Chapter 4 - Playing the GameThe next morning, I arrived at the office of Vale Global Enterprises on Michigan Avenue. I was no longer the conflicted man who had walked through Grant Park twenty-four hours ago.
I was a father with something to fight for.
"Dominic," I said as I entered my top-floor office.
My loyal right-hand man stood up instantly. "Sir. I have the files you asked for."
"Forget the files," I said, walking over to my desk and pouring myself a black coffee. "I need you to double the security detail around Maya Brooks' apartment. But I don't want Vale Syndicate men on it. Hire independent contractors—ex-military, men who answer only to you and me. If my grandfather’s people come within fifty yards of that building, tell them to put a bullet in their tires."
Dominic’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn't question me. "Understood, boss. What about the wedding?"
"The wedding is still on," I said coldly.
Dominic blinked in confusion. "Sir? I thought..."
"If I break the engagement now, my grandfather and Senator Hart will know I'm acting out of emotion," I explained, leaning against my desk. "They will target Maya and the triplets immediately to strip me of my leverage. I need to play along until I can completely dismantle their trap."
"What's the plan?"
"I'm going to give my grandfather and the Harts exactly what they want," I said, a dark smile playing on my lips. "A royal wedding. But behind the scenes, you and I are going to drain every hidden asset, every slush fund, and every piece of blackmail material my grandfather holds over the city. When I strike, I want Lorenzo broke, Arthur Hart in prison, and Camille left with nothing."
"It's dangerous, Adrian," Dominic warned. "Your grandfather has killed men for far less."
"My grandfather never had three grand-children he didn't know about," I replied icy. "He thinks I'm weak because I care. He's about to learn that loving someone makes me far more dangerous than he ever was."
An hour later, my office door swung open, and Camille walked in without knocking. She was wearing a blood-red designer suit, looking every bit the ruthless heiress she was.
"We need to talk," she said, slamming the door behind her.
"I'm busy, Camille," I said, not bothering to look up from my laptop.
"Don't play games with me, Adrian!" she barked, walking up to my desk. "My father got a call from your grandfather last night. He told us you threw a fit over that little street rat and her bastards."
I slowly closed my laptop and looked up at her, my expression unreadable. "I had a moment of nostalgia. It's handled."
Camille paused, taking a step back, trying to read my face. "Handled? What does that mean?"
"It means I realized my grandfather was right," I said smoothly, lying through my teeth with a calm that unnerved even myself. "A man in my position cannot afford sentimental distractions. The children are mine, yes, but they are an inconvenience. I will set up a private trust fund for them quietly through an offshore account so they never trouble us again, and I will proceed with the wedding as planned."
Camille studied me intensely, looking for a crack in my composure. But I had spent thirty years learning how to mask every emotion behind a wall of cold stone.
Slowly, the tension left her shoulders, and a triumphant smile spread across her red lips. "I knew you were smart, Adrian. A few million dollars to keep her quiet is a small price to pay for becoming the most powerful couple in the Midwest."
"Exactly," I said, standing up and walking around the desk. I reached out and gently rested my hand on her cheek—a gesture that made my skin crawl inside. "We have an empire to build, Camille. Let's make sure our rehearsal dinner tonight at the Drake Hotel is unforgettable."
"It will be," Camille purred, kissing my cheek. "I'll make sure the press is there to cover every moment."
As she walked out of my office, feeling victorious, I wiped my cheek with the back of my hand.
May you like
She thought she had won. She thought she had coerced me into compliance.
She had no idea I was luring her and her father into the very trap that would destroy them.
