“I’ve asked you all kindly to leave,” His voice rang out with a cold, authoritative ring. “Now please do so before I call the police.”
Darius gave Linda one last pleading look, but she took a step closer to her brother, and he understood. His heart felt heavy as he gave her a small, sad smile and a brief nod before turning to his cousin and Cruella; his eyes scanned the elegantly cool woman, thinking his nickname for her was befitting.
"You heard Mr. Heart," Darius snapped. “Let’s go”
His eyes cast a cold, dangerous warning glare at Baxter before turning on his heel. He marched across the tile floor, his steps echoing loudly against the floor tile as he exited the front doors and headed down the concrete steps toward the parking lot.
He didn’t have to turn around to know that Dr. Wineberg and Baxter followed quickly in his wake, their shoes crunching over the hot asphalt as they reached the shade of the trees covering the sidewalk of the parking lot. The midday Florida heat was already baking the driveway, the thick humidity settling over them like a weight. Darius spun around the moment they were out of earshot of the people in the hotel, pouncing on his cousin with an expression of pure, unbridled rage.
"You ruined everything," Darius seethed, his voice dropping into a harsh whisper that carried perfectly across the quiet corners of the parking lot. He stepped deep into Baxter's personal space, his eyes flashing with anger. "Why can’t you keep out of my business? Didn’t I tell you to leave and go back to your projects?”
“Darius…” Baxter stepped forward.
“No!” Darius held up his hand. “Save it.” He fumed, frustration boiling through him. “Linda and I were finally..." He cut himself off, his throat tightening, too furious to form the words. He let out a long, heavy breath, looking up at the sky.
“I…” Baxter stammered, but the look in Darius's eyes made him stop.
"Now what on earth am I supposed to do?" Darius muttered through gritted teeth.
Baxter flinched and took a cautious step backward. His features shifted into deep remorse. "I am so sorry. I honestly assumed they already knew who you were by this point. I mean, hasn't your sister been staying at the hotel for the last few days? And she mentioned they had become friends…" His eyes held Darius’s. “I assumed because of how close you’d become to Ms. Heart that…”
Darius froze. His brows shot up and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How do you know I’ve become close with Ms. Heart?”
“Um…” Baxter faltered. “I think you mentioned it.”
“Did I?” Darius’s voice dropped dangerously low. His frame went completely rigid, his shoulders locking as he offered his cousin an icy, dismissive glare. "My relationship with Ms. Heartis absolutely none of your business," he told him coldly, his voice clipping each syllable with executive authority. "What is your business is that your thoughtless interference in what is my project has completely destroyed everything.” His fists clenched into tight balls at his sides. “How am I supposed to fix this mess now?"
Without waiting for an answer, Darius spun back around and headed to his vehicle. He yanked open the driver's side door, slid in, then slammed it closed behind him to leave them standing on the pavement.
Dr. Debbi Wineberg
Debbi stood motionless, her sharp eyes scanning Darius's rigid profile through the tinted glass window. Her mind was working at a furious pace, analyzing every single movement, every twitch of his jaw, and every line of tension in his broad shoulders. She found herself deeply intrigued by the raw display of fury.
Why had Darius Wayne, the man who was said to have a staunch moral compass, led on an owner of the property he was trying to acquire, without revealing his identity? Was what Baxter said actually true? Had this legendary executive actually been pursuing the hotel owner strictly as an underhanded tactical play to get his hands on the property's debt structure?
The thought sent a sudden, thrilling rush of heat through her chest. It was incredibly cold, ruthless, and absolutely useful to her own ambitions. So the golden businessman was not as morally pure as he made out to be. She respected that kindof corporate malice; it aligned perfectly with the way her own family had built their empire through real estate developments for generations. A slow, calculating smile began to spread across her face as she looked at Baxter.
"I am so sorry your cousin is this angry with us," Debbi said softly, turning her face toward Baxter as they walked toward the car. She forced her voice to carry a sympathetic, comforting quiver. "He must have genuinely cared for Ms. Heart to react with this kind of anger."
Baxter let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over his face as he looked down at the asphalt. "No, my cousin was completely done with serious relationships after his second divorce was finalized back in Miami. I think his pursuit of Ms. Heart was strictly an aggressive move to get closer to the family, to figure out exactly what they were planning to try do to save the hotel." He clamped his jaw tight, looking miserable. "And now I've gone and messed up his entire play.” He breathed out his nose. “Again!"
Debbi purred charmingly, leaning a fraction closer to him and touching his arm with a perfectly manicured hand. “I’m sure when he’s calmed down you can straighten this out.”
“I hope so,” Baxter breathed. “Otherwise I may just have to take your brother up on his job offer.” He gave a brittle laugh. His eyes cleared as they stared affectionately into hers. “Don’t worry though. I’ll ensure that you get what you need to assess the findings on the Hearts Hotel dig.”
"Thank you," Debbi murmured, offering him a warm, bright smile. "It really means a lot to me that you want to help me with it."
"Of course," Baxter murmured, leaning down to press a gentle, reassuring kiss against her temple. He looked into her eyes with such warmth. "You know how much I want this for you.”
Debbi accepted the embrace gracefully, but internally, her thoughts had already discarded him. Baxter was a small fish, a disgraced executive who had been sent to the regional projects because he couldn't handle the high-leverage plays in Miami. Darius Wayne was the true mastermind, the brilliant man who owned the entire corporate machine and was willing to pursue a woman just to secure a land registry. Then he was the shark she needed to land. She didn't care about Baxter's lingering affection. Her mind was already spinning with ways to position herself beside Darius.
"Oh, my phone is buzzing," Debbi said suddenly, reaching into her blazer pocket with a look of feigned surprise. "Go ahead and get into the car. I need to take this call quickly. I'll catch up with you in just a second."
Baxter offered a polite nod and slipped into the front seat, closing the door to give her privacy. Debbi pulled her phone out, staring down at a completely blank screen. She moved a few feet away from the car so he couldn’t hear her, then swiped past her alerts, found a highly private, unlisted number, and hit the dial button.
The line rang twice before a hard, authoritative male voice answered on the other end. "Hello?"
"I think we might be able to completely ditch the small fish and bring the big shark directly into our plan for the coastline," Debbi said quietly, turning her back to the vehicle so her lips couldn't be read through the glass. Her eyes gleamed with a dangerous, dark light.
