AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What kind of person would I have been if they’d lived?
Would people still view me as cold and calculating?
Would I have had a family and children? Or would I have rebelled and remained single as I was today at thirty-two?
No point in thinking about that. Those weren’t the cards dealt in my direction.
With the hand I had to play, I’d made the choices for my future long ago. And babies and happily ever after weren’t even part of the equation.
Maya Ratna Holdings and all of my assets would go into a trust for the three girls who were born into the new generation of my family. Women were rare in my family, and the girls belonged to the offspring of my asshole uncles, who I knew wouldn’t leave a damn thing to their daughters based on how they treated them. They were all brilliant and deserved a chance to take the family legacy into the future.
At least, while I was at the helm, I could hire the girls as soon as they graduated school and put them in more than ornamental positions. Then they would have roles higher than their fathers and grandfathers.
Fuckers, all of them.
Shit. This lack of sleep was making me cranky as fuck.
First, a shower, followed by some mind-clearing meditation, then at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. And if anyone dared to bother me, I would knock them into next week.
Moving to the hallway leading to my bedroom, I stopped in front of a whimsical painting of an elephant and a little girl by a stream. I tapped my foot along a small pressure point between the wall and floor. A beam of light shot through the animal’s eye, scanned my retina, and verified my identity. Then, an eighteen-inch thick, reinforced metal door popped open before sliding to the side.
After the room depressurized, I walked into my vault. The few people I’d allowed inside this space always shook their heads. It was a fifteen-foot by fifteen-foot armory and treasure box. Everything had its perfect spot and access criteria. Which meant the room would seal and gas would fill the space, knocking out the asshole who decided to touch my stuff without permission.
It was over-the-top and extra.
But then again, why not?
Slowly, I removed nearly ten pounds of diamonds and sapphires I’d strapped to my body tonight. I released a deep breath, feeling the weight of Devani Patel, Queen of Diamonds, lift from my shoulders.
Even the burden of Van, Solon agent and Director of Solon North America, no longer existed.
Now I was back to me, Devani, a woman with a lot of baggage who needed some chocolate and a good night’s sleep.
After entering a code, I moved to the pistol display, removed my gun from the holster on my thigh, and left my vault to seal it.
Twenty minutes later, after a shower and a quick late-night snack of cheese, nuts, and chocolate, I made my way up the stairs to the top floor of the penthouse.
As soon as my feet hit the landing, I moved to the oversized flat circular sofa in the bare space, crawled to the center, and sat. Then, using the remote on the cushion beside me, I turned off the overhead lights, casting the room into complete darkness, and opened the shades with another click of the controller.
Immediately, I was surrounded by three-sixty views of breathtaking New York City at night.
Inhaling deep, I took it all in. I loved this space. It was my refuge from the world. Where I could regroup and recharge.
I concentrated on the rise and fall of my chest while basking in the energy of the city below. The tension slowly eased from my muscles and mind with each exhalation.
I opened myself up to the thoughts of the past few days, weeks, and months. Some would take longer to understand, while others cleared faster.
First, I worked through all the daily issues I needed to process.
I had to stay the course, no matter how tedious the tasks became. I had to remember each useless dinner, gala, and event brought me closer to my goal. And every time I listened to another of Joshi’s long-winded discussions, he gave me more and more information on the people in the Circle.
Arun Joshi wasn’t the leader of the group, not anymore. Somewhere along the way, the power had shifted. And my gut said it all moved in the direction of Shah.
There was no reason for Joshi to keep up the charade of this bromance with Shah otherwise. Especially knowing Shah was responsible for the loss of his favored son Luke and the continued control of the Circle of Ten into the next generation.
The fact Joshi had used his connections to eliminate a member of the Circle to make room for Luke without repercussion from the other members said Joshi wielded significant power. And for Shah to remain in the world of the living meant he held something substantial over Joshi’s head.
I had to find a way back into the Shah mansion and that secret compartment. Better move that up on my priority list.
