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“I’m here, Snowflake. I’ve got you.” I raised my face to meet his, and he gave me a sad smile. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“I-it just hit me. Hearing his voice again after so long, it brought it all back…”
“You don’t have to explain anything.” He kissed my forehead, and used his thumb to carefully wipe away the remainder of my tears. Fuck, I loved him. He knew exactly what I needed.
“I’m okay.” I repeated the words, my voice stronger, willing myself to make them become true. “I’m okay. West? You wanna play the audio?”
He nodded and clicked the file again.
I took a deep breath, hearing my dad’s deep, rumbling voice coming through the speakers. Steeling myself, I pushed my emotions aside until I could deal with them.
“Voice memo,” he announced. “I have reason to believe that my ex-wife may be responsible for plotting to overthrow Alstone Holdings.” At his words, all of us gasped. He went on to detail how he’d overheard her meeting with Petr, which we’d seen the images of. There was no other new information.
Once the audio had finished, Weston turned back to me. “Are you okay to carry on?”
“Yes.” I nodded firmly. “We need answers, and we need to go through every single one of these files.”
He opened the second file.
It was another audio recording. The sound quality was awful, and I could barely make out anything that was being said, although my mother’s voice was faintly discernible. There was the sound of clinking glasses and cutlery, and a low hum of conversation muffling her words.
“Let me try to enhance the sound.” West opened up some software and clicked to add the file. He threw some headphones over his ears, intent on whatever he was doing on the screen.
“Baby?” Caiden’s voice was worried, and I was startled to realise I was shaking.
“I’m okay. I just can’t believe after all this time, we’re finally getting some answers. And… Cade…I miss my dad so much.”
“I know you do. You’ve got me, and I’m never gonna let you go, okay?”
“Thanks.” I whispered the word, turning my head to meet his lips. When we drew apart, I met his concerned gaze. “After all the hurt that he suffered at her hands, with her turning her back on us and everything, he still wanted to see the best in her.” I sighed. “How did it end up with him losing his life? Why did he always hold out hope? I so wish he was here. I wish I knew why. But more than any of that…” My voice cracked again. “I wish…I just want to hug him one last time. To tell him I love him.”
“Fuck…Snowflake.” Caiden pulled me even closer to him, running his hands up and down my back. I held on to him tightly, his body warm and solid against mine, his heartbeat calming me, until I could finally catch my breath again.
“Okay, I think I’ve got it,” Weston said a few moments later, giving me a concerned look, identical to Caiden’s.
I’m okay, I mouthed to him.
His gaze searched me, and eventually he nodded. He pulled out the headphones and clicked something. “I’ve managed to isolate the audio of Christine speaking. I can’t seem to isolate the speech of whoever she’s talking to, though.”
“Play it,” Caiden commanded.
Christine’s voice came out of the speakers.
“The time frame is acceptable. Arlo is an inconvenience—but I need to keep him onside for as long as possible. Alstone Holdings is expanding—there are rumours of a possible merger with the De Witts. It would be utterly pointless to act until the whole thing has been finalised. Our reward will be significantly higher if we wait.” Whoever she was speaking to must have been replying to her because the audio went silent for a few minutes, before it continued. “Absolutely not. When I give the order, Arlo is to be taken care of in a discreet and timely manner. You know what to do. I’ll leave the details up to you.”
More silence, then, “The funds will be transferred tomorrow. More will come your way, for as long as you uphold your end of the bargain.”
The audio ended, and we all sat, stunned, trying to process everything. The tension in the room was thick, heavy, and completely unbearable.
My stomach flipped. “Fuck,” I croaked out. “This goes a lot deeper than we thought.”
“Taken care of? Is she saying— She wants to murder my fucking dad!” Weston picked up a heavy-looking glass paperweight thing that was on his desk and threw it at the wall with his full force. It rebounded off the wall, leaving a visible dent in the plaster, and fell to the floor with a crash.
“West…” I began tentatively. I used everything I had to hide how I was feeling so I didn’t fall apart, again. Anger, hot and savage, burned through me—I was only just keeping it together. My head was pounding, and all I wanted was to join him in his rage, but somehow, I managed to hold on to the thin thread of my control. Barely.
“Don’t. Just don’t,” he bit out, putting his head in his hands.
I took a deep, calming breath. This wasn’t about me. I jumped off Caiden and went to Weston, throwing my arms around him and stroking up and down his back. Some of the tension drained out of him as I murmured in his ear. “We’re not gonna let anything happen, okay? She’s already most likely killed my dad, and there is no fucking way I’m letting her take yours, as well.”
