Drastic Measures

The sun dipped low over Jack’s private estate, stretching across acres of grass and white fences. The polo field gleamed like an emerald carpet and freshly trimmed. It was just right for Jack to engage himself with something he enjoyed. Besides, he had just acquired this property a week ago, just for this field and it was high time he made his money work for him as it should.

Horses snorted, pawing the turf as the grooms tightened saddles. Jack was already mounted, his mallet swinging lazily at his side while he watched the practice match unfolding before him. His teammates: business partners, politicians, old-money parasites, watched him in silence. As much as this was supposed to be a game, they knew better than to challenge him on his own land.

Jack nudged his horse forward, racing across the field, driving the ball with his mallet. If there was one sport he was good at, no, great at, it'd be polo and there was no arguing against that.

He was preparing for the final stroke when a single, jarring sound tore through the rhythm of hooves and shouts.

A scream. High-pitched and furious. Whoever it was, this person was on the verge of losing all senses if something or someone doesn't calm them down.

Jack stiffened in the saddle.

Before he could process it, the large iron gates were thrown open so violently they slammed against the stone pillars. A black SUV screeched into the estate and the driver, whoever it was, was a maniac! Who the hell drives like that within a building, forcing staff to jump out of the way for fear of their next breath?!

The horses slowed just as every man froze. Then Clara stepped out.

Or rather, stormed out.

Hair wild, eyes bloodshot, makeup smeared from sweat and rage. She slammed the SUV door shut with the force of a woman who’d long crossed the line between anger and hysteria.

Jack cursed under his breath.

“What the hell…”

Clara didn’t walk, she charged straight across the field, heedless of her heels sinking into the turf, heedless of the startled horses, heedless of the fact that men worth millions were watching her like she’d escaped an asylum.

“JACK!” Her voice cracked like thunder. “JAAAAAACK!”

The grooms scrambled, the players froze and somewhere behind Jack, someone muttered, “Christ.”

Jack dismounted in one swift motion, tossing the reins to a groom and striding toward her.

Her chest was heaving, breath ragged. She looked like a woman who had been holding in an explosion for years and finally let it detonate.

And hell does she look like a crazed cat while at it!

“Clara,” Jack growled. “This better be good.”

“Oh, it’s better than that,” Clara spat, jabbing a finger at him. “It’s a disaster!”

She grabbed the front of his polo shirt, bunching the fabric in white knuckled fists.

Jack stiffened. “Let go.”

But Clara shoved him instead. “You stupid, arrogant man! Everything is falling apart and you’re out here…playing games? Polo? Really? While Damon and that bastard girl are RUINING US?”

The other men shifted awkwardly but Clara didn’t care. She was losing it and nothing, absolutely nothing could calm her down! Not even the look of irritation in Jack's eyes was enough to make her bend! She was past caring.

Jack’s jaw tightened, his patience thinning. “Clara, calm down.”

“Don’t you DARE tell me to calm down!” she shrieked.

Her voice grew even louder. The entire estate could hear her, even the animals in the woods would be interested in her drama at this rate!

Jack signaled to the men watching them. “Give us privacy.”

Within seconds, the field cleared. Grooms guided horses away and the players were led to a shed just across the field, far away enough for the duo to speak.

Clara paced, dragging both hands through her hair.

“He threw me out,” she hissed.

Jack blinked. “Who?”

“Damon!” she screamed, veins popping up her neck as she spoke. “That bastard threw me out of his company like I was nothing!”

Jack stared at her for a long moment, stunned into stillness.“Why were you even there to begin with?"

Clara's eyes darkened. “Why was I there? Is that your most important concern right now? He humiliated me!” Clara screeched. “In front of his staff! Security dragged me out! And Naomi just stood there like she won the damn Olympics…”

Jack held up a hand. “Slow down.”

“No! You slow down! You listen!” Clara jabbed her finger into his chest. “Naomi is NOT going to divorce Damon. Not after what I saw today.”

Jack’s expression hardened as Clara took a breath that trembled.

“He protected her,” she whispered, her voice dripping with disbelief. “He stood there, right in front of me, shielding her like she was…something.”

Jack clenched his fist. “You’re telling me…”

“That man has her wrapped around his manipulative fingers.” Clara’s laugh was brittle, humorless. “So forget the divorce. She’s not leaving him. Not now. Not ever.”

Jack’s jaw flexed dangerously, that's not good. This is going to ruin everything he's planned.

He seized the nearest wine glass from the refreshments table and smashed it against the ground. The shatter echoed across the empty field.Red wine splattered like blood across the grass but Clara didn’t flinch. She was too consumed by her own fury to care what he had done. It was a disaster! Goodness, it was just assets! Bloody assets and it's taking months, fuvk, years to acquire!

Jack kicked the shards aside, breathing hard. “We gave them too much space. We were patient when we should not have been.”

Clara’s voice dropped into a cold whisper. “We underestimated her.”

Jack looked up sharply. “Where is Amanda? Now will be the best time to use the next play we have…”

Clara stiffened. Her eyes darted away.

“She…she packed a bag and left.”

Jack froze. “Left?”

“She’s been gone for days!” Clara snapped. “She isn’t answering calls. Her room was empty. Clothes gone. Suitcase missing.”

Jack’s nostrils flared. “And you’re telling me this NOW?”

“I’ve been searching!” Clara said defensively. “She won’t come home. She won’t answer her phone and she’s ignoring every message I send.”

Jack ran her fingers through his hair, “Damn it, Clara! You had one fucking job!”

“How was I to know she would run off?! She loved Damon! Hell, it's thought she would be purely next to play but she's gone!”

Jack cursed under his breathe.

“Because she’s weak,” Jack snapped. “Weak, sentimental, and stupid.”

“She’s my daughter,” Clara hissed.

“And she’s becoming a liability,” Jack snarled right back.

Clara’s face paled.

Jack paced slowly, like a lion in a cage. “So Damon is by her side, and now Amanda,our only leverage, decides to run.”

Clara’s lips trembled with rage. “Naomi is the problem. Ever since she came back, everything has spiraled.”

Jack turned toward her sharply. “And you couldn’t control Damon?”

Clara growled. “ I had it under control until Naomi showed up! He's been acting like he's got assurance locked up somewhere!”

That earned a humorless chuckle from Jack. “He’s taking her side. I should have finished what I started years ago.”

Clara jerked her head up. “And risk losing everything early? No. You know why that wasn’t an option.”

His eyes narrowed. “And now?”

Clara crossed her arms. “Now Naomi feels safe. Damon is openly siding with her. Do you not realize what this means? She might fight us for the company.”

Jack lifted his chin slightly, "She wouldn't. That girl is way too sheltered to get dirty.”

Clara took a shaky breath. “You promised you would handle this. That you would do whatever it takes.”

Jack remained silent.

Clara stepped closer. “Jack… we are running out of time.”

He turned his gaze toward the horizon where the sun was sinking lower. “Drastic measures,” he repeated, the words rolling off his tongue like poison.

She exhaled shakily. “Yes. Before she gets too comfortable and before Reed decides to open his sad mouth to her.”

Jack stilled.

Clara had finally said the quiet part out loud.

“Reed?” he echoed.

“Yes,” Clara snapped. “That old man knows too much. He knows the arrangement Aaron made. He knows how Aaron outplayed us and I will NOT let that girl get ahead of us because some washed-up man feels like playing godfather.”

Jack’s tongue pressed against his cheek, irritation rising.

“Reed won’t be a problem,” he said quietly. “Neither will Naomi.”

Clara’s eyes widened slightly. “What… what are you planning?”

He smiled, a slow, cold, smile that would make any sane man run for his life.

“Exactly what needs to be done.”

Clara swallowed hard. “Jack… be careful.”

“Careful is what got us here,” he muttered. “We should have ended this the moment Aaron died.”

She wrapped her arms around herself. “Just…whatever you’re thinking, make sure it doesn’t trace back to us.”

Jack didn’t answer, he didn’t need to.

He walked toward his horse, retrieving his mallet from the groom who stood at a distance. As he gripped the polished wood, he turned back toward Clara.

“Naomi is done,” he said simply. “We end her,” he said flatly. “For good.”

Clara exhaled, a trembling breath of both fear and satisfaction, She’d wanted to hear those words for years.

And now that Jack had said them…