Chapter 2

I walked in wearing a black swan dress, and just as I expected, the crowd erupted in gasps and hushed whispers.

They were probably thinking about how the once-quiet Sutton family girl, timid and shrinking for three years, had suddenly turned into a completely different person with such a commanding presence.

I ignored the buzz and headed straight for Preston, giving him a smile that could mean anything.

"Everyone, welcome to my birthday party," I said, picking up a glass of champagne and raising it to the crowd.

"Today's not just my birthday. It's the day I finally take over my father's shares. Right, Preston?"

I shot a look at him, letting three years of pent-up hatred spill out for everyone to see.

Then, out of nowhere, Riley Miles appeared, holding the will that had vanished for three years.

I took what my dad left me, like it was always mine.

And now, things were about to get even juicier.

"Everyone, I've got one more bombshell for you tonight. I finally found out who killed my parents all those years ago. Wanna guess who it is?" I paused, locking eyes with Preston again.

"Of course, it's my dear caretaker, Preston Gray." I spun my empty champagne glass and pointed it right at him.

The mask he'd been wearing shattered. His face couldn't hold it together anymore.

Mindy, totally clueless, stormed up to me, jabbing a finger in my face.

"Bella, what nonsense are you spouting? Just because your parents are dead doesn't mean you can go around throwing mud at people!" she snapped, shoving me hard.

Seriously, what a moron. Couldn't she see her dad practically sweating bullets, looking guilty as hell?

I spun around and slapped her hard across the face. She clutched her cheek, staring at me in disbelief, so I slapped her again, just as hard.

The reporters outside had been dying to get in. The second the drama kicked off, they rushed in with mics and cameras, snapping pics like crazy.

With the Gray family's eldest son missing, the rest were left totally flustered. No one knew what to do.

The guests were loving every second, watching the chaos like it was the best show in town.

This was the drama I'd been planning for three years. Honestly, the crazier it got, the better.

I didn't stick around. I quietly got into a car and slipped away.

Ronald picked me up and took me home.

Back then, he was just an underdog, barely finding his footing, but he did everything to protect me, and he'd been by my side ever since.

I looked at him and took his hand.

He ran his thumb over my knuckles, his silent comfort quieting all the chaos in my heart.

I still didn't have all the proof that Preston Gray had hired a hitman. Now wasn't the time to expose everything, but Loco Group, my father's pride and joy, was on the verge of being sucked dry by those money-hungry sharks.

With the scandal about the company's higher-ups out in the open, the stock price crashed, and for now, no other company wanted to buy us out. That meant we were safe, at least for the time being.

I was deep in thought when my phone rang. It was Shawn Gray, the Gray family's eldest son, finally making an appearance.

I rubbed my temples, hiding my exhaustion, and answered. Just as I expected, he wanted me to clear Preston's name, to deny the whole murder-for-hire thing. What a joke.

"Shawn, aren't you curious about what your darling sister's been up to?" I said.

He clearly didn't expect me to bring up Mindy and was stunned for a second. Before he could say anything else, I told him when and where to meet, then hung up.

Just as I started to calm down, my anxiety kicked right back in. I rubbed my temples, and suddenly, Ronald let go of my hand.

The next moment, he placed a small box in front of me. When I opened it, there was a dolphin necklace inside.

He was more than I could ask for.

*****

Inside a private room, a steady voice rang out. "Ms. Sutton, congratulations on becoming the president."

The man chuckled, then continued, "I'm sorry about Mr. Sutton's accident. But you can't just expect me to sell you my shares just because we go way back. I've got a wife and kids to feed. I need to make a living, you know."

In just a week, Shawn had managed to steady the public opinion, and Preston was out on bail.

This board member was a real pro at playing both sides, always knew how to stay on top.

"Mr. Stone, you really don't have it easy, huh? One wife at home, another on the side, and I heard she even gave you a son. You sure are blessed," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

I took my time, laying out all the dirt my PI had uncovered, photos, files, everything, right there on the table for him to see.

"At tomorrow's ball, maybe I'll have a little chat with Mrs. Stone and let her know what you've really been up to. How about that?" I swirled my wine, took a slow sip, set the glass down, and looked at him, cool as a cucumber.

Mr. Stone, looking like he was about to lose it, scribbled his name on the contract and practically ran out the door.

Five percent of the shares were now mine.

I ordered a steak and took my time eating, still waiting for someone else to show up.

By the time I'd finished my wine and nearly polished off my steak, the person I was waiting for still hadn't arrived. I checked my watch and found that he was already thirty minutes late.