I can hear my father breathing on the other end of the line, slow and measured. When he speaks again, his voice is calm, almost bored. "What did you tell him?"
"Nothing. I denied everything."
"Good. Did he make any specific threats?"
I think about Dominic's parting words. The way he mentioned Jade's name, her nervousness, the implied threat wrapped in casual observation. "He mentioned Jade. Made it clear he's been watching us."
"I see." Another pause. "I'll look into Mr. Webb. Find out what resources he actually has and what he's capable of. In the meantime, don't engage with him again. If he shows up at your office, have security remove him. If he approaches you in public, walk away."
"And if he approaches Jade?"
"He won't." My father's voice hardens into something that sounds almost protective. "I'll make sure of it."
I want to ask how. I want to demand specifics, guarantees, some assurance that the man who just stood in my office won't get anywhere near the woman I love. But I know my father well enough to understand that asking questions only reveals weakness.
"Thank you," I say instead.
"We'll talk soon." The line goes dead.
I set the phone down on my desk and walk to the window. The sun is starting its descent toward the ocean, painting the smog in shades of orange and pink that would be beautiful if I could appreciate anything right now.
Dominic Webb is nothing like his brother.
Marcus was impulsive, emotional, driven by appetites he couldn't control. He was dangerous in the way a wild animal is dangerous, unpredictable and violent but ultimately stupid. Easy to provoke. Easy to manipulate.
Dominic is something else entirely. Cold and calculated, patient in a way that suggests military training or something even more specialized. The kind of man who plans every move three steps ahead and never acts without knowing exactly what the outcome will be.
Marcus I could handle.
Dominic might be the death of everything.
I think about Jade at home right now, probably curled up in my study with her laptop, lost in the fantasy world she's buildingwith words. She's been happier these past few weeks than I've ever seen her. The shadows under her eyes have faded. The tension in her shoulders has eased. She's starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, we've gotten away with it.
I can't let Dominic Webb take that away from her.
I pull out my phone again and send a text to Torres, my head of security.
I need additional surveillance on the house. Cameras, motion sensors, the works. And put someone on Jade whenever she leaves the property. Discreet. She shouldn't know they're there.
His response comes back almost immediately.
Understood. How long?
Indefinitely.
I slide the phone back into my pocket and turn away from the window. The contracts can wait. The meetings can wait. Everything can wait until I figure out how to neutralize the threat that just walked out of my office.
Because Dominic Webb was right about one thing.
Someone is going to answer for what happened to Marcus.
I just need to make sure that someone isn't me.
CHAPTER 23-JADE
The coffee shop on Pacific Coast Highway has become my refuge.
It's a small place, tucked between a surf shop and a boutique that sells overpriced candles, with mismatched furniture and a barista who remembers my order. Oat milk latte, extra hot, no foam. I've been coming here every morning for the past week, carving out a small space in the world that belongs only to me.
