Boxed Set: Seduced For Revenge (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) (13 page)

“
Just tell me this, was is all in your pla
n…
.u
s…
or relationship
?”
H
e’
d dropped her at her apartment and was leaning against the wall in the hall.

She turned to face him, still feeling a bit shell-shocked from earlier. She was also angry that he ambushed her like that. He never gave her a chance to explain things to him before he let her face his father.

“
It was
,”
she replied succinctly.

Without a glance his way, she opened her apartment door and stepped in. He made no move to enter, so she closed it, but instead of feeling relief that everything was out in the open, her heart felt like it was being hacked with an ax.

Slowly, her legs finally gave way and she leaned against the door, hoping for support. Like a lump of glob she slithered to the floor where she curled up in a ball. Something tore at her, while another emotion she forgot existed broke down that tough exterior sh
e’
d buil
t…
grief. Her eyes stung as what seemed like a dam inside her erupted, a mournful groan escaped her.

* * * *

He heard her, but it did
n’
t sound true, though his heart felt like an arrow had gone through it. The pain was greater that he could handle and the one person he could think to blame was his father. Had it not been for the man who abandoned his mother and left her penniless, his heart would not be in this turmoil now?

How could a man, whose blood ran through his veins do such horrible deed as betraying his friend and colleague? It was Fischer who brought Harmon into the business. Harmon had no money, no assets or anything to offer, but Edward trusted that he would stick by him and help him grow the business.

Koltan had to stop a few times along the roadway to settle his nerves. He was rattled by the past and the present. Victoria got him really good. Her revenge on him worked. H
e’
d falle
n…
h
e’
d fallen hard and had no idea how to get back up. The last stop he made with a screech, pushed the door open and angrily stepped onto the asphalt.

“
Argh
!”
he hit the hood of the car with the palm of his hand
.“
Damn you, Victoria Brennan
!
”

Rage was
n’
t something he felt often, but now he was enraged at himself for getting caught in such a snare, and even more pissed at Victoria for using him. H
e’
d guarded his heart really well over the last couple decades of his life. After that girl disappeared, it was the same feeling he had now.

Suddenly he wondered what happened to Spunky and where she was now. He could not remember her face, but he remembered that she was a tomboy. She was the one who taught him to climb trees and play marbles. He missed her and wished he knew where she was.

Spunky was his first kiss. That he remembered well, and how she slapped him after he stole a peck on her lips. He wished he could remember her name and what she looked like. Maybe his father would remember since she was the daughter of his friend, but Harmon was the last person he wanted to talk to.

He evaded his father for the rest of the evening. Perhaps it was best for his father as well. Keeping away from each other would save them both a lot of awkwardness and explanations. At the moment, he was in no mood to hear his excuses or see him. H
e’
d take a couple of days to calm himself before facing him.

By morning Koltan was determined that no matter what it took he would not let her get away with using him. He would dig up any dirt on her, blacklist he
r…
anything to make her suffer. He did
n’
t care that sh
e’
d suffered enough already. A glance at his reflection in the rear view mirror of his car showed him a different person than he was the day before. His jaw was set and his eyes seemed a bit cold.

When he arrived at around eight and most of the staff was already in. Something seemed off, he could tell by the whispers around the open office as he passed through. Beth, Victori
a’
s assistant seemed troubled and her eyes were red rimmed as if sh
e’
d been crying. He passed them all without giving a damn and went straight inside his office to resume planning on how to take down Victoria.

A knock at his office door interrupted his progress.

“
Yes
?”
his tone was a little harsher than it should he. Beth pushed her head through the door
.“
Beth, what is it
?
”　

She stepped inside and closed the door. Her eyes had red rims and seemed puffy. She cleaned her throat before answering
,“
I
t’
s Victoria, she quit
.
”

“
What
?”
That shocked him, though it was to be expected. He never thought of her leaving, even through all the bad things that had happened. Her quitting like a coward only added to his anger
.“
Fuck
!”
he said under his breath.

“
Sir
?”
Beth frowned.

“
Never mind
,”
he turned his back and swore once more.

Beth handed him an envelope
,“
This was on your desk, from Victoria
.
”

He knew what it was but was in no mood to read it
.“
Leave me. I need to make a call
,”
he told the girl, who nodded and left the office with a sad expression.

Feeling a bit defeated and out of balance he dropped himself into his chair and stared at the pile of files on his desk to sign, but he was in no mood to lift a pen. He pushed the pile aside and was about to get up from his desk when he noticed something was different.

The small golden plaque about three inches square with a photo of him and his name engraved on it was gone. It was not valuable, but it was the only memento he kept in the office. It was given to him by the staff when he was made CEO so it was kind of special.

He pressed the button on the switchboard for Beth
,“
Beth, has anyone been in my office
?
”

“
Not after we talked this morning, sir
,”
she replied.

“
What about before that
?
”

“
No, sir, no one came into your office this morning. Is something wrong
?
”

He was about to tell her when he remembered that Victori
a’
s resignation was left there
.“
When did Victoria come into the office
?”
He asked.

“
Last night, sir, she called me from her desk to tell me she was leaving. When I came this morning I saw her note and the letter she left you, which she told me about
,”
she told him
.“
Is something wrong
?
”

“
No, i
t’
s fine. I just thought that something was different, but i
t’
s fine now
,”
he replied, a little bit rattled and confused.

There must be a reason why she took the plaque, but he could
n’
t figure it out. It had a small photo of him along with his name and position, tha
t’
s all. He had to find her. These strange things were getting to him and he needed answers. He needed to sit her down and find out what was going on in that beautiful head of hers, tha
t’
s the only way he could rest. Too many emotions were running through him. He was mad and wanted to take revenge, yet he wanted to hear her side of things. Not only that, he also wanted to know why she took the plaque. It must have meant somethin
g…
n
o…
he must have meant something. The thought flashed across his mind that she felt for him as much as he felt for her.

The only way they could resolve this and put everything to rest was face to face. He wanted her to admit to him that she only used him and had no feelings. She must admit that looking directly into his eyes. He had to find her first. The only person he could think of whom could help him was Bob, so he dialed his number.

“
Kolt, tha
t’
s some terrible shit man, how you coping
?”
This Bob said after hearing all the details from Koltan
.“
That girl must be hurting. I could
n’
t imagine seeing my father kill himself. Tha
t’
s some load to carry
,”
Bob added.

“
Yes, tha
t’
s why I want to find her
,”
Koltan replied
.“
She left the company and moved
.
”

“
If she only just moved house, sh
e’
ll be easy to find. Did you check with her landlord if there was a forwarding address
?
”

“
No, I never thought of that
,’
he replied.

“
No worries,
I’
ll check that for you. Give me a couple hours,
I’
ll get back to you
.
”

He was confident that Bob would be able to locate Victoria.

With her credentials, it was very easy to find employment. Victoria went back to the list she was given by her professor and called a few other companies. Within three days she had six interviews and was offered four of those six positions.

While she pondered which offer was her best option she found an apartment and moved house. The apartment was nicer than the one she had before and more expensive, nevertheless, it was worth the price.

Sooner or later she would need to deal with Fischer industries and her contract and was expecting a call soon, but she wanted to get a head start on her new job first. She still had Harmon Grey to deal with but had no idea who. The man was dying. According to Eli the treatment was not working. She had no idea how he came by that information, but he always seemed to know wha
t’
s going on.

On Monday she gave the call to a small but growing insurance company where she would head the IT department. The salary was much less than what she got at Fischer but it was more than enough to live on.

After she made the call sh
e’
d carried the last two boxes of her belongings from her car when a delivery came. She signed the receipt and opened the brown manila envelope. Her mouth dropped open when she read the contents of the file included. The
y’
d found her, but how? It was her contract and it was voided.

Victoria had been certain that she would have to pay off her contract when the legal team contacted her. Now she was confused. Did Koltan have something to do with this or was it Harmo
n’
s guilt at work? Nevertheless, she breathed a thankful sigh that she had at least avoided legal trouble.

So now that they found her, she felt like she did
n’
t need to hide. For the past few days sh
e’
d been walking on egg shells, looking behind her often, driving with caution lest she be spotted. Now she felt free to go about her business.

She was leaving work on her first day when she saw him leaning in his Bentley in the parking lot. She had to pass him to get to her car so she walked on by as if he was
n’
t there. He called her name but she pretended not to hear. As she was opening her door, she felt him grab her hand, in that gentle but firm grip, she was accustomed to.

“
Victoria
,”
his voice was soft and smooth, washing over her like warm rain. Her pulses picked up speed at the nearness of him and she berated herself for always being affected by him.

“
Let go
,”
she said, curtly.

“
Not until we talk
,”
he replied, stepping closer behind her. She could swear he could hear her heart as it betrayed her with a loud thud.

“
No, I do
n’
t want to
,”
she protested weakly.

“
Yes, you do. I can feel that you do
,”
he murmured in her ear.

“
Koltan stop, please
,”
she told him, her voice coming in a hoarse whisper.

The next thing she knew was that she was being hugged from behind. Her back was pressed against his hard frame and she could feel his heat penetrate her back. No! Her mind screamed, but she was too weak to pull away.

“
I know
,”
he whispered in her ear before letting her go.

She barely got enough strength to turn around to face him
.“
Wha
t’
s that supposed to mean
?”
She questioned, somewhat confused.

He reached his hand up and traced her jawline with his finger, leaving a tingle sensation in its wake
.“
I know
,”
he repeated with a smile before walking away and back to his car.

“
What the hell are you talking about, Koltan
?”
She yelled after him, but he just got into his car and drove away.

Victoria hated mysteries. What the hell did Koltan know? Where she lived? Tha
t’
s no surprise, he must have known in order for the company to send the files. He already knew about her past, so what the hell was he on about?

With much irritation, so much that when she reached out to open her car door, her hand shook so much that she had to yank the thing open fiercely. Her annoyance could be seen in the way the car screeched as she drove out of her new office parking lot.

But, what awaited her at her new apartment was even more annoying than the mystery Kolatn left for her to solve. There was a bouquet of a dozen or so red roses sitting in front of her door. She knew the instant she saw them that he was responsible. Without thinking, she picked up the flowers and carried them into the apartment where she placed them in some water.

Victoria told herself that she was
n’
t keeping them because they were from him, but because it was a shame to throw them away. She found herself glancing at them ever so often as she finished unpacking and putting things in their place.

The new apartment was spacious with an open living, dining and kitchen space leading to a balcony on the seventh floor. There were two bedrooms with one and a half bath and she loved it.

She especially loved the mantel over the artificial fireplace where she could finally place photos of her parents.

Sh
e’
d always kept them in boxes, away from the public eye, lest she be found out. Now that everything was out in the open, she felt a sort of freedom she never felt before. First she took out her fathe
r’
s photo and placed it in the center. He had been fishing and was wearing a yellow anorak, his floppy fishing hat and holding a one pound trout h
e’
d caught. His face was bright, showing how happy he was.

“
Daddy, tell me what to do? Should I continue with this or leave him alone? H
e’
s dying anywa
y…
but then your name is still linked to that scandal
,”
she said to the photograph.

Next, she picked up a small plaque with a photo on it and thought about placing it beside her own on the mantel. She ran her fingers lovingly along the edge of the frame and over the face on the photo. Her heart skipped a beat at the memory of him, but common sense told her to replace it in the box.

It was getting late and she was almost done with her decorating. She thought that what was left could wait for another day because she needed to awaken early the following morning for work. She took a shower, had a salad and come cold roast chicken and was about to brush her teeth before bed when she heard a knock at the door.

She glanced the clock on the living room wall and it was almost half past nine
.“
Who is it
?
”

“
Open the door Vickyyyy. Yo
u…
hi
c…
ca
n’t…
.hi
c…
hide from m
e…
hic
,”
Kolta
n’
s slurry voice shouted through his hiccups.

She opened the door and he almost fell on her
.“
Koltan
,”
she said
.“
Yo
u’
re drunk
!
”

He pushed past her and staggered into the living room
.“
Do
n’
t chanshe the subjectttt. I know
,”
his head bobbed a bit and his eyelids drooped, then he flopped himself down on the sofa.

“
Koltan, you ca
n’
t stay here
,”
Victoria said, standing over him
.“I’
ll make you some coffee, then you have to go
.
”

She went to put the coffee on, but by the time it was done and she returned, he was lying flat on the sofa and softly snoring. For a second she thought of waking him, but thought better of it. What good would it do? H
e’
s drunk, so she could
n’
t possibly send him home in that state. What Victoria did was get a blanket and pillow and made him as comfortable as possible.

She took one last look at him before she went to bed, leaving the door ajar so than when he awoke she would know. She fell asleep instantly and had no idea when or if he had awoken during the night.

His eyes opened and he was confused as to where he was. The last thing he remembered was ordering another scotch and the barkeep telling him h
e’
d had enough. After that was all a blur to him. He looked around the living room and wondered where in hell he was, until his eyes rested on the graduation photo of a beautiful redhead.

He wandered over to the mantel and looked at the photos placed there, then at the unpacked boxes. He was in Victori
a’
s new apartment and had no idea how he got there or why he was even there. Then, he caught glimpse of an open box and with a small golden plaque.

“
I knew it
,”
he murmured and smiled, picking it up.

“
Wha
t’
re you doing
?”
Her voice came from behind him.

He turned around, holding the small golden plaque with his photo on it. He held it up and said,

“
Was wondering where this went
,”
in a nonchalant kind of way. She looked away, embarrassed and he added
,“
This proves my theory
.
”

“
What theory is that
?”
She asked, still a little embarrassed that she had been caught.

“
That you love me despite denying it
,”
replied with a grin.

“
I have to go to work and I assume you do too
,”
she declared.

She turned to leave, but Koltan was beside her in a flash
.“
Le
t’
s be together Victoria. Forget all tha
t’
s happened and just be together
.
”

Forget what happened? Did he just say that? How could he ask her to forget? So tha
t’
s what this was all about?

“
Is that why yo
u’
re here
?”
she asked
.“
To ask me to forget? And there I thought for a minute that you were here becaus
e…
forget i
t…
just leave
!
”

“
Wait Victoria, hear me out
,”
he pleaded, but she was pushing him through the door.

She grabbed the photo he had put back in the box and flung it at him
,“
And take that with you
!
”

“
Vicky, wait
,”
he was saying, but as soon as he was out the door, she slammed it shut and locked it. He pounded the door and begged her to hear what he had to say, but she went to the bathroom and closed the door behind, shutting out his voice.

When she opened the front door to leave for work, the plaque was there along with a note on a receipt that read
,‘
Please give us a chance. I love you
.’
She placed the photo in her handbag, but scrunched up the note and dumped it in the garbage bin in the parking lot.