Chapter 4
Edward looked at me like I'd just told the most ridiculous joke he'd ever heard.
"Not after my money?" he sneered. "Then what are you after? My endless overtime? Or the fact that I never have time for you?"
I didn't say a word.
"If you're just a gold-digger at heart, then stop acting all high and mighty," Edward spat, brushing past me as he headed into the private room.
He brushed past me and walked into the private room.
The door closed behind me, shutting out the soft voices inside.
The soft voices inside faded away.
I stood there in the hallway, his words echoing in my head.
The word "a gold-digger at heart" hit me like a slap, leaving my ears ringing.
Fine.
If you see me as a gold-digger, then I'll show you how good I can be at it.
Since you've shut every door on me, I'll play the role you want.
Watch me work, then.
I walked out of the café.
It was already pitch black outside.
Neon lights cast long reflections on the rain-slicked asphalt.
I hailed a cab.
"Take me to the Nightfall Club," I told the driver.
The Nightfall was the most high-end luxury club in the city.
It was for members only.
I once charged 270,000 dollars to Edward's card at Nightfall.
That money became one of the reasons they claimed I was reckless with spending.
But I never bothered to explain it to Edward.
That 270,000 dollars wasn't for drinks.
When I walked into Nightfall, the manager spotted me right away, "Well, Miss Lane, long time no see."
"Give me the best booth," I said as I slipped off my coat and handed it to him.
"No problem. Same drinks as usual?" he asked.
"I'm feeling adventurous tonight," I said, leaning back on the couch. "Bring me a lineup of your most expensive male escorts."
The manager looked taken aback for a second.
I never ordered this kind of thing when I came here before.
But he was a pro, so he quickly put on a smile.
"Got it. Just a moment," he said.
Less than five minutes later, a dozen young men who were tall, long-legged, and striking, lined up in front of my booth.
Some were slender, some muscular, and every style you could think of was represented.
I scanned the lineup.
Then I pointed at the guy in the black shirt standing at the far end.
"You, stay. The rest of you can go," I said.
The guy in the black shirt walked over and took a seat about a foot away from me.
His name was Lucas Grey.
He was absurdly handsome, with a casual, devil-may-care charm in his eyes that screamed trouble.
"Not in the best mood today, Miss Lane?" he asked, pouring me a half glass of liquor from the bottle on the table.
"I'm alright," I replied, taking a sip. "Actually, I'm here for something serious."
Lucas smirked.
"Funny, that's what everyone says when they come looking for me," he said.
"Did you bring your laptop?" I asked, ignoring his joke.
Lucas paused for a second.
He wasn't just a male escort.
To be precise, this was his cover.
His real job was as a financial data hacker, operating in the gray areas of the law.
That 270,000 dollars I charged to the Nightfall was the fee I paid Lucas for information.
"Yeah, I brought it," he said, dropping the casual act. "What do you want me to dig up?"
"I want you to dig up everything on Edward Sterling," I said.
"Are you nuts?" Lucas frowned. "You want me to look into that devil? His law firm's got military-grade firewalls. If they trace us, we'll both be behind bars."
"I want all the financial records from that illegal fundraising case he handled two years ago," I said, locking eyes with him. "Especially the money that never showed up on the official books."
Lucas stared at me.
"Do you even realize how deep the rabbit hole goes with that case? Edward almost got himself killed trying to put the mastermind behind bars," he said.
"I know," I said, gripping my glass tighter.
How could I not know?
When Edward took on that case, the mastermind's people went after him with everything they had.
They cut his brake lines.
They splashed red paint all over his front door.
They even sent death threats to his parents.
He was out there taking them head-on, fighting in plain sight.
It was me.
I was the one working in the shadows with Lucas's help, channeling every dollar Edward called "dating expenses."
All of it went straight into black market accounts.
All to hire a security team to protect his family.
All to buy the silence of those who tried to give false testimony.
2,040,000 dollars.
Every single dollar that kept him alive, stained with blood.
Now he had the nerve to wave those bills in my face and accuse me of blackmail.
"Price just went up," Lucas said after a long pause.
"Deal," I replied.
"Half as a deposit, and I'll get to work now," he said.
I pulled out my phone, ready to transfer the money.
I was about to make the transfer, but then I remembered that Edward had frozen all my cards.
I froze.
Lucas noticed I was in a bind.
"What's wrong? Even Vivian the Heiress hits a snag sometimes?" he teased.
I gritted my teeth.
I yanked off the diamond bracelet I'd been saving for a rainy day and slapped it on the table.
"Is this enough for the deposit?" I asked.
Lucas raised an eyebrow and was just reaching for the bracelet when, all of a sudden, the air around the booth seemed to freeze.
Suddenly, the air around the booth seemed to freeze.
The loud music was cut off in an instant, as if some invisible force had pressed pause.
Lucas's hand froze mid-air.
I turned my head.
Edward was standing just outside the booth.
He was dressed in that impeccably tailored suit.
The light behind him highlighted the strong lines of his broad shoulders.
His face was hidden in the shadows.
I couldn't make out his expression.
But the icy vibe coming off him was so strong, it felt like the whole booth could freeze over.
He didn't yell and didn't lose his temper or start breaking things.
He just stood there.
His gaze swept past the diamond bracelet on the table, past the half-full glass of liquor, and finally landed on me.
Then, he shot a look at Lucas, who was sitting next to me.
He started walking over, slow and deliberate, each step measured.