Page 17 of In Love and Revenge

‘That other time wasn’t—’

‘My fault?’ I look at Dominic from beneath my brows. ‘Spare me the mercy. We both know the truth. I could have lost the company because of what I did.’

‘But you didn’t lose it,’ Dominic reminds me.

‘No.’ I pinch the bridge of my nose with a sigh. ‘I didn’t. Thanks to you.’

He gives me a reassuring smile. ‘It’s what friends do for one another, right?’

I swallow the thick lump in my throat. ‘Yeah, it is.’

My father’s disappointment back in my early days as CEO, when I had to tell him I’d lost a huge client that he’d always dreamt of bringing onboard, is etched into my soul.

I cannot have him look at me like that again.

Like a failure.

Like I’m weak.

It’s bad enough that he’s dropping in every couple of days when he’s in the country, phoning when he isn’t, and checking up on things. Checking up onme. He’s never trusted me as CEO. A fact I can handle, but it doesn’t mean I can stomach him looking at me like I’m this incompetent,brokenlittle boy, which I swear is what he sees.

‘Listen, Rafe. Your family don’t need to know you lost company money that was invested with the firm after what George Thorne did. You replaced it. As far as they’re aware, the money you gave me from Fairfax Guardian was never held in the same account that he drained. My name’s on the deposit. And when the insurance pays out, you’ll get it back. Everyone who lost money to that bastard will. It’s fine. Things are good now.’

‘I should have seen it coming. I should have done something.’

Dominic thumbs his nose with a sniff. ‘Bloody hell, I get it. I feel the same way. But all we can do is move forward and leave that piece of work in our rearview mirror, okay? Let it go.’

I scrub a hand around my jaw. ‘Okay,’ I agree, my eyes sliding to my phone, knowing Aurora’s video is still on there.

Dominic might be able to move on from what George’s actions cost the business he’s a part of, but I can’t. Not when he made me look like a fool, and his daughter is now flaunting it right under my nose.

When I find out how he did it, and where he’s hidden my money,thenI’ll be able to let it go.

And only then.

There’s a knock at my office door, and my brother, Gabe, enters.

‘Hey, Dom,’ he greets, before looking at me. ‘Sorry to interrupt. I thought you’d want to know the police called.’

‘Angelo? Again?’ I groan.

Gabe’s grimace is all the confirmation I need.

‘Bloody hell.’ I push my chair back, blood pounding in my temples. ‘Sorry, Dom, I’m going to have to raincheck on lunch.’ I rise and button my suit jacket with one hand. ‘Seems I’m off to bail out my little brother.’

‘Want some company?’ Dom asks as he stands.

I shake my head, glancing at Gabe, who looks as tired of this shit as I am.

‘Nah. He’s all mine.’

Two hours later, a stern warning, and another ‘agreement’ reached with our local police station, and I’m standing beside my little arsehole of a brother, riding the lift back up to my floor in the Fairfax Guardian offices.

‘Come on, Rafe. It wasn’t that bad.’

‘You broke his nose. He could have done you for GBH.’

Angelo shrugs, the gleamy black of his leather bomber jacket glinting beneath the lights. I keep requesting he wear a suit. Sometimes he complies, but this is Angelo; most of the time he does whatever the hell he wants.