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I felt chills at the mere thought of wearing a dress and opted for dress pants instead. It felt refreshing to have a hot shower, to do my makeup and feel excited about getting ready.
Nevertheless, the reason for our meeting wasn’t as exciting. I was terrified of finding out if I’d been correct, mainly because I didn’t know how to proceed with the information, and I wasn’t going to leave it up to Dominik or Aleksei to decide.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” I greeted Rhea, placing my handbag on the table. “Have you been waiting long?”
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.”
Himeros was half filled with people, and we were in the middle of the crowd. I cursed at Rhea—she could’ve gotten us the most secluded table. A few celebrities I’d seen on television were there, yet no one interesting.
A waiter came with a bottle of Port Charlotte, and I raised an eyebrow.
Rhea simply frowned. “I’m trying to ease you into the conversation we’re about to have.” A sigh followed. “And this is me begging you not to make a scene.”
Damn it.
“Fine, I promise I’ll behave.” I gave her a pointed look, and she slumped into her chair. “Now speak.”
She snorted. “Yeah, I’ll start talking on your third glass.”
I knew she’d rather die than not have it her way, so I let it go. My gaze wandered around the restaurant, until I caught a glimpse of Rhea’s brother. He was near the reception, chatting with one of the waiters. The girl, the same one I’d seen the last time I was here, was closely behind him.
I suppressed a chuckle and sipped away the first glass. It slid down my throat with ease. It had been a few days since I’d last drank, and I missed the taste of it. The burning sensation was all too familiar, and it made all of my problems vanish, even temporarily.
“Is that your sister-in-law?” I joked.
Rhea didn’t bother turning around to see who I was talking about; she only rolled her eyes.
“Apparently,” she grumbled. “She’s sort of blackmailing Helios into a marriage, but why he’s indulging her is beyond me.”
I blinked twice before I laughed out loud. Helios was the kind of man who deliberately allowed women to chase him, knowing he’d never end up committing to them. To make matters worse, oftentimes he’d say it flat out, and they’d still be pining over him.
On my second glass of whiskey, Rhea pulled out a white file from her backpack. Slowly, she placed it on the table, gripping either side of it.
“Let me preface this by saying that I couldn’t do it on my own. I hired a few people—which, by the way, you owe me money for—and although they’re discreet, you have their names here in case you want to bye-bye them.”
“Okay.”
“I hired an ex-spy to infiltrate a few homes, to find anything relating to you, and paid a hacker to give me continuous access to their phones and computers.”
“Whose homes, Rhea?”
She took a deep breath. “Your father’s home, and Viktor’s.”
“Why theirs?”
Rhea gave me a pointed look, though I didn’t bite. I needed to know her reasons for invading their homes, because my reasons for suspecting them weren’t hers.
“I just made a list of all the people you disliked, and checked out everyone who fit the criteria. I knew it was someone big, and I just took a shot with them.”
“That could’ve ended terribly for you, Rhea,” I seethed. “They aren’t people to be messed with. Regardless of your brother’s alliance with mine, they wouldn’t think twice before killing you.”
“I know, which is why after I give you this, my assistance ends here. I’m here if you need the usual stuff, but I can’t get into this much shit again.”
I smiled. “Understood.”
“I tracked all of their bank accounts, dating back two years. There was nothing suspicious until December first.”
My ears perked up. “What happened on December first?”
