Chapter 89 89. Serious Cleansing
"What do you think?" I kept my tone low.
Rafael tilted his head slightly. "I'm okay with whatever you're planning. As long as it doesn't come back to hurt us later."
"It won't. I'll handle it." I grabbed a glass from the cabinet, needing something to do with my hands before I put them through a wall. "I just need her out of my life for good."
"Out of your life?" Jessica's voice cut through the kitchen. We both turned. She stood in the dining side, arms crossed, that calculating smile on her face. She'd been listening to our convo. "That's not very romantic, darling."
I set the glass down slowly. "You were so desperate to be my wife. Now you get to deal with everything that comes with forcing your way into my life."
"Oh, I'm up for the challenge." She moved closer. "I used to want your love, Lucien. I used to dream about you looking at me the way you look at her." Her expression hardened. "But now? Now I just want to watch you suffer. You abandoned me for that little nobody, and I'm going to make you pay for it every single day."
Rage coiled hot in my chest. I forced myself to breathe through it. "You think you have that much power?"
"I know I do." She stopped right in front of me, close enough that I could smell her perfume. It was cloying, nothing like Camila's clean scent. "I can break this engagement whenever I want, which means you lose Elysium." She paused, watching my face. "Or I can finally leak Camila's case to the media. One phone call and she's front-page news. 'Lucien Hayes' Dumped Girlfriend: A Murderer.'"
I clenched my fists. Every instinct screamed to wrap them around her throat and squeeze until that smug smile disappeared forever.
"So yes." She placed her hand possessively over my suit. "I have all the power here, and you know what I'm going to do with it tonight? I'm going to have you video call Camila. Then I'm going to fuck you while she watches. And after that, I'm going to send her a lovely invitation to our engagement dinner this weekend."
The disgust that rolled through me was visceral. Rafael shifted behind me but I held up a hand, stopping him. I looked down at Jessica's hand on my chest, then back at her face and smiled slowly.
"Sure, wife. If that's what you want."
The mockery in the word made her eyes narrow.
"But you'll need to do some serious cleansing first. See a doctor, get tested for everything, and bring me the results." I leaned in closer, dropping my voice. "Because I don't sleep with women who've spread their legs for half of Manhattan. And we both know your body count rivals the population of a small city."
Her hand dropped like I'd burned her. Red flooded her cheeks, rage and humiliation warring on her face.
"You're disgusting."
"Says the woman who just proposed watching herself get fucked on a video call." Now I put some distance between us. "Now get out of my sight before I forget I'm trying to be civil."
She turned on her feet and stormed out, but not before throwing over her shoulder, "The engagement dinner is Saturday at eight. Tell Camila I expect her there."
The moment she disappeared, Rafael exhaled.
"If there's any part of your plan that involves drugging her, just know it's gonna be very impossible to accomplish. She knows you're planning something. She'll be watching everything you give her."
"Good." I finally poured that drink, downed it in one swallow. "That's exactly what I need."
"How does that help?"
"Because when she's busy watching for drugs in her food, in her drinks, she won't see the real trap." I set the glass down. "I'm not drugging her, Rafael, but I'm gonna make her sign whatever I want."
"The marriage agreement."
"Without the stupid publicity she's demanding." Which meant access to Elysium. Which meant Jessica on a plane to somewhere very far away, locked in a property she'd never escape from. "Simple."
My phone started ringing. Ronan's name lit up the screen.
"This bastard." Then I answered. "Calling me every hour won't make the wedding happen faster."
"I want a particular day. I gave you two extra weeks. When are you signing over Elysium?"
"You don't get married two weeks after your engagement. I'm signing it over when I'm married to Jessica, which will happen when it happens." I kept my tone bored and dismissive. "You got what you wanted. I'm engaged. I've accepted it. So stop harassing me like some desperate loan shark."
"You think you can just-"
I hung up.
Five seconds later, my phone exploded with a text.
"DON'T YOU DARE HANG UP ON ME! I OWN YOU! I OWN THAT COMPANY! YOU'RE NOTHING WITHOUT MY MERCY! CALL ME BACK NOW OR I SWEAR TO GOD!!!"
I showed Rafael the screen. His mouth twitched with a hint of amusement.
"You really enjoy pissing him off."
"It's one of my few pleasures these days." I pocketed the phone. "What else?"
"Maya told me Camila's back at the apartment."
"Maya?" I raised a brow. "I didn't know you guys exchanged numbers. Why is she telling you anything?"
"We're not chatting." His face remained neutral, but I could feel it wasn't entirely the truth. "She just believes you did what you did for a good reason. She wants to help get you two back together."
"Then tell her to stop. If there's nothing going on between you and Maya, reduce communication. Don't set anything up. Camila already thinks I betrayed her. The last thing she needs is to think her best friend is conspiring behind her back."
"So what's your plan? You're just going to stay away?"
"For now. No more showing up at her door. No more unknown numbers. No more chasing."
"That's not like you. You're gonna make her hate you more."
"You heard what Jessica said last night at the Ashford estate." I turned toward the window. "Every move I make toward Camila puts a target on her back. The last thing I want for Camila is more dirt to her reputation."
"So you're giving up?"
"I didn't say that." I scratched my jaw. "I already knew she was back, Rafael. I have men in her building, on her street, following her everywhere she goes. Our guy in Morocco is tracking her phone, cross-checking with reports from my men every hour."
"Tch! Now that's more like you," he smirked.
"Maybe. When I've dealt with Jessica, when she can't threaten Camila anymore, I'll go to her. But until then, I watch from a distance and make sure she's safe. I make sure no one touches what's mine."
"She'd hate knowing you're doing this."
"She hates me already." It stung my heart to say those words. "At least this way, she's protected."
Later that night, I was in the pool, trying to drown out Jessica's voice upstairs as she talked to Lily about decorating "their new home." The water was cold. I'd been swimming laps for an hour, pushing my body until my muscles screamed, but nothing touched the rage simmering under my skin.
Nothing could get the image of Camila away from my head.
Heck, I didn't even want her image to leave. I missed her badly.
My phone's screen lit up on the edge of the pool. I pulled myself out and grabbed it, water dripping onto the tiles.
Text from one of my men: "Subject at nightclub in lower Manhattan. Harper & 5th."
I stared at the screen, reading it twice to make sure I understood correctly.
"The fuck is she doing at a club by 11 PM?!"