Like Livvie’s conservatory.
I pull up the camera feeds of my penthouse, scrolling through the last few hours’ worth of images.
I stop and peer closely at the screen.
There.
Livvie, two hours ago according to the timestamp, in the conservatory with her phone to her ear. The same conservatory where she goes to think, to play, to hide, and evidently to make phone calls she doesn't want overheard.
My vision clouds over, everything stained red as the sound of her voice assaults my ears.
“Mom, I'm tired of this,” she says, her shoulders tense.
Pause.
“No, I can't do it.” And then… “I have to kill him.”
The world tilts sideways. Every sound becomes muffled, like my head’s just been shoved underwater. My hand grips the edge of the desk so hard the wood creaks.
“I’m in love with him,” Livvie whispers, pressing a hand to her forehead.
I'm in love with him.
But then her voice hardens, takes on the cold edge I'veonly heard when she's lying to me. “But I’ll do what needs to be done.”
She’s quiet for a second, then nods before clicking to end the call. I tear my eyes away from the screen and rake a hand through my hair, my heart clenching.
I grab my phone, close the secret entryway panel, and head back to the conservatory, stalking through the penthouse. The heavy door is open a crack, just like I left it.
I push it open.
Livvie spins around, her hair still mussed from our sexcapade, wearing nothing but my discarded T-shirt that falls to her thighs. The moonlight catches her features, making her look innocent. Vulnerable.
She looks like a goddamn lie.
"Kingston?" Her voice is soft, surprised. "I thought you were in your office."
"I was." I step into the conservatory, letting the door slam shut behind me. The sound echoes, reverberating between my ears. "Have any interesting conversations this afternoon?"
Her pretty green eyes narrow but the afterglow of sex in her cheeks fades damn quick when realization hits.
“So exactly how long have you been conspiring to kill me, Livvie?” I growl, slowly moving toward her like a predator angling to pounce on its prey. “Has this been your father’s plan the whole time? Get his daughter to marry me, flash her pussy at me as a distraction, and then take over the empireIhelped to build?”
I close the distance between us in three strides, and she backs up until she hits the glass wall. There's nowhere for her to run now, nowhere to hide behind her prettylies and breathless moans.
“I heard everything. Every goddamn word. You fucking liar.” I slam a fist against the window right next to the side of her face and she shudders at the force.
"You don’t understand,” she says. “Let me explain.”
"Don’t." The word tears out of my lips like a roar, and she flinches. "Don't you dare try to explain this away. Don't insult me with more lies."
I grab her chin, forcing her to look at me. Her skin is cold, her expression etched with panic.
"How long?" My voice is deadly quiet now, more threatening than my shouting. "How long have you been planning to put a bullet in my head?"
"It's not what you think?—"
"Tell me," I thunder, slamming my free hand against the glass beside her head. She cries out, completely caged in. The sound echoes off the walls. "How fucking long?"
