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As much as I wish it was my girl sitting here telling me her story, I know right now it needs to be Mason.
"Mason, I want to help, but we don't have much time. Once Carson's body is found, Ethan will know I escaped, and he's going to make a play. Everyone has a backup plan. Can you try and give me the CliffsNotes version? I can tell you if anything stands out."
Taking a deep breath, he collects his thoughts and leans back in his chair to look at the ceiling before he begins.
"Let's see, CliffsNotes version of her life. The family is originally from California. Her mom decided to move back to Missouri to be with her side of the family when she couldn't put up with Marco's bullshit anymore. Marco was the epitome of the stereotypical entitled, spoiled rich kid who did whatever he wanted, bought whatever he wanted, and had mom and dad's money to back him when he fucked up."
Well, now I know why she wanted to steer clear of me. Her dad let her down, and she expected me to do the same, cut from the same cloth and all. I listen as Mason continues.
"Marco bounced from career to career for years, never really staying put. He ended up following Maria and Gigi to Missouri. Coming here was a fresh start, and he seemed to stay clean for a few years until he lost both his parents within six months. They left him over two million dollars, which was a lot of money fifteen years ago. When he returned to Missouri, he decided to retire since he had his parents’ money. Eventually, with all the free time on his hands, he got bored and started running with the wrong people, who, strangely enough, he met at the golf course, but addiction doesn't care about race, gender, or social status. He started using again with his new friends and invested money with them to start a business venture. Unfortunately, the company never got legs, and he lost his investment, and the remaining funds fed his new addiction and—"
I stop him before he can continue. "Ethan said she stood in the way of him getting his payout. Did she ever mention any of her dad's friends’ names or the company that didn't make it?" As much as listening to him recount her upbringing explains a lot about her character today, we are in a time crunch.
Immediately, he sits forward and pinches the bridge of his nose, deep in thought.
"I want to say Suncom, or Sun—"
I jump out of my seat so fast the chair knocks back. "You've got to be fucking kidding me, Suncast Media. He invested in Suncast Media?" I say it like a question, but it's more of a statement because I already know the answer. Now everything is coming together.
My uncle Eduard's involvement, Ethan's, and I'm sure his dad’s. If Gianna's dad was a golfer, it only makes sense that he ran into Robert and Eduard back in the day. They have always been avid golfers, and thick as thieves.
"Grand Media started out as Suncast Media. They went through a rebranding process a few years after they started up to target new markets and become more of a global brand. If her dad was an initial investor and bought stock in the company—it's worth millions."
Mason curses under his breath before pounding on the keyboard. "When I was digging through Ethan's financials the other day, nothing seemed amiss, but I did learn that Grand Media is planning to go public at the end of the month. That must be why they're so adamant about keeping you apart and getting rid of Gigi."
The mention of them hurting her makes me want to rage. I want to find Ethan myself and kill him for even thinking about laying a finger on her. The thing is, I never pegged him as this type of guy. Someone who would go through such lengths to ensure his own financial gain. Grand Media is already a multimillion-dollar company. Killing someone for more money when you already have more than enough is just heinous. I can almost guarantee Robert asked Ethan to help him with this, and Ethan has always wanted to earn his dad's approval. Robert was an absent father prioritizing work, money, women, and fame over being a father. If this earns Ethan points with his father, he'll stop at nothing to accomplish his wishes.
"We need more information. Are you able to do some digging and verify that our theory is correct, that Marco did, in fact, buy shares and still technically owns them? We need to know who the players are to take them out."
I'm pacing the room, trying to think if my dad ever made any investments with Robert early on. I need to figure out if there's any possible way he has a horse in this race. After all, my grandfather hired Maria, and my father brought her on at Reds after he died to make sure she still had a job. I'm hoping that was out of the kindness of his heart, and not to keep Maria under his thumb. I don't voice those concerns out loud because I know Mason will have our answers soon enough. Right now, I don't want to give him any more reasons to doubt me or my intent.
I'm worried about my dad's involvement and my family. That's when a thought hits me. I know what their next move is. "He's going to use her family to draw her out."
Mason's eye immediately finds mine, and he slams his fist down on the desk. "Damn it!".
"I need your phone. We need to get security on Gianna’s family, and you need to tell me where she is."
He closes his eyes. "Yeah, okay."
Surprisingly, he tosses me my phone. "How do you have my phone?”
Shrugging his shoulders like it's no big deal, he says, "You left it in my car last Saturday in your rush for answers." That means he has had access to all my shit this entire week. He knows I'm clean. Immediately, I call up my friend, who I box with at the gym. He's an ex-S.E.A.L. who runs his own security company.
"Max, it's August. I was wondering how fast you can get me a guy tonight? I need your best. Money isn't an issue." I place the call on speaker so that Mason can hear the conversation.
"August! I missed you in the ring yesterday, brother. It's not like you to miss a session, and now this call. You know I got your back. I can have a guy ready within an hour. Send me the details of the job."
"Thanks, Max. I'll send over the details now." Mason blows out a breath before saying, "Someone's home."
Hurriedly, I make my way around the desk to look at the screen and watch as Ethan comes through the front door and makes his way to the kitchen. The stairs that Carson fell down are in the opposite direction of the kitchen and not directly visible from the front door.
"Mason, I need to get my girl. You need to tell me where she is."
Putting his head in his hands, he lets out a string of curses. I know he's torn. He wants to go get her, he wants to protect her, he wants to save her, and I can't fault him for wanting those things, but I'm hoping that he trusts me to do the same.
"She's in Florida. First, you'll need to fly into Destin. Once you're there, you'll need to rent a car and drive to Emerald Beach. I'll text you the address of the house she's staying at."
I'm fucking relieved that he's not putting up an argument and that, apparently, I've earned his trust, but I'm nervous to ask my next question. "Who is she staying with?"
