“She’s started working with our designers. As I said before, she definitely has an eye, and my family agrees.”
“I’m getting paid,” Estelle blurts out, as though now seeking my approval.
I turn to study her, the glow of pleasure on her face and sparkle in her eyes. A smile creeps to my face.
“In which case, I’m very proud of you.”
Her eyelashes flutter as though that’s the last thing on earth she expected to come out of my mouth.
“Thank you, Magnus,” she says, actually blushing and lowering her eyes. It reminds me so much of the girl who once clung to me that a stab of pain slices through me.
“I have an idea,” I say if only to help ease the moment. “Why don’t you and Giorgio and your friends join me on my yacht to watch the Art en Ciel fireworks show this weekend? We’ll make it into a party.”
“Really?” She asks, now also looking like a kid, but in a different way. “That would be amazing!”
“Yes,” I say, feeling sentimental as I smile at her. “I’ll be going away soon for some…business. I want to see you one last time before I leave.”
If only because there’s a chance I may not come back.
Chapter Fifty-Five Sloane
I stare at the message I’ve written. This is the fifth time I’ve read it now, even though there’s no reason why. These are the exact words Magnus told me to write. It isn’t like I can change them. But my finger trembles every time it hovers over the key to send it.
Magnus Reinhardt is planning on making an offer for Ruben Bakker’s interest in Conniver Media. It hasn’t been made public yet, but he’s just instructed me to draft a preliminary offer letter for the amount of 1.2 billion euros.
Hopefully, Gabriel won’t find any reason to be suspicious. Hell, if I didn’t know any better, even I wouldn’t be suspicious. Buying out Rueben’s shares would put Magnus in a suitable position to dictate how the corporation is run—and thus control a good chunk of the news in the financial world.
It’s obvious that Magnus is setting Gabriel up. He either expects Gabriel to either underbid him on the offer, or buy shares in the company, which will go up in value upon the news that Magnus Reinhardt has made an offer.
Definitely a deal worth more than ten million dollars.
Magnus wants to set Gabriel up for insider trading, which makes sense. It is what Gabriel had me sent here for in the first place.
But I’m dealing directly with Jan on this. I doubt he’d be stupid enough to forward this message directly to Gabriel’s personal email, leaving a nice little electric trail for the hawks at the SEC to pluck up.
So then, what is the endgame?
Now, I understand Magnus’s need for control. As an attorney, I’m especially averse to unknowns. One of the first things you learn in law school is, don’t ask a question you don’t know the answer to. I’m pretty sure the same applies to questions you don’t want to know the answer to.
But Magnus assured me that both Theo and I would be safe after this. It’s remembering the look on his face in his office when he told me, the look that left no room for argument, that gets me to hit Send.
My heart seizes as the message goes to the anonymous email Jan gave me. For some reason, I shut the laptop closed, so I don’t have to look at it. I don’t know if Jan will send any response. I doubt he’d be considerate enough to tell Theo and me we’re officially off the hook. My guess is, we’ll just be left floundering until we eventually stop looking over our shoulders, assuming the coast is clear.
I quickly reach out to pick up the phone. I don’t care what time it is in New York; I want to hear my brother’s voice.
“Sloane,” he sounds surprisingly alert, maybe after seeing my name show up on his phone and panicking.
“Everything is fine, Theo,” I assure him. “I just…I wanted to tell you that I sent Jan a message. It’s exactly what he’s looking for.”
“What is it?”
“It’s better you don’t know.” No need to get him wrapped up in this securities violation scheme. “Magnus says he has people watching you to make sure you’re safe.”
“Really?” He’s understandably confused. Theo has no idea what I’ve been up to here in Monte Carlo.
“Yes, but…make sure to stay safe all the same, okay?”
“Are you okay over there?” He asks with sudden alarm in his voice.
Good question.
“I think of you as my perfect match, Sloane.”
Even now, the confession has my entire body, from my brain to my stomach, going into overdrive. It’s my heart, which still beats to a rhythm composed by Magnus, that’s in danger. But I doubt it’s the kind of danger Theo is worried about.
“I’m fine,” I assure him.
There’s a pause before he responds. “I’m really sorry about all this, Sloane. If I’d known—”
“It’s fine, Theo,” I say in as soothing a voice as possible.
It flits through my mind that I would never have met Magnus Reinhardt if not for “all this” in the first place. I’m still conflicted as to whether that’s a good or a bad thing. On the one hand, my brain tells me I have no business being with a man who is so different from me. To the point of literal murder.
On the other hand, Magnus has brought out tendencies in me I didn’t even know I possessed. The Sloane that goes back to New York will most definitely not be the same Sloane that left to come here.
“I’ll be back home soon, and we can just return to normal.” For some reason, the thought disheartens me.
“Yeah,” Theo says despondently. I suddenly remember that one of the parties involved is, in fact, dead. As much as I resented Linus Caldwell, I certainly never wished for his death.
It’s just a reminder that I’m way in over my head. Maybe returning to the
