Father's Legacy

Myra's P.O.V

When I got back home, I found the apartment completely empty. Landon had left since God knew when.

The only things waiting for me on the kitchen counter were a scrap of paper and a sleek black cell phone.

I had hoped I could spend some quality time with my brother, so I certainly was not expecting him to disappear again this soon after I had only just gotten him back from the dead.

Right as I was about to do my laundry, I picked up the note one last time, deciding to read it again before getting rid of it for good.

*I'm sorry I have to disappear on you again, Myra, but I would only be putting you in danger if I stayed at your place any longer. I'm really sorry for not reaching out to you all these years, and I hope one day things can go back to how they were before. I can be your big brother again. I'm leaving a phone along with this note. If I ever need to reach you, I'll call you from that line. It's secure and safe. No one can trace it. Please burn this note once you're done reading it.*

I sighed, my shoulders dropping as I walked over to the kitchen drawer and retrieved a small silver lighter.

"I hope I see you again, brother," I muttered, my voice cracking slightly.

I flicked the wheel, the spark catching the flame, and touched the fire to the edge of the paper. I watched the golden flame devour the words before dropping the burning scrap into the trash can, standing over it until it had completely turned to black ash.

I returned to the small laundry room to get my laundry done, needing the physical chore to distract my mind.

While sorting through the heap of clothes, I felt a stiff, unexpected weight lodged inside one of my shirts.

My brows furrowed as I reached into the cotton pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper, now slightly crumpled from being roughly folded.

My eyes widened the instant I recognized the printed header. The file. I had completely forgotten that I had slipped it into my shirt after taking it from Jade's desk yesterday.

My heart immediately picked up its pace, hammering hard against my ribs.

Forgetting entirely about the laundry, I hurried back into the living room, settled onto the cushions of the couch, and carefully unfolded the document with trembling fingers.

The first page contained nothing more than a brief overview of Aethelgard Logistics, outlining the company's shipping routes, annual turnover, and a few major business partners.

There was nothing I did not already know, and nothing that seemed the least bit suspicious.

I was just about to turn the page, dismissing it as corporate boredom, when my eyes caught an internal intelligence report farther down the sheet.

"Intelligence indicates the company is being used to facilitate the importation of cocaine through commercial cargo."

My eyes widened as I silently reread the sentence, the black text blurring before me. Cocaine?

This had to be a mistake. My fingers tightened around the edges of the file as I continued reading, my breathing turning shallow.

"Current distribution model relies on smaller regional suppliers, minimizing direct exposure. Estimated period of operation..." My fingers turned cold, "...approximately five years."

The file slipped from my numb fingers and landed on the hardwood floor with a soft crumple.

Vincent had been using my family's legacy to import narcotics into the States.

How had he managed to do this right under my nose without me realizing it for five long years? I was his wife. I shared his bed, his home, and his name.

I felt utterly stupid.

Stupid for trusting him enough to let him take complete control of my father's company while I stood complacently on the sidelines, believing every smooth lie he fed me.

If only I had not given him so much power, maybe I would have discovered the truth sooner. Maybe it wouldn't have occurred in the first place.

But a bunch of useless if's was not going to change the past now.

I slowly lowered my gaze to the file lying on the floor. My father's company, his legacy completely tarnished.

There was only one way to answer all these burning questions, and it was by answering one critical puzzle. Finding out why Jade is investigating my ex-husband's company in the first place.

One way or the other, this stolen information would help me get the exact revenge I wanted.

All I needed was concrete proof to bind the pieces together, and I would use it in sinking Vincent down to the absolute bottom.

I leaned back against the sofa, my mind racing with possibilities. Jade was obviously hunting Vincent too, which meant my boss was a lot more involved in the underworld than he let on in his clean suits.

If I played my cards right, I could use Jade's resources to destroy my ex-husband without Jade ever realizing I was pulling the strings from his own secretary desk. I reached down, retrieved the paper from the floor, and slid i under the couch cushion, hiding them away.

Vincent was going to pay for turning my father's hard work into a criminal playground, and I was going to ensure he lost absolutely everything.