Chapter 37

Chapter 37

SHANNON.

PRESENT.

I was able to clean up our mess before George returned home.

Poor, innocent George.

A tear almost fell from my eye when he rushed into the house, breathing heavily with a prescription in his hand.

"I forgot to ask what brand he uses. And he wasn't answering his calls. Had to just get the best they had, just in case," He said breathlessly, looking around. "Is he inside? Did he get worse?"

Oh, God.

I felt like a monster.

Poor George didn't even notice that Kenai's car was no longer parked outside.

When he was done committing his sinful act, he walked away with that familiar grin on his face and reminded me I had to resume work early the next morning.

"George. He... He left," I managed, clearing the dining table.

"What? Did he get better?" He asked, hands akimbo, frustration written all over him.

"Uhm. Yes." I answered and walked into the kitchen.

"Okay. I'll call him to know how he's faring," He said, pulling out his phone from his pocket.

"George!" I yelled at him, and it startled him. "Take a moment and calm the hell down!"

My frustration was already simmering to the surface as I angrily walked out of the kitchen with a towel in hand.

Kenai was wrapping George around the tip of his finger, and he was blindly letting him.

"Babe? What's wrong? Why are you yelling?" He asked softly and walked toward me. "Why..."

"We are no longer working for that man! I'm not going back to that company ever again! And you?" I took in a deep, calming breath. "You'll not accept a dime from him."

My husband looked at me, totally perplexed, like I was playing a prank on him.

"You're not serious now, are you?" He smiled.

"Do I look like I'm joking to you?" I dumped the towel on the dining table. "We will have absolutely nothing to do with that man!"

"What are you saying?" He snapped, "You've been acting strange since you returned from... Wait... Where did you go? Why weren't you at home when I returned?"

My heart skipped a very loud beat. I'd be surprised if George didn't hear it.

I swallowed. "I'm not acting strange. But what's with the sudden friendliness with that man?"

"Stop calling him 'that man', babe. He's our boss," George said softly, frustration lacing his features, and I felt so terrible that I was putting him through all this.

But I was saving him. I couldn't help it.

"Have you ever stopped to think why things are suddenly turning out smoothly? Offering you millions of dollars for a business he doesn't even understand?" I scoffed.

"But I explained everything in detail to him. He saw my vision and believed in me, just like you always have," he explained with outstretched hands.

My heart shattered.

"You need to listen to me." My voice couldn't hold together anymore as I closed the distance between us and took his hands in mine. "He's setting a trap for you. Don't fall for it. I beg of you."

He looked at me with narrowed brows, "A trap? And how did you know it's a trap? Someone told you?"

Oh, shit.

I was beginning to say too much.

I licked my lips. "It's written all over him. Men like that are usually up to no good. Believe me. Believe my instincts on this."

He was quiet for a while, looking at me with concern before finally speaking, "I don't know about you, but I am tired of this suffering. I am done with people looking down on me, barely feeding, unable to take care of my wife and have a good life..." He took a step away from me. "I don't know what's happening with you, Shan. But you'll resume your job tomorrow, while I plan for the next big thing that should happen to us."

"George..." I tried to get close to him, but he stepped back again, clearly hurt and disappointed at me.

"Just stop, Shannon," He shook his head slowly. "You're getting me frustrated. I've already been through too much."

With that, he walked out the front door, and my heart shattered into a million pieces.



KENAI.

My phone rang again, and I decided to pick up this time.

"I've texted the address. I'll be waiting." I said and dropped the call.

The sheer excitement in his voice gave me sweet goosebumps. Never seen a man more excited to walk into his grave.

In less than thirty minutes, George was at my mansion.

And, fuck no, it wasn't the mansion I took Shannon to. It was a different mansion from the one that belonged to Shannon and me. No one else, especially George, was worthy of being there. It was solely, intimately for my woman and me.

"Why do you look so sad?" I asked, handing him a glass of whiskey... One that I wished I'd poisoned... But not. He doesn't deserve a merciful death.

"It's that obvious, huh?" He leaned into my expensive couch with those cheap clothes he was putting on.

I'll just have to get the cleaning company to clean up the entire house when he leaves.

"I may have forgotten to say that I read people a lot," I took a sip, "Your wife doesn't seem to like me, by the way."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "And that's why I left the house for a moment. She needs some time to cool off. The loss of her job, my arrest, everything... I think it's all making her this angry. But she'll be fine."

He took a sip from the wine that probably cost more than he makes in a year.

"Ah. I understand." I smiled. "Maybe she'll get to like me when you tell her that I've spoken with a few friends who are more than ready to invest in your new company already."

His stupid face lit up with that hope again as he set his glass on the table.

"What? Already?" He laughed nervously, "I mean... I haven't even... Oh, God."

The fool was confused.

"I know you're ready for this," I nudged him a bit closer to his grave, "Just make sure you get your business plan and proposal ready in three days. They are eager to see it."

His face fell for a second. "Wow. Three days? That's... That's a really short time, sir."

"Take this as a test. Show us how well you can handle anything that comes home way," I stood up, "that way, we'll be certain our money is in capable hands."

He stood up, beaming with gratitude. "I'll get to work immediately, sir. I won't disappoint you."

I nodded, "Of course, you won't." A smirk curled my lips. "Tell your wife she'll be having a fifty percent increase in her salary. But she has to be right on time tomorrow. We've got a lot of work to do. Especially in preparation for the launching of your new company."

Boom! There I got him!

He'll do everything fucking possible to get Shannon's ass back to my office.