Her Mother's Sin

Chapter 6: Numbers that lie

Chapter 6: Numbers That Lie

Isolde sat across from Damien at the glass table. Papers spread everywhere. Her fingers traced lines on a ledger while the collar rested warm against her skin. Every time she remembered something new it buzzed softly like it approved.

"Tell me again about the Cayman account," Damien said. He leaned forward. His shirt sleeves were rolled up showing strong forearms. "Exact date. Exact amount. Do not leave anything out."

She closed her eyes for a second. The memory came clear. "March fifteenth. Kieran was on the phone in the kitchen. He said seven point two million would clear by the end of the week. Then he laughed and told whoever was on the line that Blackthorn would never notice because the system had holes big enough to drive a truck through."

Damien’s jaw tightened. "He said my name?"

"Yes. He called you an arrogant prick who thought money made him untouchable." Isolde looked up at him. "He sounded proud of himself. Like stealing from you was some kind of game."

Damien stood up suddenly. He walked to the window and stared out at the city. "That bastard. Keep going. What else did he say about your mother?"

Isolde swallowed hard. "He said she was useful. That she understood how these things worked. That she helped him hide the transfers by pretending to need money for the house." Her voice cracked a little. "He said she was better at lying than I would ever be."

Damien turned around fast. "Look at me."

She met his eyes. The collar gave a small pulse.

"You are not like her," he said firmly. "You are nothing like her. Do you understand?"

"I want to believe that." Isolde stood up too. "But every time I close my eyes I see them together. I hear her moaning his name. How am I supposed to trust anything after that?"

Damien crossed the room in three steps. He caught her face in his hands. Not gentle but not rough either. "Because you are here with me now. Not with them. You chose this."

"I did not choose this," she whispered. "I chose survival."

His thumb brushed her lower lip. "Then survive with me."

The collar warmed again. She hated how her body reacted to him. "You are making this complicated. One minute you are the cold CEO. The next you are..."

"The man who f****d you on the table yesterday?" He finished the sentence with a small smirk. "Yes. That man too."

Isolde pushed his chest lightly. "Stop. We have work to do."

Damien did not move. "Work can wait five minutes."

"No it cannot." She stepped back. "If I am really going to help you take them down I need to stay focused. Not distracted by whatever this is."

He watched her for a long moment. "This is whatever you want it to be. But do not lie to yourself Isolde. You feel it too. The collar does not lie even if you do."

She turned away and picked up another paper. "There was another transfer. April second. Three point four million. He told me it was for a business investment. But I remember the account name now. It was linked to my mother’s old friend. Someone named Reyes."

Damien’s expression changed. "Reyes? Sophia Reyes?"

"You know her?"

"She works for me sometimes. Investigator." He pulled out his phone. "This changes things. If your mother is using her..."

The phone on the table lit up. Unknown number. Isolde stared at it.

"Answer it," Damien said. "Speaker."

She picked it up with shaking hands. "Hello?"

Kieran’s voice came through. "Isolde. Baby please. We need to talk. Your mom is losing her mind. Come home."

Damien’s eyes narrowed. He stepped closer to her.

"I am not coming home," she said. Her voice sounded stronger than she felt. "You both made your choice. Now live with it."

Kieran laughed but it sounded forced. "You do not understand what is really going on. There are things about your mom. About the money. Dangerous things. Meet me tonight. Just us."

Damien shook his head no.

"I cannot," Isolde said. "I am done with both of you."

"You are with him aren’t you?" Kieran’s voice turned ugly. "Blackthorn. That rich bastard. He is using you just like we did. You think that collar makes you special? It makes you his whore."

Isolde froze. "How do you know about the collar?"

The line went dead.

Damien took the phone from her hand. His face was dark. "They are watching us. Someone is feeding them information."

Isolde wrapped her arms around herself. The collar felt heavier now. "What do we do?"

He pulled her against his chest. "We fight smarter. And you stay right here where I can protect you."

But as she leaned into him she could not shake the feeling that the real danger was only starting.