005

RYKER

The contract lay between me and Howard, his gaze fiery. The vein in his temple was twitching violently, as if he would snap at any moment. As for me, I leaned back against the chair, my lips slightly curled, arms crossed. 

Howard’s fingers steepled, then clenched into fists. I could hear his tendons snapping in agitation. As for me, I've never felt so good. 

Something moved behind the cabinet, a little clanking sound. I sneered. Beatrice had sneaked into the study the moment I came to find Howard. She wasn't very good at hiding. 

“Have you lost your mind? How dare you make such demands of me?” He finally thundered, his voice crackling like a whip. 

I shrugged. “You can choose not to sign them, and I won't let my sister marry. Without my say-so, the wedding will not hold. At worst, we will go for mutual destruction. Who do you think Zarek Lachlan, that bloodsucker, will blame? You who sought him out for investments… or me who knew nothing about your agreements?”

Howard's breath caught sharply, his lips twitched, throat bobbing. I love this. He taught me blackmail, he should stew in the monster he created. 

“Twenty percent shares of Queen's group, two villas, one apartment, fifty million dollars. Not that expensive. Don't forget my mom's ashes.” I sat up, and leaned closer to him. “Time's ticking.”

The corner of his lips curled into a vicious smile. “Do you think it's up to you? Don't play with the sharks, they will eat you up. I can make sure you never set eyes on your sister, ever again.”

I laughed. A low mocking sound that made Howard's eyes narrow. The doubt only flickered in his face for half a millisecond, and it was gone. 

He picked up his phone, and I picked up mine, calm and controlled. I dialed a number. 

“Howard, before you call your goons to go abduct my sister and detain her for the wedding, you might want to see these first.” My lips stretched into a warm smile, throwing back the same words he used at him. 

I offered him a flash drive, just then the person on the other end picked up. 

Howard's hands trembled the moment he saw the contents of the flash drive. Evidence of years of embezzlement and corruption. Even abuse of omegas. Any of these are enough to land him in prison for a very long time. Most importantly, revealing them would mean certain bankruptcy for him. 

“Ryker, should we make the move?” A cold voice came from the other end. 

Howard looked up at me, a trace of panic finally appearing on his face. For the first time, he seemed small, and a little afraid. Like he didn't recognize the person sitting before him. 

“A copy to Zarek Lachlan, another to the financial crime bureau, one to the omega protection agency, another copy to Jonathan, your longtime rival.” I leaned in, closer to him. 

“How long do you think it will take before it turns to ashes? Ten minutes? Twenty?”

I chuckled, schadenfreude rippling through me. 

“My boys are waiting. Howard, will you sign or not?”

I felt a little regretful bringing out the chips I've been gathering for years. Without enough cards to play, I wouldn't be able to match Howard's cruelty. 

Forcing him to call off the wedding was impossible, even with these chips. 

Zarek wasn't someone anyone dared to offend. But this bit of money, he would part with it. 

My face hardened and I stood up, ripping the flash drive from the port. 

“Alright. Time's up. Send the documents.”

“Wait!” Howard shouted simultaneously. “Don't send them. Let's talk.”

“Sixty million.”

His forehead crinkled into frustrated lines on hearing me. I continued. 

“You wasted five minutes. The cash has to be increased to sixty million. For every five minutes of delay, the terms offered increases.”

“You!” He snapped, hitting his palm against the desk. 

“How dare you blackmail your father?” He growled. 

“Are you sure…you're my father?” My cadence dripped with disdain. 

His face went pale, then red. He looked like he wanted to wring my neck. Too bad he's too weak to achieve that. 

I pushed the papers towards him. 

“Transfer the shares now, fifteen percent to Summer, five to me.”

Beatrice jumped out from her hideout, unable to bear it anymore. 

“Ryker, how can you be so shameless? Go rob a bank then!” She scoffed. “Twenty percent? How much of the shares would be left?”

My lips curved slightly. “A mistress dares to talk about shame?”

I temporarily abandoned Howard and took a step towards her. 

“Didn't your lover tell you? Everything he currently has came from my mother. He was just a pathetic live-in son in law of the Frost family. It's already merciful that I'm only taking a little percentage. I could choose to take it all back, and nothing will happen. Because everything belongs to me!”

“Ryker!” Howard roared behind me. He hated being reminded he was a live-in son-in-law more than anything else. 

“Two minutes have gone by.” I snapped back. “In another three minutes, I will be taking twenty five percent instead.”

Beatrice turned to him, desperate. Her avaricious heart must be breaking at the idea of letting some of her hard won wealth slip away. 

“I forgot to mention. I also have proof of Beatrice's hit and run incident.” I tapped my chin, a serious look on my face. “Should we send it to the police?”

Her angry face morphed into raw fear and she staggered back, her legs going weak. 

“Two minutes more!”

Howard hissed in irritation and grabbed a biro, his eyes promising retribution. 

“I will sign. However, the amount stays at fifty million, and the property will be reduced to one villa, one apartment.”

“No negotiations. My terms or no deal.”

His nose flared, and the vein on his neck throbbed, red capillaries were visible in his eyes. With forceful strokes, he signed off on the papers. 

I reached for the papers, he tightened his grasp on it. My eyes met his. 

“Are you sure you want to play like this?”

I scoffed. “Since you're forcing my beloved sister into the fire, I deserve a little compensation to soothe my conscience, no?”

Firmly, I shoved him away and patted the papers with satisfaction. 

“Do the transfer immediately.”

While he placed the call, I snapped the pages and sent them to Malik to be processed. My phone beeped. Sixty million received. Caelum would place thirty in trust for Summer, ten in her account, twenty in stocks and bonds. While I remain as her executor. 

I won't let her fall into the trap of a manipulative flagitious beast like our mother did. 

I will protect her future and ensure no sweet talker will rip her off, or harm her. 

The moment I opened the door, my heart jumped. Summer was standing before Howard's office, tears rolling steadily in silent streams down her face. 

The look in her eyes was one I've never seen before. Heartbreak, sorrow, and disappointment. Like she just suffered the greatest betrayal. 

My mouth opened to explain, but no words came out. What will I say? It's not what you think? I'm just pulling the wool over Howard's eyes? 

It will make the situation more pathetic. 

I grabbed her hand and pulled her upstairs into my room. The papers I once held like treasures were carelessly flung on the bed and I grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to meet my gaze. 

“Trust your brother, I will never let you be harmed.” 

I wanted to explain it to her, but didn't dare to. As if opening my mouth will ruin everything I've meticulously laid down. I pulled her to sit on the bed and held her hand, gently wiping her face with my free palm. 

“Are you scared?” I asked softly. 

She shook her head, her lips stretching into a forced smile. 

“As long as it's brother’s desire, I will do anything.”

I pulled her into my arms. The wedding was tomorrow morning. A mere ten hours away. 

But even as I hugged her, rubbing slow circles on her back, deep inside, I couldn't stop feeling as if something between us had been irreversibly shattered. 

From the moment I opened that door and saw her standing there, listening to me using her future as leverage for material gain.