𝘙е𝗮𝖽 𝘄𝗂𝘵𝗵о𝘶𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝘁s o𝗇 𝗯𝖾.с𝗈𝗺
“It was the only way to shut her up,” Skye said, rubbing her temples. “If they think we’re together—really together—they’ll stop trying to use me to get to Liam. They’ll see me as a lost cause and focus on their own survival p>
“It worked,” Alistair admitted. “Arthur looked like he was rewriting his will in his head p>
Skye looked down at the mess on the floor. The shattered vase.
The debris of a life she was systematically dismantling.
“Did you see the message?” Alistair asked softly.
Skye nodded. “He’s alive. He’s safe. For now p>
“Then we keep playing the part,” Alistair said. “Until he signals again p>
He looked at the check she had put in his pocket. He pulled it out.
It wasn’t a check. It was a note she had scribbled on a deposit slip while he was yelling.
I found a recurring consulting fee in the recovered sector files. Paid to “C. Cain.” Arthur is meeting her tomorrow. Find out who she is.
Alistair smirked. He tucked the note back into his pocket.